By Bobby Feingold
Northeastern alumni and faculty, as well as artists from Massachusetts College of Art, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wentworth, unveiled their artwork for display at the opening night of the Avenue of the Arts exhibit Thursday at the West End Branch of the Boston Public Library.
The works ranged from paintings and prints to collages and quilts. The exhibit, dubbed “Art With a Story,” runs until Nov. 23.
System administrator of information services operations and solutions Naveed Nour, senior search scientist in biology Sally De Fazio and Larry Stelmack, who has taught various courses at NU since 1990, were just a few of the artists from Northeastern.
“I was totally surprised,” said L.B. Gratun, director of Avenue of the Arts, about the untapped Northeastern talent. “It was a happy coincidence.”
Gratun visited 2004’s Art@NU Show and was so impressed she included much of the work in her show that December.
The artwork from people with a more scientific background may seem unusual, but as artists in attendance assured onlookers, artistry can come out of unusual places.
“Those involved in science seem to apply themselves more,” said Gratun, whose brother Martin is a Northeastern graduate.
Nour made his evocative collages of the war between Iran and Iraq 15 years ago, but only recently at prompting by friends has he allowed it to be viewed publicly again.
“The piece evolved,” he said of the collage. He said he’s since changed the original background to enhance its meaning.
Stelmack’s “digital paintings,” as he called them, used Adobe Photoshop to enhance and distort the works, creating effects that could mesmerize viewers.
“One woman stared at my print for 10 minutes. She hadn’t moved,” he said. “She said she was meditating.”
Other works by Northeastern Director of Foundation Relations Pat Denn, libraries and administrations operator Elizabeth Habich and Nathan Gilbert, communications specialist in the office of the Dean of the College Business Administration, among others, are on display for the rest of the month.
“Every work has a very interesting background story, either about the artist or the work,” Gratun said. Her work, “Portrait of Peter – Peter Falk as Columbo” uses mixed media (multiple art forms) to illustrate her first encounter with TV actor Peter Falk.
“I first met Peter in 1986, browsing through art books and sipping coffee,” she said. “He’s a native New Yorker and an artist, too. I’ve given him a few works.”
Gratun wound up with another unintentional theme for the exhibit: New York. With photos of the city’s neon lights, prints of the Gates project and pieces reminiscent of September 11, the city’s influence was apparent.
“I wouldn’t have done it if the Yankees would have won,” Gratun said jokingly.
Gratun, a graduate of MassArt with degrees in both design and painting, worked with marketing before joining Avenue of the Arts. The program is also known for their BPFF (Boston Political Film Festival), which gathers many works from universities in the area. It begins July 6.
The Avenue of the Arts exhibit and the film festival were named to the 2005 “Boston’s Best” list by The Improper Bostonian.
Located at 151 Cambridge St., accessible from the Government Center station on the Green Line, the exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday, Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
