Artist Lily Sayre’s new exhibit is being shown at the Inside Out Gallery in Davis Square. — Photos by Heather Balchunas

By Shira Laucharoen  

The Inside Out Gallery may very well be the only art gallery in Somerville that is open at this time. The space, operated by the Somerville Arts Council, can be found in the window of the CVS store in Davis Square, a public art display that viewers can see while passing by. An exhibit by Lily Sayre is currently being showcased there, having gone up on May 10. Sayre’s acrylic paintings, created on canvases that are taller than they are wide, reflect her interest in skydiving.

“This series is called Fly Free,” said Sayre. “It’s to depict the open air feeling in free fall. I wanted to bring awareness of the sport in my neighborhood. When most people think about skydiving, they think of it as a bucket list item or something that’s not for them – but why not? People think of the part of skydiving under a parachute, but there’s so much more that you can do in the sky.”

In many of her paintings, Sayre develops a background that is purple and blue for the upper portion of the canvas and red, orange, and yellow for the lower part, representative of the sky during a sunset. Against this gradient are figures, seen falling through the sky in different poses. Sayre said that while her past works have been more restricted in terms of the lines and gestures of the paint, her newer work is more free flowing and fluid, as she wanted to express the feeling of freedom in the air.

Sayre began tandem skydiving around five or six years ago. Skydivers may follow different disciplines when falling, and many typically begin by flying with their belly facing down. Free flying can be a technique that allows for a faster fall, with divers facing with their heads down or in a sitting position. When leaving the plane, a diver does not immediately jump out from the door, but climbs out and holds onto a bar, before letting go. While Sayre has had a fear of heights for most of her life, she describes the process of diving as very liberating.

“People think of free falling as just falling out of the sky, with not much control,” said Sayre. “But you actually have quite a lot of control, in the speed and direction you’re going in. It’s definitely a lot of sensory overload when you first start. You get used to it after a while, and your bubble of awareness will start to grow.”

Sayre said that she was drawn to the Inside Out Gallery for its unique identity in Davis Square, as it allows less of a barrier to entry. While this moment may be a time of uncertainty, visitors are still able to participate in seeing art by walking past the window. Curator Heather Balchunas said that the gallery was created in 2009 as a way of highlighting local artists. The Somerville Arts Council tries to keep the work fresh and selects new exhibits every four to six weeks. Particularly during the time of the coronavirus, the presence of art as a part of life is particularly important, said Balchunas.

“Seeing art and engaging in art is helpful during this time,” said Balchunas. “At the Arts Council, having new artwork lends joy. It’s a nice respite. You’re able to take a breath, be present, and have a pleasant visual experience. When you get to experience a painting or music, or even if you’re dancing, it makes you smile. If we’re able to bring joy, that’s really important.”