HISTORY OF VERNON STREET STUDIOS
Vernon Street Studios is a community well known throughout the area for the quality of work produced by artists with established reputations as well as exciting newcomers. Located in an historic 19th-century brick industrial building, Vernon Street housed the first group of artists in Somerville to open their studios to the public in 1974. Open Studios allows attendees to learn about the creative process, interact with artists in the spaces where they create, purchase original artwork, and discover new talent.
Artists at Vernon Street Studios welcome the public into their workspaces at 6 & 20 Vernon Street at two different times each year: in early December for Vernon Street Open Studios, and early May as part of Somerville Open Studios.
Central Street Art Panels
History of the original art panels
Artist Karen Audette coordinated the original art panel project on the building in the early 1990s as a way to encourage neighborhood kids to make and display art. She worked with fellow artist Stephen Coren as part of thier revitalization of Hoyt Sullivan Park and started doing art in the park with neighborhood kids as a way to engage them with the park and their community.
Though they are no longer on display due to weather effects over time, the previous panels gave a group of kids an opportunity to tap into their creative stream, and to promote a sense of accomplishment and pride in their community. The original images are pictured here to preserve their visual history.
New art panels, 2012
Over the summer of 2012, nine Vernon Street Studio artists designed and painted panels to replace the old and weatherbeaten ones (see history of the original panels below). The artists—Heather Balchunas, Michelle Carter, Nicole Duennebier, David Fallon, Andrew Fish, Jen Fuchel, Tova Speter, Gee Wong, and Dorothy Zarren— were selected to showcase the great diversity and high quality of work produced within the building and to help identify the building as an "art space" to passersby who may not be aware of what takes place inside our walls. We hope the new panels will brighten and inspire the community for many years to come.
This project was funded with support from Rogers Foam Corporation, and the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
