March Newsletter

"Shaping the Grain" Reception & Artists' Talk

We are pleased to present the works of five of our staff and faculty artists. Alison Croney Moses, Michael Gleason, Ken Lindgren, Dan Paret, and Andrew Riiska share objects and furniture, their personal relationships with wood, and their use of hand and machine tools to shape, design, carve, turn, paint, assemble and finish their work.

Exhibition: March 4–29
Reception: Friday, March 6, 6–8 pm
Artists’ Talk: Sunday, March 15, 3 pm
At Galatea Fine Art, 460 Harrison Ave. #B-6, Boston
RSVP for the Reception and Artists' Talk

Gender-Fluid Fashion & Design: Artists' Talk

Gender-fluid style is undergoing a culture shift and the sector is finally being recognized and celebrated. Join Melissa Thyden and Britteny Monty as they speak on their experiences as designers. Hear how professional designers are dealing with clothing codes, presenting creative tools to bend norms and inspire generations to be themselves. 

Artists' Talk with Melissa Thyden & Britteny Monty 
Thursday, March 26, 6:30pm - 8:30m                                                  
at the Eliot Schoolhouse, Art Room, 24 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain
RSVP here

Alison Croney Moses @ the MFA 

Join School & Community Partnerships Program Director and wood artist Alison Croney Moses for two events at the MFA. On March 29, Alison will talk about the history of shaping and bending wood in works on view at the MFA that traverse art, design, craft, and decorative arts. On April 5, she will give an up-close demonstration of her process of bending wood. 

Women I Wood I Work
Sunday, March 29, 2–3pm
at MFA Boston, Farago Gallery 268, Linde Wing
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston
FREE with Museum admission; no registration required

Sculptural Wood Bending Demo with Alison Croney Moses
Sunday, April 5, 12–3pm
at MFA Boston, Druker Community Room 159
FREE with Museum admission; drop-in program; no registration required

Teen Bridge's Isaac Madera Wins 2 Art Award 

Isaac Madera, a junior at Boston Collegiate Charter School, has received two awards for work he created in the Eliot School’s Teen Bridge program. His Self Portrait won the Scholastic Art and Writing Award for Drawing & Illustration. This award has recognized renowned artists such as Andy Warhol and Richard Avedon while they were teenagers. A separate piece was selected for the Emerging Young Artist Juried Exhibition at the College of Visual & Performing Arts, UMass Dartmouth, celebrating the artistic merit of New England's high school students. Last but not least, Isaac's work was featured by the National Guild for Community Arts Education on the cover of their 82nd Annual Conference Program. 

We are so proud of you, Isaac, and excited to watch your artistic skills grow!

Celebrating Our Scholarship Committee

In February, an intimate gathering celebrated the work of five women who guided the Eliot School’s Scholarship Committee from its founding 8 years ago. The Scholarship Fund has given away $187,707 worth of scholarships to 197 children and teens and 47 adults since 2011. It now includes 9 named scholarship funds. On behalf of the Eliot School and everyone who has had the opportunity to receive a scholarship, we THANK YOU for your energy and thoughtful stewardship. The Scholarship Fund, which continues to grow each year with your donations, supports students from low-income households to take Eliot School classes tuition-free. Find out more here.

Left to right: Executive Director Abigail Norman with Scholarship Committee members Sandee Storey, Carolyn Ingles, Bonnie McBride, Marilyn Mase, and Curdina Hill.  

Safety First!

Did you know you can find important safety tips on our website? We urge you to read these before you come to class. Find out what (not) to wear in the studios, where to find data on the toxicity of art and woodworking materials, and more. Safety is our Number 1 priority at the Eliot School.

Partnership Supplies Shipping Out to Schools  

It’s been impressive to see so many bins in our schoolhouse foyer ready to be delivered to School and Community Partnership sites throughout Boston. Each bin is fully arranged with woodworking and visual art supplies for our spring classes. Our crew is fanning out in a rented van so that our Partnership teachers can use the supplies in their classrooms throughout the spring.

Learn more about what we do through our School & Community Partnership Program.