Western Avenue Studios

December Holiday Open Art Studios
2024-12-14 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Get ready to gift creatively! December Open Art Studios is happening the 7th and 14th from 12pm to 5 pm.
Our last two Open Studios events of 2024 are just around the corner, and we invite you to make this holiday season more meaningful by embracing the charm of shopping small and local. Discover unique, locally-crafted gifts that not only showcase the talent of your community’s artists but also contribute to a thriving arts scene while reducing the environmental impact of large-scale online shopping and shipping.
Nibbana Cafe opens at 9am for coffee and sandwiches.
The Navigation Brewing taproom and food truck opens at noon.
Free parking is available in our lots and in the shuttle-served lot at Stoklosa Middle School.
After Open Studios, Taffeta Music Hall holds live music concerts.
See you there!

December Holiday Open Art Studios
2024-12-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Get ready to gift creatively! December Open Art Studios is happening the 7th and 14th from 12pm to 5 pm.
Our last two Open Studios events of 2024 are just around the corner, and we invite you to make this holiday season more meaningful by embracing the charm of shopping small and local. Discover unique, locally-crafted gifts that not only showcase the talent of your community’s artists but also contribute to a thriving arts scene while reducing the environmental impact of large-scale online shopping and shipping.

Small Business Saturday Art Market
2024-11-30 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Save the date for our November Open Art Studios on 11/30 for Small Business Saturday – from 12 pm to 5 pm. This is a free event.
Western Avenue is one of the largest creative communities in the country. Each month we host an Open Studios celebration of art and craft and community that invites connection and inspiration to all who participate. Join us each month for a golden afternoon of exploration, enjoyment, and unexpected treasure.
Nibbana Cafe opens at 9am for coffee and sandwiches.
The Navigation Brewing taproom and food truck opens at noon.
Free parking is available in our lots and in the shuttle-served lot at Stoklosa Middle School.
After Open Studios, Taffeta Music Hall holds live music concerts.
See you there!

Leaf Peepers | Group Exhibition | 4th Floor Mini Gallery
2024-11-30 10:00 - 2025-01-15 17:00 | 4th Floor Mini Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Enjoy this fall themed exhibition our Western Avenue artists put together!
This exhibition is in our 4th floor mini gallery, showcasing a variety of mediums and approaches.
Available from November 30th, 2024 – January 15, 2025 anytime between 10 AM – 5 PM

Maps of Portraiture | Amy Roberts | Lofts Lobby Gallery
2024-11-30 09:00 - 2025-02-15 17:00 | Loft Lobby, 160 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Figurative artists create a distinct journal of their past geographical life. In living and moving forward our path cross-crosses with others, and each of us are heart and mind that is a separate world. We yearn to connect with these other worlds.
As an artist my creative output shows you points on the map of my life. The beauty of connection is how we hold fast through the uncertainty and the fragility of being human. Our strongest connections may have already passed the threshold of loss and grief. Some that we consider an acquaintance we recognize as anchors when reflecting back on the landmass that is our life. My journey through portraiture is about connections, about being a person who loves people.

This exhibit will be available to the public on open studios and by appointment any day of the week from November 30th – January 15th.
Contact for gallery appointments: amy.r.roberts.art@gmail.com

