Anyone walking into the Harbor Art Gallery to view the exhibit, "Bomb" on display last month, would be unsure which piece to look at first - - a series of bright paintings with a dark theme hung in line on one wall while 3-D art exhibits pushed their way toward viewers from across the room. Chairs became artistic statements and photographs pulled the eye.
Quite a few students and faculty had already stopped by to view the exhibit, even before the Nov. 19 delayed opening reception. Nothing could make Gallery Director Noel McKenna happier. "[I want to] create a space where people feel welcome," he said, "come in and look at the work, drink a cup of coffee, read a paper, or converse."
"Bomb" was a visiting exhibit from the Artists for Humanity, a non-profit organization which encourages teens from the inner city to try their hands at creating art. The group exhibited here two years ago, but had not returned since. McKenna hopes now to make it an annual tradition.
Artists for Humanity allows students to participate as they choose. "They come and go as they feel they need to," said McKenna. But most students stay. Hired staff combined with volunteer Boston artists teach six different art media: painting, photography, 3-D, ceramic, graphic design, and set design. They work out of a 35,000 square foot space on A Street in South Boston.
"They cultivate these young individuals' talents," said McKenna. "It teaches skills to generate income off making artwork." As opposed to the "starving artists" stereotype, these students sell their work to business partners who pay them a commission.
Grants and corporate sponsorships additionally fund Artists for Humanity. Co-founder and director Susan Rodgerson reports the program enrolls about 40 students now, and she hopes to see it grow. "It's a great way to apply your skills to both commercial and fine art," she said. "It gets the kids seeing how their skills apply to the rest of the world.
"We're breaking new ground every day in ways young people can participate in the adult world," Rodgerson continued. McKenna remains impressed by the group's output. "These kids are cranking out artwork like crazy," he said.
The students were able to select which pieces went into "Bomb," the exhibit's chosen name because, "it was all about having an impact," said Rodgerson. "And 'the bomb' is slang for really awesome."
"It's part of urban lingo," said McKenna, "something that's cool, that's interesting, stimulating."
If you missed the exhibit, the Carnegie Mellon Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching filmed a documentary including a portion on Artists for Humanity, and interviewed McKenna in the Harbor Art Gallery. McKenna expects the film to air nationally on PBS in about six months. And Artists for Humanity plans an new exhibit at the Boston Public Library in February.
The Harbor Art Gallery's next exhibit, the craft of Renaissance painting from artist and Massachusetts College of Art professor David Addison Small, will open mid-December. While the Gallery normally sponsors three exhibits each semester, McKenna is hoping to increase that number to match the increasing traffic in the space.
McKenna credits much of that interest to student organizations and clubs which hold their meetings in the Gallery. Once someone steps into the space, McKenna said, he or she tends to return. "They decide they like what they're seeing on the walls and come back," he said.
McKenna aims to represent a variety of artists and media. And he hopes somewhere along the line, a piece will stimulate emotion.
"[The artists] put themselves on a limb," he said. "To get the most out of the work you have to create an environment that matches that free quality... Even arguing about the work, that's what it's about."