Full Bloom Three Show at Loading Dock Gallery
2021-04-28 12:00 - 17:30, 2021-05-02 12:00 - 16:00 UTC | Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
“Flowers are a mystery and a delight, metaphors for what is briefly beautiful in our lives. Their glow is an invitation,” says Full Bloom artist Linda Dunn.
We invite you to welcome the warmth of spring with Loading Dock Gallery’s new show, Full Bloom. Full Bloom celebrates the beauty of flowers, birds, gardening, and small moments captured in still lifes by Loading Dock Gallery members and Western Avenue artists.
In spring, says Bethany Peck, “daylight hours linger a bit longer and thoughts of beautiful, hopeful blossoms fill my mind and spill onto my palette.”
Those longer hours of radiant sun and flowers blooming from winter soil also inspire many of the other works in the show. Michelle Boll’s paintings in this show capture the overwhelming beauty in ordinary moments. Boll says, “I buy tulips and daffodils when all is covered by snow, the trees bare, and patches of ground brown. They give me hope and promise color as life begins its journey of renewal.” Noel Soucy embraces the simple happiness that flowers bring in her stunning impressionistic paintings. Soucy says, “creating flowers sparks a spirit of joyful energy and beautiful living.”
​ With the days getting longer and the sun warming our skin, Full Bloom highlights the wonder of new growth and the beauty that nature holds. Join us to see the work of Loading Dock Gallery members and Western Avenue artists in this show full of color and light. Full Bloom Runs from April 28, 2021 through May 30, 2021.

June Outdoor Art Market
2021-06-05 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Summer is that you? Summer is around the corner and the weather is perfect for an outdoor market. Our Outdoor Art Markets feature around 50 artists and makers from the Western Avenue community. Along with a local food truck and a few local farmers. You’re bound to find something perfect for you or a special someone in your life and Father’s Day is around the corner. Join us at The Creative Soul of Lowell and support your favorite local artists.
In an effort to bring locally grown and produced foods to this part of Lowell. We will have some local farmer’s market vendors joining us. Bringing fresh produce, fruits, eggs, homemade jams, and hot sauce.
This event will take place in our lofts garden parking lot, on the west end of our campus. Park your vehicle in our main parking lot and walk over to the market.
Food Truck:
Chez Rafiki Mediterranean Food
Covid-19 Guidelines:
– Guests who are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms or have been instructed to quarantine by a medical professional should not attend.
– All guests must wear a mask or face covering at all times.
– Please maintain a six-foot distance from others.
– We will have hand sanitation stations throughout the market space.
We will post more updates as the event gets closer, so stay tuned in.
Rain Date: 6/6

Virtual Studios Tour
2021-06-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Our mission is to create a permanently affordable home for artists.

We started in October of 2005 with 33 studios mixed with commercial tenants. Since 2012 we have been 100% art studios and artisanal business – we are bursting at the seams with creativity. Studios range from $175 to $800/month, which includes heat, basic electricity, trash, parking, and common wifi.
If you are interested in joining a vibrant artist community, please fill out the Inquiry Form and we’ll get back to you promptly. Call 978-710-8605 and we’ll answer any questions you may have. Our lease year starts July 1st so June and July are when we have the most studios available. Studios do open up from time to time during the year as well.

Fill out the rental inquiry form today!