Less Peaceful Pt. 3: An Exploration of Identity, Memory, and Transformation | 2nd Floor Mini Gallery
2024-11-25 09:00 - 2024-12-28 17:00 | 2nd Floor Mini Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Featuring the works of Daryan Kong and Maritza Flores – 2 Alumni & young artists from Refuge Art School
“Less Peaceful” invites viewers into a shared journey of self-discovery, resilience, and introspection through the distinct yet interconnected works of two young artists, Daryan Kong and Maritza Flores. Each artist reflects on her lived experiences, navigating identity, memory, and personal growth within cultural expectations and individual challenges.
Daryan Kong, a 22-year-old artist from Lowell, Massachusetts, uses her paintings to reconnect with the inner child shaped by her Southeast Asian upbringing and the social pressures it imposed. Through surrealist, vividly colorful compositions, Daryan reclaims moments of girlhood and femininity, balancing themes of nostalgia, amusement, and happiness with explorations of anatomy and self-perception. Her works layer bright acrylics in textures and forms that mirror her progression from childhood to present self, capturing girlhood’s nuances with playful yet complex imagery.
In contrast, Maritza Flores, a 21-year-old Mexican-born magical realist painter and illustrator, dives into themes of healing and resilience rooted in her experiences as an asylum-seeker and survivor. Maritza’s work is deeply introspective, shaped by cultural memories, folklore, and the subconscious. Her paintings are filled with symbolism that speaks to silenced voices and normalized suffering, challenging viewers to reimagine their perspectives on cultural transformation. Through her storytelling, Maritza offers a narrative of hope, resilience, and self-empowerment.
Together, these artists create an environment where girlhood, femininity, and self-expression can be seen and felt in myriad forms. “Less Peaceful” is a space of bold color, layered memory, and transformative introspection—an invitation to reflect on what it means to grow up, reclaim identity, and confront the quieter struggles that shape us all.
The exhibit will be open from November 25th to December 28th, with a reception on December 7th, from 3:30 to 5 PM.
Join us to celebrate the unique voices and visions of these two talented artists!

Workshop: Legal Issues of AI Creativity with Bhamati Viswantahan & Luke Blackadar
2024-11-21 18:00 - 19:00 | The Teaching Space, Studio 225, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851
The laws covering artificial intelligence, especially use of AI for creative projects, are constantly evolving. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the legal systems that currently apply to creative use of AI, including copyright, trademark, and publicity.
Register HERE
Luke Blackadar is the Arts & Business Council’s Deputy Director, Luke counsels artists, creative start-ups, and arts nonprofits manage legal issues involving copyright, trademark, contract, entity formation, and corporate governance. Luke is also faculty at Roger Williams University School of Law, Boston University Metropolitan College, and Northeastern University School of Law.
Bhamati Viswanathan Professor Bhamati Viswanathan has several years of teaching experience at diverse schools, including Williams College, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and most recently, Emerson College and Roger Williams University Law School.
Prior to teaching, Professor Viswanathan practiced corporate and securities law in New York and Massachusetts. She then worked at a technology startup, where she served as counsel on corporate and intellectual property matters. She is Assistant Professor of Law at New England Law | Boston and a trustee and chair of the New England Section of the Copyright Society of the U.S. She is co-chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee of the American Bar Association IP Law Section. She is also a faculty advisor on the Academic Board of the Copyright Alliance.
Professor Viswanathan continues to speak, write, and advise actively on IP issues, particularly with respect to creative industries and entrepreneurship.

November Open Art Studios
2024-11-02 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Save the date for our November Open Art Studios on 11/2, from noon to 5 pm. This is a free event.
Western Avenue is one of the largest creative communities in the country. Each month we host an Open Studios celebration of art and craft and community that invites connection and inspiration to all who participate. Join us each month for a golden afternoon of exploration, enjoyment, and unexpected treasure.
Nibbana Cafe opens at 9am for coffee and sandwiches. The Navigation Brewing taproom and food truck opens at noon. Free parking is available in our lots and in the shuttle-served lot at Stoklosa Middle School. After Open Studios, Taffeta Music Hall holds live music concerts.

Halloween Benefit Bash at Teffeta Music Hall
2024-10-30 19:00 - 22:00 | Taffeta, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, 01851, United States
Halloween with a spooky amount of doing good Join us this Wednesday October 30th from 7pm-10pm at Taffeta Music Hall for a Halloween Fundraiser supporting both our local Artist Relief Fund and artists disastrously affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton
.
Put on your best costume and get ready to dance!The Western Avenue Artist Relief Fund supports WA artists when emergency events threaten to displace them from their studios.
The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) provides craft artists with support and resources for disaster and emergency relief, education programs, and readiness grants to strengthen preparedness.
The Bash will contain fun including, but not limited to:

Jolly Costume Appreciation Awards!
Donation QR codes!
Dance Floor Playlist War!
Rare Western Avenue merch to acquire!
Donation cauldrons!
A Mystery Signature Drink!
Retro Awesome Photo Booth!
Roving donation urchins at pocket level!
Candy Catapult!

