Art

Artists on the offensive

by Michael Blanding

Artists living in the Fort Point neighborhood of South Boston haven't had much to celebrate lately. Caught between rising rents and the wrecking ball, they've watched the juggernaut of seaport development turn their living and work studios into office spaces, or smash them outright to make room for parking garages.

But that won't stop artists from throwing a street party this weekend, when an estimated 10,000 people will descend on the neighborhood for gallery shows, outdoor installations, and performance art in the 21st annual Fort Point Open Studios. What's more, some of the artists will use the event to bolster their chances for long-term survival. Supported by a $30,000 grant from the Boston Foundation, the Fort Point Cultural Coalition (FPCC) will launch a year-long public-art project this weekend to raise the visibility of the community.

"This is going to be a community circus of creative projects," says Jerry Beck of the Revolving Museum. "We hope to inspire a civic dialogue through a series of very interactive, large-scale works." The series will begin with a symposium on artist displacement on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., which will include a performance by the San Francisco Mime Troupe followed by a panel discussion with housing and planning activists. The following night, October 22, the FPCC will present a first taste of public art from 5 to 10 p.m., when it caps off Open Studios with a block party featuring performances by local theater and video artists. Throughout the year FPCC will continue to sponsor monthly explosions of public art in the form of sculptures, billboards, fliers, light displays, and even radio broadcasts.

"All public art is in some ways political art," Beck says. "Any time you get people excited, or inspired, or talking about art, you are supporting our goal of preserving the neighborhood."

For more information on FPCC activities, call 423-4299 or visit www.fortpointarts.org.