Photo courtesy of Beyond Walls and Christopher Gaines of The Littlest Astronaut

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On December 1, Cambridge-based gallery A R E A opened a second home in the SoWa neighborhood of Boston. Below, A R E A’s creative producer Nick Medvescek and founder and director David Guerra; artist Frank Floyd; and Amanda Accardi, owner of Around the Corner Framing, toasted the achievement.

A R E A’s creative producer Nick Medvescek; its founder and director, David Guerra; artist Frank Floyd; and Amanda Accardi, owner of Around the Corner Framing, at the opening of A R E A’s new SoWa location. Photo by Melissa Ostrow

A R E A

Boston, Massachusetts

Website

Photos by Melissa Ostrow

The post Taken: A R E A Gallery Opening appeared first on Take Magazine.

The ninth Hassle Fest brought an eclectic and electric lineup of bands to Boston November 10 and 11. The freaks-friendly program included Lady Pills (top); Ak’chamel, The Giver of Illness; and Diabolical Fiend.

Ak’chamel, The Giver of Illness plays the ninth Hassle Fest in Boston, November 10th –11th 2017. Photo by Philip Keith

Diabolical Fiend plays the ninth Hassle Fest in Boston, November 10th –11th 2017. Photo by Philip Keith

Hassle Fest 9

website

Boston, Massachusetts

Photos by Philip Keith

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Shoes by Daphne Board. Photo by Izzy Berdan

Get Your Kicks

What is it: Custom, handmade lace-up dress boot, size variable. Price: $1,200–$1,300.
Who makes it: Daphne Board (pictured in top image) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. At this one-woman shop, Board uses a wide range of leathers (from kangaroo to kidskin) in a rainbow of colors, so she can craft the shoes of your dreams. “There are some shoemakers who have a specific line of styles, and I’ve never tried to limit myself to that, which is good and bad,” she says. “I spend a lot more time on things because I generally say yes to people when they ask, ‘Can you do this?’”
Why we love it: The beauty of these shoes is more than laces-deep. Board is a certified pedorthist, so your pair is custom designed to perfectly fit your feet. What could be better?

Journal cover by American Bench Craft. Photo by Izzy Berdan

Take Note(s)

What is it: The Hemingway Journal, 3.5 × 6 in. Price: $94.
Who makes it: Chris and Jason Angelini, cofounders of American Bench Craft in Reading, Massachusetts. Tired of wallets that fall apart, they make their goods using single pieces of full-grain leather, held together with rivets instead of glue or stitching. “Our products are made the way they were years and years ago, when it was almost a competition to see who could put out a better, longer-lasting item,” says Chris.
Why we love it: With a clean, classic look that’ll never go out of style, this built-to-last journal cover will accompany you on a lifetime of adventures.

Aprons by Linny Kenney. Photo by Izzy Berdan

Work It

What is it: The Lumberjack Apron, 21 × 33 in. (sans straps). Price: $350.
Who makes it: Linny Kenney, owner of Linny Kenney Leather in Littleton, New Hampshire. “The aprons are typically sold to chefs,” says Kenney. “My fiancé wears his when he’s doing carpentry work, though, and I wear mine when I’m painting and staining leather. This new design has a toolholder—a riveted strip of leather—that various things can clip on to.”
Why we love it: This sexy apron, made with eco-friendly, vegetable-tanned leather, will make you want to get busy.

top image: Work by Daphne Board (shoes), American Bench Craft (journal cover), and Linny Kenney (aprons). Photo by Izzy Berdan

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House of Cach jewelry made with real cicadas. Photo by Ian Travis Barnard

The inventive Providence, Rhode Island, accessories company House of Cach makes wearable art from cicadas, starfish, and bullet casings, among other items. Their smaller pieces include some that border on traditional, such as black leather cuffs and crystal drop earrings. But the larger works—such as a large gold chest plate made of cicadas—are quite polarizing. “People either say it’s really beautiful, or that it’s the most disgusting thing they’ve ever seen,” says company cofounder Alexa Cach, quite happy with either response. “We want people to feel something when they look at our pieces.”

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Brendan Batchelder and Chloe Barcelou inside their tiny house. Photo by Chris Saunders

Film set designers Chloe Barcelou and Brandon Batchelder built their tiny house on wheels themselves, curating every piece of their compact home for maximum charm. At their current location at a remote farm in New Hampshire, the couple’s “yard” features a homemade swing with an inscription, “I’m in the garden.”

Barcelou explains. “It was Christmastime and we had no money to spend on gifts, so Brandon said he was going to surprise me. He said, ‘I’m making you something that you’ve always wanted.’ And I knew he was making it out of wood, so I thought, I can’t imagine what it could possibly be that’s made out of wood and something I’ve always wanted? But it ended up being something I’ve always wanted—a swing—and this is a quote from The Secret Garden, which is my favorite.”

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Photos of Johnny Swing and his work, taken by Paul Specht.

The post Johnny Swing Gallery appeared first on Take Magazine.

John Bisbee’s Brunswick, Maine work and environs was photographed by Take Magazine photo editor (and so much more), Izzy Berdan.

The post John Bisbee Gallery appeared first on Take Magazine.

A knife with a handle made of alumilite resin, crafted by Nick Anger. Photo by Nick Anger

Vermont blacksmith Nick Anger loves making knives—just don’t ask him how to buy one. Uninterested in marketing and selling, he’d much rather focus all of his time on perfecting his craft, which is why his return to the Center for Metal Arts is such hot news. The Florida, New York, school (about two hours from Hartford, and close to four from Boston) is hosting Anger’s weekend-long classes in February, May, September, and December. Anger will make a Damascus steel billet with students, who will each get to craft a kitchen knife from the mottled, patterned metal. Your finished knife may not look as gorgeous as Anger’s, but he’ll try his best to guide you towards producing a blade of glory.

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The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the only institution in Connecticut devoted solely to contemporary work, boasts 17,000 square feet of gallery space and a two-acre sculpture garden. Open since 1964, it has a history of showing now-legendary artists, including Agnes Martin, Robert Rauschenberg, and Frank Stella. Admission is just ten bucks. So why haven’t you been?

For one thing, “We’re in a colonial-era town, in a historic district—not the normal place you’d expect to see contemporary art,” explains executive director Alyson Baker of its Ridgefield location. But far from displaying musty antiques, the former home of visionary collector Larry Aldrich shows only the most of-the-moment art. Aldrich grew to understand that keeping a permanent collection limited his ability to support current artists. In the 1980s, he sold his acquisitions, and the Aldrich Museum was reborn as a place able “to be nimble and responsive,” says Baker. “Often, we’re commissioning artists to make work.”

For example, take a look at Your Turn. Through April 22, artists Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley are living on either side of a wall-like structure comprising sliding modules—bed, desk, kitchen—that can only be used by one person at a time. Visitors can chat with the artists as they go about their day.

Baker hopes pieces such as Your Turn will make Ridgefield your next art destination. “Places like MASS MoCA have done a great job of making people understand that contemporary art can be seen in places that are non-traditional or unexpected,” she says. “You really have to make it a sort of pilgrimage.”

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Website

Illustration by Jen Epervary

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