Local Conversations: Boston 2007

Boston, MA

Contact: Rita Cleary: rita.cleary@pointmail.org

September 15, 2007:

The seed thought-to create a First Night-type celebration of Boston arts focused on the concept of "hope"-was something that popped into mind for Boston IV of Hope member Rosemary Fortin. It found fertile ground in a cadre of students from The Boston Conservatory, who developed the concept as their spring semester entrepreneurship project in a career skills class.

Now September 15, from 1 to 9pm, is slated as a day-long "BoCo" artists' consortium called UpLifted: Art Perpetuating Hope. The immense enthusiasm and pooled talents of the students who are creating the event are laying groundwork for what they hope will be an annual happening, and one that catches on with other music and art schools and organizations in Boston's creative scene.

Features of this entirely free program will include a gallery exhibit, a fashion show, theater, poetry reading, a panel discussion, a silent auction (of student art, fashion designs, and musical gigs), background music performances, and as the finale a new music concert by the next generation of local composers. Students will be running the show, with Boston IV of Hope members providing PR, fundraising coaching, and print design and The Boston Conservatory providing the venue and guidance for its students to maintain the highest performance standards. BoCo is the oldest conservatory in the U.S., with a close-knit student/teacher community in the mid-hundreds and areas of specialization including not only music but also art, theater, opera, dance, and fashion design.

How art influences hope will be an organizing principle of all events. The panel discussion, among students set to pursue a life in the arts, will tackle the social impact of art in its various forms. The call for artists looking to showcase their work asks specifically for work involving social commentary. Says Brian Thacker, one of the student organizers, "It seems that artists of the 20th century have pushed art beyond the grasp of the common audience." The UpLifted mission statement aims to "broaden the demographic that art attracts." The students see their work encouraging a better tomorrow.