Arts Collaborative Medford opens new shop featuring local artists
Occupying 10,000 square feet on the street-facing side of 162 Mystic Ave., Arts Collaborative Medford has space for exhibits and events, artist studios and classes for kids.
“It’s a dream come true,” long-time Medford resident May Marquebreuck says of the opening one year ago of Arts Collaborative Medford (ACM).
Occupying 10,000 square feet on the street-facing side of 162 Mystic Ave., ACM has space for exhibits and events, artist studios and classes for kids.
A retail shop will open there Saturday, March 1, featuring the works of local artists. The shop is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and everything featured is under $200.
ACM is hoping the shop will be opened every Saturday.
It took about three decades to come to fruition and it took the work of many people and entities.
“The whole arts community never gave up,” Marquebreuck says.
Back when the Chevalier Theatre was just an idea, the arts community was growing in Medford, but it wasn’t cohesive, she says.
“It was almost like everybody was their own island,” Marquebreuck says.
Arts Collaborative Medford hosts works by local artists and has art studio space for lease. The new building opened one year ago and is now opening a Saturday shop with works for sale. GOTTA KNOW MEDFORD STAFF PHOTOS/WENDALL WATERS
She wanted to bring artists together to collaborate, so in 2016 she founded CACHE Medford, the Coalition for Arts, Culture and a Healthy Economy, which brought people and organizations together to collectively advocate for the arts. It would be several more years before she would see the creation of a space in Medford dedicated to the arts.
ACM Executive Director Regina Parkinson says, “We are more powerful together than we are apart.”
Parkinson is an arts administrator and curator and is the only paid staff at ACM. The organization is fueled by many volunteers, local businesses and residents, artists, and other supporters.
Chief among them is Theory Wellness, an employee-owned cannabis company that, Parkinson says, is “a wonderful partner.” Theory operates out of the rear part of the building and is sponsoring ACM’s space.
The building stands out in its section of Mystic Avenue. It is painted white but sports a colorful mural by Hilary Bouvier that sits above a wide glass entryway.
The open space inside is well lit and currently features an exhibit called, “The Threads That tie Us,” which focuses on fiber arts.
ACM hosts blues and jazz events, receptions for each new exhibit, open mic events, and art workshops, all with the goal of bringing people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds together.
The organization’s mission is posted on its “about” page on the website: “Our mission is to provide a welcoming, accessible and inclusive space to create, enjoy, and engage with a diversity of arts and culture experiences.”