July First Saturday Art Market
2021-07-03 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Join us as we return inside for our first indoor event in almost a year and a half. It’s been too long and we have greatly missed having you inside our building. This event will take place inside our studios building (122 Western Avenue). There’s plenty of free onsite parking available. We’ve got some exciting things in the works and we can’t wait to see your smiling faces roam our halls again.
Food Truck: Eggroll Cafe
The Loading Dock Gallery kicks off July with their latest art show, Postcards from the Edge, featuring diverse works from a wide range of artists. The show reflects upon this difficult time we’ve all lived through and celebrates the better times that lie ahead. It incorporates work inspired by travel, missing someone while you’ve been apart, distance, the space between people, and imagined travel of somewhere you’ve never been – somewhere out of this world. The gallery will be open Saturday from 12 pm until 5:30 pm, with an opportunity to meet the artists of Postcards from the Edge from 3 pm to 5 pm. The show runs from June 30th through August 1st.
Covid-19 Guidelines:
– Guests who are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms or have been instructed to quarantine by a medical professional should not attend.
– All unvaccinated guests must wear a mask or face covering at all times.
– Please maintain a six-foot distance from others.
– We will have hand sanitation stations throughout the building.
There is no charge for this event. This event is dog friendly, we just ask that you keep your pup on a leash.
We will post more updates as the event gets closer, so stay tuned in.

Intro To Short-Form Filmmaking
2021-07-07 11:00 - 14:00 | Refuge Lowell, 122 Western Ave. Studio #A110, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
STORYTELLING THROUGH SHORT-FORM VIDEOS

Introduction to Short-Form Filmmaking will invite students to incorporate their own personal voices creatively through short-form video as a storytelling outlet. With the rise of smartphones and social media, it has become easier to make short films and share them with the world. In recent years video has emerged as a powerful and engaging medium on social media, that has the capacity to invoke emotion. From motivation to a simple laugh. Students will be taken through the entire process of drafting an idea, developing a storyboard, scouting a location, utilizing tools/props, filming with whatever camera they have at their disposal, editing on a mobile device, and sharing via social media and YouTube.

Henry Marte: Filmmaker, published photographer, founder of Marte Media, Marketing Manager of Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, Documentary Film School at Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Social Media Management certificate at Middlesex Community College, Digital Media Marketing certificate at Middlesex Community College, Refuge Lowell board member.

This program is a traveling class; by registering your child for this class you are giving permission for them to travel on foot to new locations in the city of Lowell each class.

Please let us know what sort of device your child will be using for the class.

Wednesday Mornings: 11-2pm
Instructor: Henry Marte
July 7, 14, 21, 28
August 4, 11

Required materials: Mobile device (phone or tablet, fully charged), Sunblock, good walking shoes, drinking water, hat
Suggested materials: Battery pack or charger.

Due to new health and safety concerns, we ask that students come to class with a mask. We will provide hand sanitizer and wipe down working areas with disinfectant before and after class. Shields and limited class sizes will also be implemented during this time. We ask that if your child or a household family member does not feel well to be open and communicate with us about your child missing class as a precautionary measure. Restaurant rules apply for snacks and drinks… students will be allowed to eat and drink at their work space but must wear masks when traveling through the studio.

We reserve the right to cancel any classes that do not fill.

Fine Art Camp For Kids: Nature In The Cosmos
2021-08-02 09:00 - 14:30 | Refuge Lowell, 122 Western Ave. Studio #A110, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Refuge is offering a unique week-long session of fully-in-person, socially-distant, art day-camp for young artists ages 6-8!

This summer, your young artist will have the opportunity to create unique and original works of art inspired by the great outdoors! We will explore the foundations of art and design, and develop creative approaches to expressing our ideas, observations, and feelings about the natural environment. Join other young artists as we create and learn together while fostering an appreciation for fine art, sustainability, and the natural world in a safe, affirming environment. This program is designed to keep kids engaged and curious while following the CDC’s recommendations and safety protocols.

Together, we will combine traditional artmaking techniques in combination with recycled materials and found objects. Each day will include reading children’s books, explorative outdoor studio sessions, in-studio working time, crafting workshops, 2 snack sessions and a lunch.

Nature in the Cosmos: Young artists will create works of art inspired by the colors, lights, and patterns found in our natural universe! We will create paintings, sculptures, and drawings while exploring the wonders of the cosmos, such as the Perseid Meteor Showers, which peak every year during early to mid-August. We will paint color-field landscapes inspired by Alma Thomas, illustrate a cloud journal, create our very own James Turrell “skyscapes”, and more!

