Around Town

East Watertown Intersection to be Named for Armenian Immigrant and Artist Arshile Gorky

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Arshile Gorky painting at his sister Akabi’s house on Dexter Avenue in Watertown, c. 1922. (Unknown photographer. Collection of the Arshile Gorky Foundation). An intersection in East Watertown will be named in honor of an Armenian artist who made his home in Watertown for several years. On Tuesday, the City Council voted to name the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Hazel Street for Arshile Gorky.

Around Town

Local Podcast Chats with Police Chief, the Library Director & a Dancer/Scientist; Also Hear the First Episode of Creative Chats

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Hear about the Watertown Police Chief’s unusual childhood, the library director’s career in books and libraries, and about a dancer/scientist in their conversations with Watertown podcast host Matt Hanna. In “Little Local Conversations,” discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. Hanna has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work. 

Justin Hanrahan

Meet Justin Hanrahan! He’s the Police Chief here in Watertown. In our conversation we get into his unconventional childhood and how the Watertown community was important in getting him through it, his early experiences in policing from protecting “boothies” to a career defining moment that instilled in him that policing is much more than just catching criminals, his rise through the ranks in Watertown and the shift in culture he’s been a part of, his impact in teaching and training departments all over the state, the changes he’s enacted in his time as chief and the programs and initiatives he’s looking forward to in the future.

Entertainment

Artist’s Works from Maine and New Mexico on Show at Watertown Gallery

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The following information was provided by Storefront Art Projects:

Storefront Art Projects will host Lois Tarlow: Works on Paper from Maine and New Mexico beginning Feb. 8. Lois Tarlow (1928-2021) was a renowned artist, teacher, arts writer, and an early feminist force in the Boston art scene for over seven decades. Her ever-evolving work took her around the globe, including to Maine and New Mexico where she painted and led workshops. She worked large, on-site, and created a huge body of spectacular watercolor and pastel works on paper.

Around Town

Mount Auburn Cemetery Seeks Applications for 2025 Artist in Residence

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The Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Artist in Residence Program is turning 10 years old, and applications are being sought for the 2025 residency. The Cemetery provided the following information:

Since 2021, we have awarded smaller one-year residencies to a cohort of local artists to work on projects at Mount Auburn. Each artist is creating works or programs unique to and inspired by Mount Auburn. Artists also have the option to use their residency as a planning grant for a larger project to be completed the following year. Learn more about our Artists-in-Residence in this recent feature from Watertown Cable Access News

Artist-in-Residence Application

Award amount: $500 – $4,000

Application due date: February 1, 2025

Notification date: March 1, 2025

Project start date: April 1, 2025

End date: March 31, 2026

Read the application for more details:

2025 Mount Auburn Cemetery Artist-in-Residence Application

Around Town

First Creative Chats Will Feature Sculptor & Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner

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Watertown resident Matt Hanna will debut a new series of in-person events called “Creative Chats” on Friday, Jan. 17 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. His first guest will be Liz Helfer, a professional sculptor and the City’s Public Arts and Culture Planner. The event is free and refreshments will be available. See more information in the announcement below:

You’re invited to the first ever Creative Chats!

Around Town

YardArt Will Showcase Community Art & Creativity in Watertown During April 2025

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YartArt returns to Watertown for the fifth year in 2025. See more information about the month-long outdoor exhibition that takes place around the city. See more information in the announcement below. Start planning your art projects! YardArt, a month-long outdoor citywide art exhibition taking place in Watertown, Mass., at the transition of winter to spring, will return for a fifth year in April 2025.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center for the Arts Hosting “One Future” Art Exhibit

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Erin Starr’s “Forces of Nature” is part of the One Future exhibit at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. Mosesian Center for the Arts announced the upcoming art exhibit, called One Future. See more details below. Shared Habitat Earth will begin the New Year with a timely new exhibition: “ONE FUTURE”: Life in the Age of Climate Change: Aspirations, Loss, Challenges – and Hope. ONE FUTURE is a group exhibition by 23 artists who remind us that all life on our planet is connected and that we are in this moment together.

Entertainment

Wordle Paintings Will be on Display at Watertown Art Gallery

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Watertown gallery Storefront Art Projects will display Wordle paintings by Jeanne Williamson Ostroff from Jan. 4-25. There will be a reception on Saturday, Jan. 4, from 1-4 p.m.

Storefront Art Projects provided the following details:

Jeanne Williamson Ostroff works with patterns and boundaries inspired by construction fences, charts of her daily walks, and Wordle puzzles from the 

New York Times. She uses a combination of printing; painting; collage; and stitching; on vintage tablecloths and other fabric, in mixed-media pieces that range in size from 6 inches to 35 feet.