“Secret Gardens” runs through June 17 at the Nave Gallery, 155 Powder House Boulevard, Somerville. Image by Rebecca Skinner “Life Finds a Way”.

By Courtney Young

You don’t have to be a traditional artist to curate an art exhibit or build up your local art community, as sometimes connecting different artists, their pieces, and a specific theme is an art-form all its own. At least that’s what Tori Costa, curator of the Nave Gallery, demonstrated in their most recent exhibit, Secret Gardens.

Centered around imagery of spring and rejuvenation, Costa wanted to illustrate the value of how things flourish when they are cultivated and stimulated. The analogy Costa referenced is from the book, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. “Just because things are in disrepair and do not feel hopeful, if you start to take care of and nurture things, rejuvenation happens.” She attributes the theme to what we could do in our own world when things seem dark, grim, and likened to a long winter.

Somerville is unique in the sense that artists strive to engage and support their community just as much as the community supports the arts. A facet special to the Nave Gallery is their “Guests Curator Program,” where if a member of the community has an idea about a show or exhibit, they can send in a proposal to info@navegallery.org, as they are always looking for new and fresh ideas.

Emily Brodrick admires her piece “Canopy.”

Although Somerville does not have a lot of space for artists throughout the city, artists are encouraged to engage with the exhibit by attending the gallery. Looking at Taylor Apostol’s “Suspended Drawings” shows that artists in Somerville aim to provide an interactive exhibit for the public. Apostol’s piece features one mesh hanging of drawings done by the artist, mirroring another cocoon-shaped enclosure filled with art by the viewers of Secret Gardens. Complete with a table of paper and art supplies, guests are welcome to place their own drawing into the suspension.

Costa loves art based around the botanical role, but wanted a deeper meaning such as the celebration of life; something visual that represents what we could do in our own world. She hopes that the community gets a sense of oneness as much as a sense of inspiration for the arts, in many senses of the word.

“Helping the art community in a sustainable way is quite simple and doesn’t take as much time as people think it does; only a couple hours a day can make a huge difference. We have opportunities to volunteer to gallery-sit, promoting shows through friends or social media helps tremendously when it comes to getting foot-traffic through the doors. Other more in-depth ways to help include installing art, programming, moving things, and marketing. It is crucial for the arts to thrive in a community like Somerville where there are so many artists, and where there is so much external pressure where arts are sustainable and visible,” Costa states on behalf of both the Nave Gallery and the Somerville Arts Council.

Emily Brodrick is certainly one who understands the importance of keeping traffic flowing through gallery doors. While her piece, Canopy, was on display, Brodrick elected to do a gallery sit. Her artwork featured in the exhibit was a large cut-out boasting independently drawn leaves and botanical pieces, first cut and then painted. “Without people volunteering for things like gallery sits, our doors don’t open, and art isn’t exposed or visible to the public,” Costa affirms.

A work by Taylor Apostol. — Photos by Courtney Young

Clearly something about the call for submissions really resonated with people, as she received over 500 submissions from all around the world. Featured in the show were about 60 artists with 73 pieces. Since so much interesting work came in and the deeper-context meanings of the pieces are so intriguing, Costa has said that anyone interested in learning more about the artwork featured can follow the Nave Gallery for information on Secret Gardens like back stories, upcoming events, and ways to get involved in the art community as a whole.

“I left submission requirements vague intentionally. I wanted a diverse exhibit and was curious to see how people interpreted what I was looking for,” said Costa. She was pleasantly surprised by what she received in return. “I thought I was going to get a lot of pretty traditional botanical art, a lot of green with sort of a darker, secretive feel,” she admits. However, Costa admitted that she got a lot of bold, contemporary pieces bright in color, and it ended up being a completely different show than she thought she was going to get. “I wanted a show that felt like a celebration, and to me, it felt like a celebration.”

The free exhibit at the Nave Gallery runs until June 17 at 155 Powder House Boulevard in Somerville, and all are encouraged to come.