The Bash is free to attend, and parking is free. All ages are welcome and the bar will be open for drinks, those over 21 will need ID to get a wristband for alcohol.
Taffeta Music Hall is at 110 Western Avenue in Lowell MA, the entrance is behind the 122 Western Avenue Studios Building. Keep walking down Western Avenue and turn right into the alley before the train tracks.
Can’t join us for the Benefit Bash on October 30th? You can still donate!
Link Here: https://artsbusinesscouncilofgreaterboston-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1335133
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this event.
Email programs@westernavenuestudios.com or call 978-427-5237 to contact us.
We look forward to seeing you there, and thank you for your support!

October Open Art Studios | Two-Day Event
2024-10-05 12:00 - 2024-10-06 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Save the date for our October Two-Day Open Art Studios on 10/5 & 10/6, from noon to 5 pm. This is a free event.

Comic Book as Art & Craft - Mary Dumas | 2nd Floor Mini Gallery
2024-10-05 10:00 - 2024-11-23 17:00 | 2nd Floor Mini Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
This October & November! Mary Dumas’ exhibition will showcase the first pages of their comics in a poster-like format, inviting visitors to read along as they walk through the gallery. Accompanying nearly every poster will be information providing insights into the process of creating independent comics today.
This amazing art exhibition will be available to visitors on the 2nd floor of our studios building from October 5th to November 23rd any day of the week from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. 122 Western Avenue Studios, Lowell, MA 01851.
Opening Reception – October 6th at 2:00 PM

Objects of Minor Construction: Charles Gallagher | 2nd Floor Closet Gallery at the Lofts
2024-09-07 12:00 - 2024-11-17 17:00 | Storage Closet Gallery, 160 Western Ave, Lowell, MA, 01851
The Storage Closet Gallery is truly one of a kind. You can visit this gallery during our Open Studios every first Saturday of the month 12 PM- 5 PM on September 7th, October 5th & 6th, and November 2nd OR visit by appointment. Located on the 2nd Floor, at Western Avenue LOFTS. This gallery can be visited September 7th, 2024 through November 17th, 2024.
Charles Gallagher exhibits an assemblage sculptures and collages using scavenged materials and found objects collected on daily walks, a practice he traces back to beach-combing on Long Island and coastal Maine.
Each piece comes together slowly as disparate materials are placed within a particular composition over time. The selecting, balancing and stacking of elements within each piece echoes the process of laying down stones to form a dry stone wall. Gallagher is sensitive to the latent potential of his gathered materials just as he can see the inherent qualities of a piece of stone.
Gallagher’s pieces can appear whimsical or formally minimalist, the free and inventive use of materials providing a rich visual language of textured histories and hidden narratives. Gallagher’s assemblages have the spirit of a totem, the imbued meaning unclear but powerfully present.

September Summer Open Art Studios & Outdoor Market
2024-09-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Save the date for our September Summer Open Art Studios & Outdoor Market on 9/7, from noon to 5 pm. This is a free event.

Wonder Women Now: Anne Plaisance | 1st & 2nd Floor Mini Galleries
2024-09-07 10:00 - 2024-09-28 17:00 | 2nd Floor Mini Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Wonder Women Now is a group exhibition & a women empowerment art project addressing the issue of domestic violence in the world. Through a multidisciplinary art project and art exhibition our vision is to empower women with hope and inspiration. This transformative art exhibition allows the visitor to walk through the heroic journey of celebrities, women and children who reclaimed their power.
You can visit these mini galleries on the 1st & 2nd floor of Western Avenue Studios. Mini galleries will be up and open to the public September 5th, 2024 through September 29th, 2024 any day of the week from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at 122 Western Avenue Studios, Lowell, MA.

Waypoint: Sydney Leonard | Lofts Lobby
2024-09-07 - 2024-11-10 | Loft Lobby, 160 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Our skilled loft artist Sydney Leonard exhibits a series of large scale quilts made from hand dyed/printed materials and reclaimed fabrics. These 6 larger works are the culmination of 7 years of hand embroidery.
From the artist: “Fiber art is typically under-represented in fine art contexts. An all-fiber show may assist you with foot traffic to other fiber textile artists in the building”.
Open on Saturday Open studios on October 5th & 6th 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM and by appointment request through email.
Reach out to: info@westernavenuestudios.com
This gallery can be found in our lobby gallery at the LOFTS
160 Western Avenue Studios. Lowell, MA 01851.

