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OH NO! ITS HAPPENING AGAIN!

ARTISTS GET THE SHAFT - The city gives Fort Point's creative residents the finger
By TED SIEFER  |  The Phoenix | February 2, 2009

 

 

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S.T Gallery in Boston's Fort Point District

(October 1998 - April 2000)

 

1997 - Sand T moved to 15-17 Stillings Street Artists' building soon after she graduated from her MFA program at Tufts University and the Museum School. Then, she maintained an art studio in the basement of the Revolving Museum located at 288-300 A Street in the Fort Point Artists Community, Boston, MA.

1998 - S.T Gallery was established by Sand T as an artist-funded-operated gallery at 15-17 Stillings Street. It was designed, built and finished in October 1998. It housed a gallery, three studio spaces, a home and an office. Sand T moved her studio from the Revolving Museum to Stillings Street.

August- October 1998 - Building S.T Gallery in Fort Point 

 

1998 A premier show INVITATIONAL ART EXHIBIT was installed to announce the grand opening of S.T GALLERY.
1998 IDENTITY / ID / MODE
1999 12 NEW ENGLAND ARTISTS
1999 Vernacular Art - Slides Presentation+ Artist Talk by Jeremy Liu
1999 Translation of Tang + Ming Dynasty Chinese Poetry Reading + Talk by Doris Chu
1999 Classical music performance by Xiao-Dan Liu/violinist + Cy Gilbert/flute Soloist


"Rumors" about the demolition of Stillings Street buildings began spreading in August 1999.

In October 1999, all tenants of 11-23 Stillings Street received the 1st eviction notice which was effective on December 31, 1999 from the Boston Wharf Company.


A plan of a 500-vehicle garage and office building was made to replace three low-lying structures occupied by dozens of artists for more than two decades. The warehouse buildings on Stillings Street were built in 1905 and 1907. 32 artist-tenants that lived and worked in the buildings and 5 small businesses were displaced by this proposed demolition.


1999 CELEBRATION IN THE CASTLE OF SAND - One-Day Temporary Art -
Leave Some Art for the Demolishers to Find - Dec 19th.

1999 Chinese Tea Art: Tea Tasting + Preparation presented by
Tea Master James Hsu

Received 2nd eviction notice which had extended to January 31, 2000.

Community meetings were organized, signatures were collected; concerns were addressed, letters of petition were arrayed and sent to respective authorities throughout the cause, but these efforts didn’t change the faith of Stillings Street.  

Received 3rd Eviction Notice which had extended to April 2, 2000.

Stillings Street artists got together and organized the very last event for Stillings Street in March 2000. A round-the-clock 15-hour reception was held on March 11.  At 9:00pm, a candle light procession was held for Stillings Street Wake. Events included exhibitions, 16mm film screenings, fashion shows, poetry readings, music performances organized by neighbor artists were held at Stillings Street buildings till the next morning. Some 400 individuals attended this last event held at Stillings Street Buildings.

2000 - LAST SHOW: " 9 SOLOS, ALONE TOGETHER – Stillings Street Wake" was held at S.T Gallery to mark the end of the era of the 95-year-old Stillings Street buildings. Exhibition Dates: March 11 - 25, 2000. Featured artists: Mark D'Aquila, Qin Feng, Wesley Kalloch, Takashi Nakamura, Moni Oolyonghai, Sand T, Sara Thompson, Dennis Sagwitz, Lawrence Wong. Opening reception: March 11 from 4 - 7pm. At 9pm a candlelight procession was held for Stillings Street Wake.


S.T Gallery + Sand T moved from 15 - 17 Stillings Street in Fort Point to 16 Princeton Road in Malden on April 1, 2000. Stillings Street buildings were demolished two weeks later.

 

Even though we didn’t save the Stillings Street buildings, but I believe our efforts helped to create public awareness of the migration of artists from the Boston area looking for affordable live/work space.


Winter-Spring 2003

A Transition:
from Fort Point to Malden

_______________________________________________________________________

Meeting Sand T at artSPACE@16 in Malden
An Interview Conducted Via Electronic Mail
By James Manning, Director of Art Initiative, Inc.



James Manning: How did losing your old space ( a gallery, art studios, office and living space) in South Boston's Fort Point Artists' Community* affect you and the decisions you have made in building and establishing the new gallery space, artSPACE@16 in Malden? (*Fort Point Artists Community is the oldest and largest artists' community in New England.)


Sand T:
I put in a tremendous effort in establishing and building S.T Gallery at Stillings Street where I had art studios, an office, and gallery since 1997. When the redeveloper decided to take down the Stillings Street buildings for a 9-story parking garage, I experienced tremendous lost. It wasn't a pleasant experience - for these 50 artists who had studios and small businesses at Stillings Street for the past two decades, including myself. I only wish that these changes could have been made in ways that considered the needs of the community. A community that had culturally revitalized Fort Point, and has brought in business and safety to the Fort Point area where no one wanted to go more than twenty ago.

Instead of being a passive victim groaning over the death of my years at Stillings Street, this major setback had transformed into a cause, a positive motivation in continuing what I've been enjoying doing. I gained a strong desire to make space for art during my recovery from the loss of my old space. Shortly after I moved to Malden in April 2000, I decided to rebuild a new art space in a converted garage space with the kind help from Wesley Kalloch, my husband and friends. This newly renovated art space earned its name artSPACE@16 from the street number and being operating as a non-commercial art space. Besides curating and organizing exhibitions, I continue working in collaboration with individuals and community organizations to promote art from artSPACE@16 and other venues. Our events include exhibitions, forums, music performances, poetry readings and other collaborations in the community.


