What's Happening in Boston? An Evening at Salon Nouveau

Last summer my good friend Lena invited me to accompany her into Boston to attend an Evening at Salon Nouveau.  The Salon is the brain child of Rebecca Morrorison.  It was an evening of poetry, the visual arts and music at an old warehouse in Boston.  Morrison modeled her "salon" on the "avant garde movement" in Paris in the 19th century.  She coheres to the European tradition by gathering artists of all media into a space where socializing and discussions are encouraged.

"I believe that Boston is ripe for a grassroots artists' movement right now," Morrison says. "I'm interested in creating a forum for networking and socializing in a way that is creatively productive ... as well as a self-sufficient community of like-minded people." Her salons remain nonprofit, allowing participants to gain exposure "without the corruption of a strictly commercial focus."

In her Mission Statement, Morrison reiterated the goals for Salon Noveau:

"A GRASSROOTS APPROACH
We believe that the Boston of the moment is ripe for an event created by artists for artists. Allowing a group of creatively-minded people to build a community that gathers regularly seems to benefit all those involved and the creative population in general.  Salon Nouveau seeks to approach the arts from a grassroots level, recognizing the value of a completely new, locally-focused, for-us-by-us artistic endeavor.

NOURISHING EACH OTHER
It seems only natural that the diverse facets of the creative community should coexist within a single environment.   Recognizing the ways in which various types of artists and different forms of creative expression are able to nourish one another, Salon Nouveau aims to include art and artists from all areas of the creative realm.  It is our hope that the creators of visual work, music, performance, and literature--when brought together on a regular basis--might inspire one another, ideally forming lasting creative connections.

A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
Salon Nouveau aims to be a “productive party,” a forum where socialization and revelry intersect with networking and productivity.  It is our belief that the exchange of ideas and the sharing of creative work and work-in-progress can flourish in a relaxed, social environment.  We feel strongly about gathering people who have common interests (and are uncommonly interesting) in artist-friendly spaces with great music, food and drink, and creative work of various mediums to channel the event’s focus."

What energy was in the warehouse that night.  Seemed to be for the most part, young people in their late twenties and early thirties.  Everyone seemed to be talking, eating and viewing the visual art displayed on the wall.  Around ten, the performing artists took the stage....well, really it wasn't a stage....just a corner in the room.

This is Lena's brother Frank. 

Before leaving, Rebecca gave me this CD as a thank you for coming.  Lena had told her that I wrote articles for Gather and I guess she thought this would be just another way to get word out about the Salon.

If you live in the Boston area, you should google Salon Nouveau and see when the next "happening" is taking place.  I can assure you that it is a great night out!