ArtsUnion - Events 2006

Saturday July 22
Doctor G.M. Fastidious & a Plethora of Perplexities:
An Underground Arts & Performance Festival
4-8PM, rain date Sunday, July 23

This eclectic group of performers will descend upon Union Square Saturday July 22nd. Joining G.M., a cadre of spurious but wondrous actors, dancers, musicians, puppeteers and other performers will confound and delight spectators in this FREE outdoor event. Performers include The Grindhouse Marionettes, Katt Hernandez, Lisa Bufano, Crank Sturgeon, Doctor Selenium, Jamie McLaughlin, among others.  All are luminaries in the local underground arts scene, and now the public will get an opportunity to view these talents in the open air in Union Square.


Friday August 11
KNOWmovement Orchestra scores “Battleship Potemkin”
7:30-9:30 PM, rain date Saturday, August 12

A landmark in the birth of film making, Sergei Eisenstein Battleship Potemkin broke boundaries with it frenetic editing and rich, disturbing visual metaphors. On August 11th, the KNOWmovement Orchestra the same group of local musicians that provided the electrifying live score to Man with a Movie Camera in last year's ArtsUnion series will present a multimedia event complimenting this magnificent film. In addition to a new live score, KNOWmovement will transform Union Square Plaza with ambient lighting as Eisenstein's vision of oppression and revolt unfolds on the big screen. It all takes place amidst the hustle and bustle of Union Square.

Saturday August 19
The Somerville Open: Mini-Golf in Union Square
3-6PM, rain date Sunday, August 20

On August 19th we invite you to play a round of golf and celebrate the art of comics. Each hole in the temporary mini-golf course will be designed by a different local cartoonist and will have a different theme. In addition to golf, there will be music, a customize-your-golf-ball crafts station, and, at the end of the day, a "draw your own comics" workshop at the Washington Street Arts Center. Holes will designed and built by local artists including Jef Czekaj (Nickelodeon's Grampa and Julie: Shark Hunters), Craig Bostick (GoGo Girl), Liz Prince (Will You Still Love Me if I Wet the Bed), and members of the Miracle 5 art Collective.

Friday August 25
Project MUM: A Dance Marathon Under McGrath Highway
8 PM –12 AM (no rain date; we're covered!)

Under McGrath Highway Intersection of Washington St. & McGrath O'Brien Highway

Project MUM, a cross between a fifties sock hop and a rave, could only take place in Somerville, a city known for its unique and innovative use of art space. Open to the public, the event features four hours of jammin by DJ Brother Cleve, celebrity guest dancers, and lighting provided by VDA inc. and Todd Sargent, and a unique and unforgettable open-air dance space. Named after the Somerville's first Catholic priest, Christopher McGrath, the area under the highway has been abandoned to pigeons and trash since its construction. On August 25th dancers unite to reclaim the lost highway! Or, more specifically, the space under it. Join this magnificent, moonstruck, mash—a merry, mad, mingled, mania—all under McGrath Highway! Proceeds from this event, produced by ARTSomerville, will support various arts organizations in Somerville.

Friday September 8
A Not So Silent Night with silent films & score by Cul de Sac,
8-10:30PM, rain date Saturday, September 9

Local improv psychedelic instrumentalists of international acclaim Cul De Sac perform their aural interpretation of two often overlooked, yet historically significant silent films. In "Mascot" (1934), Polish/Russian Waldyslaw Starewicz, pioneer of stop-motion animation, follows a stuffed puppy through Paris in this dense and imaginative children's tale. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1928), Americans James Watson and Melville Webber adapt Edgar Allen Poe's story in a hallucinatory fashion. Informed by European filmmakers, most notably the German expressionists, this film style features sharp contrasts, exaggerated shadows, and oblique angled sets that heighten the psychological drama; Also on the bill for this evening is a performance by Cul de Sac's likeminded label mates Bright, and BeatResearcher DJ C. This event is produced and illuminated by Todd Sargent. It all takes place amid the hustle and bustle of Union Square Plaza.

Saturday September 16
Brazil Festival
6-9PM, rain date Sunday, September 17

The Union Brazilian Festival will present arts and activities representing the southern region of Brazil. Cultural activities, including dance classes and musical performances by Forro No Escuro and Batuk Axe, will offer the local community, particularly the Brazilian population residing in Union Square, an opportunity to engage in some of southern Brazil’s most cherished traditions.


Saturday September 30
What the Fluff?
3-8PM, rain date Sunday, October 1

Did you know that Marshmallow Fluff was invented in 1917 right here in Union Square? Come celebrate the genius of fluff creator Archibald Query in an ironic tribute on September 30. Join artists, musical and theatrical performers, inventors, and humorists to pay yummy homage to this great American foodstuff in a madcap festival of science meets nostalgia meets urban landscape.

October 6 – November 3
Windows Arts Project (WAP)
reception 6-8PM, Friday, October 6
Tour begins at 6:15 from the Independent

The Windows Art Project is one of the Boston area’s largest public art events. Launched in 1995 as a way to bring public art to the everyday landscape of Somerville’s Davis Square, WAP has since moved to Union Square. WAP exhibits artwork in business windows (facing the street) and outdoor locales—resulting in a giant outdoor gallery. WAP brings art to a public that might not ordinarily venture into a gallery or visit open studios; it also brings artist and business communities together. More information coming about participating artists and businesses soon!

Saturday October 7
From Rio Grande to Panama Canal: A Central American Celebration,
3-7PM, rain date Sunday, October 8.

This festival will feature a range of Mexican & Central American culture. The line-up includes El Mariachi Internacional de Boston, El Mariachi Estampa de America (Marimba, Norteno and Texmex music), Ballet Folklorico Aztlan, Danza Folklorica Nahuatl, visual art and cuisine.

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