Required materials: Wear a mask, comfortable closed-toed shoes, and clothes you don’t mind getting messy in. Bring a backpack, an extra mask(s), a sketchbook,*lunch, snacks, and a refillable water bottle.

*Please inform us in advance of any food allergies.

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9-2:30
Instructor: Madelaine Hamilton
August Session – Nature in the Cosmos: 8/2, 8/3, 8/5, 8/6

Ages: 6 – 9

Due to new health and safety concerns, we ask that students come to class with a mask. We will provide hand sanitizer and wipe down working areas with disinfectant before and after class. Shields and limited class sizes will also be implemented during this time. We ask that if your child or a household family member does not feel well to be open and communicate with us about your child missing class as a precautionary measure. Restaurant rules apply for snacks and drinks… students will be allowed to eat and drink at their work space but must wear masks when traveling through the studio.

We reserve the right to cancel any classes that do not fill.

About Face Show at Loading Dock Gallery
2021-08-04 12:00 - 17:30, 2021-08-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Energetic lines and brilliant colors electrify at the Loading Dock Gallery this August. Stephen Beccia and Richard Cross present About Face, a show of contemporary figurative art. Their work explores the human figure and the nature of portraiture. Inspired by Cubism and Pop, About Face experiments with new visual rhythms for the 21st century.

Stephen Beccia lives and works in Hudson Massachusetts. After a career as a musician and writer, he turned his focus to telling stories with images on canvas and paper. “Every painting is a new adventure.” Beccia’s inspirations include such artists as Miro, Basquiat, and Picasso. Expressive geometries and flowing colors are a constant theme. A self-taught painter, Beccia says he’s “searching for a world of design and color that does not yet exist.” Beccia has displayed and sold his art in several New England galleries, businesses, and exhibits.

Richard Cross works in illustrations, paint, and mixed media. Like Beccia, Cross is self-taught and loves to experiment. Inspired by Pop Art, with a gritty cast, his work is sharp-edged, transforming familiar images with intense color and agitated line. Many of his pieces include a nod to film noir. He combines aggressive color, stark line, and grungy filth with exacting precision to produce pieces that are both off-putting and vulnerable. “My goal is to generate a subtle anxiousness within the viewer.” Cross lives in Billerica and is a member artist at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell. He has shown in galleries around Boston, Somerville, and Worcester.

About Face runs August 4-29, 2021. Meet the artists August 7, 3-5 pm. Find Loading Dock Gallery at 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA 01851. Open Wednesday – Saturday 12-5:30 pm, and Sunday 12-4 pm. For more information, call 978-415-9889 or visit www.theloadingdockgallery.com

August First Saturday Art Market
2021-08-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, 01851, United States
Our first event back indoors was a huge success. It felt great having all of you roam our halls with delight and curiosity, after almost a year and a half of no indoor events. We’re back at it in August, so join us at the Creative Soul of Lowell.

Food Truck: TBD

The Loading Dock Gallery kicks off August with their latest show, About Face. Energetic lines and brilliant colors electrify at the Loading Dock Gallery this August. Stephen Beccia and Richard Cross present About Face, a show of contemporary figurative art. Their work explores the human figure and the nature of portraiture. Inspired by Cubism and Pop, About Face experiments with new visual rhythms for the 21st century. The gallery will be open Saturday from 12 pm until 5:30 pm, with an opportunity to meet the artists of About Face from 3 pm to 5 pm. The show runs from August 4th through the 29th.

Covid-19 Guidelines:
– Guests who are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms or have been instructed to quarantine by a medical professional should not attend.
– All unvaccinated guests must wear a mask or face covering at all times.
– We will have hand sanitation stations throughout the building.

There is no charge for this event. This event is dog friendly, we just ask that you keep your pup on a leash.

We will post more updates as the event gets closer, so stay tuned in
