Daily News

Three Innovative Artists to Show at Springfield Pop-up Gallery Walk

SPRINGFIELD — Multi-media, dynamic, vibrant art is coming to downtown Springfield — in unexpected spaces. The second edition of Springfield Central Cultural District’s (SCCD) Art Stop program, to be unveiled on Wednesday, April 5 from 4:30 to 6 p.m., will feature three artists displaying at 1550 Main Street, New England Public Radio (NEPR), and the UMass Center at Springfield. Residents, neighbors, and employees are invited to join in the free celebration to enjoy art, food, music, and more.

The event will have an independent gallery opening at each stop, with light snacks and drinks, as well as the artist on site to speak about her work and take questions. All three galleries will have a completely different feel, surprising the visitor upon arrival.

At NEPR will be Lisa Hersey, an artist utilizing the old art of letterpress in a fresh, painterly fashion. At 1550 Main will be Esther S. White, a mother-artist, as she calls herself, exploring print making and quilting to echo the rhythms of family life. UMass Springfield will feature Kat Harrison, experimenting with enlarged paint scraps to present the viewer a new perspective on material and form.

“These artists are all incredible and breaking ground in some fashion within their shows,” said SCCD Director Morgan Drewniany. “In the judging process, we didn’t look simply at artistic excellence, but weighed innovation heavily. This is something we continue to place emphasis on in the Cultural District and in downtown Springfield generally, and know visitors will appreciate.”

Between the three galleries, the SCCD has hired street performers. The Greys, an indie jazz duo, will be playing on the sidewalk as well as a traditional fiddle player, Ann-Marie Messbauer, from the Community Music School, and Kevin Chaffee, an acoustic guitarist. Art students from Renaissance High School will be mural-making live. NEPR will offer tours of its studio, opened in 2015, and highlight the storytelling work created by MediaLab students.

For more details, visit springfieldculture.org/projects or the SCCD Facebook page.