Unique Visions: Barbara Fletcher and May DeViney at the 3rd Floor Mini Gallery
2024-09-01 10:00 - 2024-12-15 17:00 | 3rd Floor Mini Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Unique Visions is an exhibition by two distinguished Western Avenue artists that consists of paintings, mixed media & sculpture . Check out their artwork any day of the week 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. This mini gallery will be shown on our third floor September 1st, 2024 through December 15th, 2024.
Opening reception will be October 5th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Political Isms: Ism is a noun meaning ideological movement typically political or artistic. In our modern world there are a lot of isms at play. Artists May DeViney and Barbara Fletcher bring together different isms meeting in the middle with humor, color, technique and intention.
Make sure to check it out in our third floor at 122 Western Avenue Studio, Lowell, MA.

Shelter: Group Exhibition | 4th Floor Mini Gallery
2024-09-01 10:00 - 2024-11-05 17:00 | 4th Floor Mini Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
“Shelter” is a group art exhibition featuring Western Avenue artists happening on the fourth floor mini gallery. You can check it out any day of the week from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM starting September 1st, 2024 through November 5th, 2024 at 122 Western Avenue Studios, Lowell, MA, 4th Floor.
What is Shelter? Shelter is something that provides protection, safety and sanctuary. Over 15 artists explore this concept through diverse works of art ranging from the natural world to the social/political issues of our times.

Refuge Art School Summer Festival (Fundraiser)
2024-08-04 12:00 - 17:00 | MA
SAVE THE DATE for Refuge Art School Summer Art Festival!
There will be Live Art, Games, Food & Drinks and more!

August Summer Open Art Studios & Outdoor Market
2024-08-03 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Save the date for our August Summer Open Art Studios & Outdoor Market on 8/3, from noon to 5 pm. This is a free event.

Horizons: Member artist show at Loading Dock Gallery
2024-07-31 - 2024-09-01 | Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Join us at Loading Dock Gallery as we embark on an extraordinary journey beyond the visible edge and explore the infinite possibilities of “Horizon,” a captivating showcase delving into the literal and metaphorical concept of Horizons featuring works from inspirational and talented member artists of the Loading Dock Gallery using multiple mediums.
Through the artists’ exploration of the intricacies of an horizon in the context of both the edge of a landscape where the earth and sky meet and the limitations and possibilities of an individual’s experience, ideas, goals, and knowledge. Our member artists share visualizations of their own “Horizons”.
HORIZONS can be enjoyed July 31, 2024 through September 1, 2024 at the Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, Noon-5:30 pm, Wednesday-Saturday, until 4pm Sunday. Reception 3-5pm, Saturday, August 3, 2024. More at www.theloadingdockgallery.com.
Loading Dock Gallery is part of Loading Dock Arts, Inc., a 501c3.

Being Here at Loading Dock Gallery
2024-07-03 12:00 - 17:30 | Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Loading Dock Gallery presents BEING HERE, an exploration of presence, perception, and the profound connection between a mother and son through the medium of abstract painting and collage. Laura Massei’s and Derek Raymond’s distinct interpretations of life, through their individual works, serve as visual meditations, inspiring hope and resilience while offering a glimpse into the boundless possibilities that unfold when we learn to embrace the present with an open heart and mind.

Come and see how their shared artistic dialogue weaves a tapestry of emotions, memories and aspirations—each navigating the range of complexities found in the everyday and acknowledging their continued personal growth through the transformative power of art and design.

BEING HERE can be enjoyed July 3 through July 28 at the Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, Noon-5:30 pm, Wednesday-Saturday, until 4pm Sunday. Reception 3-5pm, Saturday, July 6, 2024. More at www.theloadingdockgallery.com.

Loading Dock Gallery is part of Loading Dock Arts, Inc., a 501c3.
