Somerville To Host One Night Art School Featuring Local Artists And Workshops

SOMERVILLE, MA — A new event inviting residents to explore a variety of artistic disciplines in a single evening is coming to Union Square later this month through a collaboration between local arts organizations and businesses.

Somerville Arts Engine and USQ will host One Night Art School on Thursday, July 30, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 10 Prospect St. The free event will feature hands-on workshops, demonstrations, performances and interactive experiences designed to introduce attendees to a range of creative practices. Registration is encouraged online, and the event is intended for ages 13 and older.

According to organizers, guests will be able to move throughout the venue at their own pace, participating in activities ranging from figure drawing and painting to printmaking, dance, comedy, clay sculpture and live podcasting. Rather than following a fixed schedule, attendees are encouraged to sample different experiences throughout the evening.

One Night Art School is the first large-scale public event presented by Somerville Arts Engine, a coalition of local arts organizations and creative businesses formed to strengthen the city's creative community through collaborative programming, advocacy and shared marketing efforts. The coalition includes organizations such as the Boston Figure Art Center, the Center for Arts at the Armory, Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center, EventThem, the KMW School of Painting, New Impressions Print Studio, the Somerville Museum, Somerville Open Studios, Tiny Turns Paperie and Esh Circus Arts.

The event is being presented in partnership with USQ, the 20-acre mixed-use redevelopment in Union Square that includes residential, commercial and retail space alongside public gathering areas. Organizers said the collaboration is intended to showcase how arts programming can foster community connections while highlighting the city's creative organizations under one roof.

Participating organizations will offer a variety of activities throughout the evening. Visitors can contribute to a collaborative mural while drawing from a live model with the Boston Figure Art Center, experiment with color mixing through the KMW School of Painting, learn printmaking techniques with New Impressions Print Studio, and take part in clay demonstrations with Mudflat Studio.

Additional programming includes a popping dance class from the Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center, a live podcast experience hosted by EventThem, collage-making with the Somerville Museum, mock stage combat demonstrations from Theatre@First, interactive projections presented by Somerville Open Studios, and music, dance and comedy performances organized by the Center for Arts at the Armory, including appearances by the Strummerville Ukulele Club. Tiny Turns Paperie will also host a pop-up art supply shop, and attendees will have opportunities to meet participating artists and learn more about their work.

"The arts have always helped define what makes a community worth being part of," Boston Figure Art Center founder and advisory committee member Damon Lehrer said in a statement. "One Night Art School is our way of responding to that partnership by opening the doors to Somerville's remarkable arts community and inviting everyone to experience it."

USQ President Greg Karczewski said the partnership reflects the development's goal of creating a gathering place for the community while supporting the artists and organizations that contribute to Somerville's cultural identity.

"The arts play an important role in creating vibrant, connected communities, and we're proud to partner with Somerville Arts Engine to support the organizations and artists that make Somerville such a creative city," Karczewski said.

Food will be available for purchase from Carolicious throughout the evening.

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