This past Sunday, Newbury Street became a hub of activity during the first Open Newbury Street event of 2018. With the street closed to cars and vehicles, crowds of people journeyed up and down the road, exploring all of the eateries, shops, and galleries that Newbury Street has to offer.
Outside our gallery doors, passersby were able to create their own original artwork with markers or chalk, or watch artist member Jack Morefield paint in his playful, illustrative style.
Jack’s artwork stopped people in their tracks as audiences crowded around to watch him paint distinctive, colorful swirls. “People say they look like gummy worms,” said Jack as viewers attempted to describe the shapes. While others concluded that the swirls looked like noodles or silly string, Jack’s artwork continued to mesmerize spectators as they viewed his works in awe.
Speaking with a curious bystander, Jack revealed that his style came by accident. Years ago, as Jack was working on a portrait, he became disappointed that it didn’t look “perfect enough.” Frustrated with his work, Jack took an eraser, haphazardly slashed it across the paper, and threw it in the trash. Days later, Jack returned to the picture and found the eraser marks to be intriguing and fun–and from there his signature style emerged.
As Jack continued to paint and answer questions throughout the day, children enjoyed creating their own masterpieces. With chalk and markers in hand, kids worked on easels and along the sidewalk to decorate the gallery’s surroundings. The curvy lines and bright colors splashed across the sidewalk paired well with Jack’s similarly vibrant paintings.
With inspiring artwork popping up all around the gallery, Open Newbury Street turned into a painted walkway! Join us again for the next two Open Newbury Street events on August 12th and September 9th from 11am to 5pm.