James Manning:
Did you have any connections to the Fort Point Artists Community in South Boston similar to what is being established in Malden or did that develop after the transition?


Sand T:
My time working with Fort Point Artists Community was too short. I only wished that S.T Gallery (which was established in Oct 1998) could be there longer to be fully established. At the same time, if it were not because of that lost, I would not have created artSPACE@16 and being part of building an artists' community in Malden.

ArtSPACE@16 was built and established after the transition. As one of the grassroots in helping to shape a vibrant artists' community in Malden, artSPACE@16 provides an open ground for artists to display their work. Many artists, residing in or outside Malden who I have spoken or worked with, have been asking these same questions: Are there any artists in Malden? Any studio spaces, art related businesses, art galleries and contemporary art centers in Malden? We need an artists community in Malden.

I understand the needs and concerns that are here. I can tell you that I represent myself as an artist who has a strong desire in wanting to see a vibrant artists' community established in Malden. I am a voice that has felt it important to call out to the artists in our community to come together, let's play a role in building an artists' community like many neighboring communities have successfully accomplished.

In the ongoing effort of the City to revitalize Malden's downtown area, I co-organized a meeting Building Communities: Strengthening the Role of the Arts with the Mayor's Office and the Malden Redevelopment Authority. That meeting was an attempt to reach out to members of the artist community to collect their thoughts on creating housing and art related small business opportunities in the Malden Square area. Over 45 artists attended the 2/26/2003 City Hall meeting and all expressed interest in partnering with the City to revitalize Malden Square and creating artists live-work spaces. I'm thrilled with the turn-out and their great energy for the city. One attendee said to me that the meeting on Wednesday night left her so full of hope for being an artist in Malden. I understand this attempt is a long-term endeavor and it needs more than one mind to be achieved. As one voice in Malden artists' community, I can also say, with certainty, that I want to continue to contribute to the art and cultural life of our community.


James Manning:
Has the community shaped the work that you do at the gallery? Any examples of projects have been involved in this process?


Sand T:
The artists, Malden community-at-large and my gallery have been mutually shaping each other through the collaboration of art and community projects. For example: I worked with local non-for-profit organizations, artists and individuals on an Malden Cultural Council awarded community project, entitled the Asian American Artists Roundtable Series. This program included seven events, which were successfully implemented at my gallery and several venues in Malden and Boston.

Another example of collaboration in the community is that have worked with Malden Access Cable TV on an art and community project. I curated the premier exhibition entitled AMBIANCE featured 9 Malden and regional artists for this new exhibition venue, MATV Gallery with funding, in part from the Malden Cultural Council.

I also approached the City with an idea to create artist's live/work studio in downtown Malden, revitalizing Downtown Malden through the arts, establishing an artists' community in Malden, and creating exhibition space at the Mayor's Office.

As for curating and organizing art exhibitions at my own gallery artSPACE@16, I'd invited guest jurors or curators from Malden or other communities to have art events happened in Malden since the opening of artSPACE@16 in 2000. I continue to inform artists and art organizations in Malden and other neighboring cities of the latest art news from Malden. By doing so in hoping to reach out to the community-at-large to bring people together to the common ground of art appreciation. I invite anyone to look into Malden, a potential haven for the arts. Malden is an exceptional choice for those looking to expand the horizons of their art and cultural activities, for those looking for studio or live/work space, and for anyone willing to get involved in this budding artist community in Malden. Malden Center is a 15 -20 minute drive from downtown Boston. The Malden Center Orange Line MBTA stop is a convenient public transit route for those not driving.


James Manning:
How do you think your gallery has made an impact on the community?

 

Sand T: I've always heard these similar compliments from my peers and people in the community with whom I have had working relationships with: "You're a community builder!" "You're a public relation machine!" You're a born net-worker!" From these positive comments I have been receiving, I know my gallery has made an impact on the community. On top of that, the increasing artists participation, collaborations, and attendees have shown the tremendous support they'd given to artSPACE@16. Local newspapers continue to announce and write about our events, community centers that I've had an opportunity to collaborate with continue to promote art after the completion of our collaboration project, more people have recommended me to other individuals or community organizations, more people revisiting artSPACE@16 and more people recommending artSPACE@16 to others/artists.


James Manning:
How do you think being an artist, in particular an Asian American woman artist has shaped your role as a curator, gallery director and your role in the community?


Sand T:
Besides my role as an artist in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I also operated an art-consulting firm, working on art projects in collaboration with the Malaysian National Art Gallery, local art colleges, private galleries and individuals to promote Contemporary Arts through organizing and curating exhibits. During that time, this question was never asked while I was doing the same thing in Malaysia as I am doing now in the States. My woman-ness and Asian-ness has been magnified after my move to America. My role as an Asian woman, an artist, and a curator who grew up in a multicultural country like Malaysia and now living in another melting pot, the United States, has not changed significantly. I perhaps have more to provide culturally and artistically to the community here. I see myself as a person who wants to make a different in the community, anywhere, no matter how small.


James Manning:
Where do you think this gallery will lead you?


Sand T:
I have always wanted a gallery on the main drag to promote contemporary art. I'm leading the gallery in that direction.

 

 

James Manning's Profile: Organizer of Art Initiative, Inc. founded in 2001, is a group of alternative / nonprofit galleries and art spaces. As a group, art Innitiative, Inc. works on ways to better promote communication and awareness of Boston's diverse art scene. Program Director|Curator of Gallery fx, a nonprofit gallery dedicated to promoting and advancing student and emerging artists working in all media in and around the Boston area through exhibits and offering resources. 1999-2001. Founder / Director / Curator of ArtVigor Gallery in Maverick Square East Boston, This experimental art space features group shows of artists working in all media. 1997 - 1999

 

 

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