Celebrating self-expression as a basic human right essential for the

healthy growth of youth, individuals and communities

COMMUNITY ARTS ADVOCATES, INC.

Stephen H. Baird, Founder and Executive Director

PO Box 300112, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-0030

Telephone: 617-522-3407

TTY/MA RELAY 800-439-2370

Email: info@communityartsadvocates.org

Web site: http://www.communityartsadvocates.org  

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Street Artists Photo-Journalism Project

The Photos

 

During the summer of 2003-2004 the Street Arts and Buskers Advocates documented street artists in Cambridge, Boston and MBTA Subway Platforms.

Transformers -- Break Dance team from NYC. Spins, flips, mock competions, comedy acrobatics... Perform in Harvard Square, Cambridge several times a year. Pictures by Stephen Baird June 2004.

Breeze break dance team with basketball routine from the Bronx, NYC. Picture taken on Washington Street in Boston in August 2004, by Stephen Baird

 

Clara Schuhmacher (Brown University), Pablo Schuhmacher (Nobles and Geenough School), Lauren Ingram (University of Massachusetts Amherst) and Haruka Horiuchi (Massachusett Institute of Technology) have participated in the project. Lauren Ingram has written an undergraduate thesis with black and white photographic documentation on subway performers. Excerpts will be published here in the future.

Note: The Uncle Scam web page has a photo gallery from 1999 on of Brattle Square perfomers and artists. The web site also has a links page to many artists. http://www.unclescam.org/usc.html

This is an on-going project and the layout and design of the presentation will evolve into a search able data base as the number of artists photographs increase. See the Project Description and Consent and Release Agreement for additional details. Click on photo images for lareger versions. My best, Stephen Baird

 

CATAGORY

ARTIST
CONTACT
DESCRIPTION

Juggling

Vaudeville

Comedy

Mr Qwirk & Ms Cheevious

qwirkncheev@hotmail.com

thejigsaw.com

New Zealnd artists

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Music

Chinese Violin

Chinese Violin Player

Photo: Lauren Ingram.

Poetry

William Barnum

19 Myrtle St.

Boston

MA 02114

617-720-4961

Street poet extrodinaire -- performs solo, with musicians and/or troup of readers. Has performed and read internationally.

Music

Drum

Street Bucket Drummers

Chris Fournier

Ben Hiller

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Music

Classic Rock

Folk Protest

Michael Borkson

http://mborkson.iuma.com

I started playing guitar while a student at Boston University.I have been playing in the subways of Boston and at peace/social justice demonstrations. I'm into doing classic rock covers and originals-have 4 CDs. My CDs are---"THE REVOLUTION IS COMING," "1967," "SMASH THE STATE!!," "CLASSIC ROCK UNPLUGGED." I also write protest songs against the U.S. war machine, against the U.S. wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, and against capitalist globalization. I'm like a late 60s-early 70s rocker. My favorite bands are the Moody Blues, the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane. I play acoustic guitar, 12-string electric guitar, and a little keyboards. My favorite gig was playing my song "Whose Streets? Our Streets !!" at a demonstration against the United Nations Millenium Summit in front of the UN plaza in New York City--this was in September 2000. I also performed some George Harrison and John Lennon songs at a vigil for them on Boston Common Dec. 8, 2001. In Feb. 2002 I performed at a concert in Cambridge, MA called Take Back the Music doing some of the songs banned from radio play since 9/11. In June of 2002 I played a song I wrote called We Got To Be Free at a rally for the ACLU of Mass. to save our civil liberties.In the fall of 2002 and continuing through 2003 I have been singing in the subways of Boston--- a lot of anti-war songs against US war on the Iraqi people.

Storyteller

Brother Blue

PO Box 381315

Cambridge

MA 02238-1315

617-491-8399

r_hill@radcliffe.edu

Brother Blue (Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill) tells original stories, Shakespeare, and stories from many cultures. He has performed for Harvard University, Omega Institute, National Storytelling Festival, National Association of Black Storytellers, First Night Boston, Cambridge River Festival, New Age Congress in Florence, Oral History Association. He was official storyteller for United Nations Habitat Forum, and is official storyteller of Cambridge and Boston. The National Storytelling Network presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Music

Flute

Henry T. Cobb

617-623-2312

Cobra_Music@hotmail.com

Henry plays flute on the subway platforms

 

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Juggler

Rope Walker

Mark Farneth

6 Grafton St. #2

Dorchester, MA 02125

617-474-0551

Mark Farneth, affectionately known by Harvard Square regulars as ëthe rope walker', has a gift. And it's not being able walk nightly across the rope he ties between (street name) and (street name), although that is no small feat. He is a true street performer, able to captivate audiences for hours at a time - and the way in which he creates such an audience is often as entertaining as the show itself, a combination of juggling, magic tricks, and the famous rope walking. Asking those passing by to take one step closer to someone they don't know, assuring that it will not hurt them, no matter what they were taught when they were young, Mark involves his whole audience in his act. He singles members out and pokes good natured fun at them, therefore creating an easy going ambience that contributes to the success of his performances.

-- Clara and Pablo Schuhmacher Photo: Stephen Baird

Magic

Matt "Fish the Magish" Fishman

617-930-3474

fishthemagish@gmail.com

www.fishthemagish.net

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Magic

Jason Gardner

www.jasongardner.org

jason@jasongardner.org

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Visual Art

Gina Geraci

617-666-2787

gaya1111@hotmail.com

"I'm glad I wore my cleavage-less shirt today," Gina jokes as she bends over a blank piece of paper, green spray can in hand, thinking of her next design. A little boy standing off to the side of Gina's layout points excitedly to the bottles of paint."You mean she draws with spray paint?" he asks his mom, incredulously."That's so cool!" He's not the only one who thinks so - Gina's work with spray paint graphics is definitely ëcool', judging from the sizeable group gathered around her tarp, admiring the skillful way in which she manipulates the fine mist that is spray paint into beautiful scenes depicting everything from space to the jungle. It's no wonder, as Gina's been working with the medium for more than eleven years, having started in 1992 while in Key West. She heard of Harvard Square during one of her travels, and subsequently landed here in 1996, where she has been painting ever since. But what really makes her cool is the reason why she's set up her paints across from the candy store every day for seven years:"It's about the people," she says without hesitation,"I meet so many interesting people."

-- Clara and Pablo Schuhmacher

Vaudeville

Comedy

Bobarino Gravittini

PO Box 262

Warren

RI 02885

401-338-4619

www.bobarino.com

Show is set to music and consists of comedy sketches of various characters such as a Ballerina and Cowboy. Audience participation is a key component, especially in the dance sequence! The danger section focuses on the "big tricks" &endash; the famous wheelbarrow balance on the rolo-bolo atop a five foot high table.

Photo by Haruka Horiuchi 2003

Music

Mary Lou Lord

http://www.maryloulord.com/

Bookings

212-253-1489

http://www.rubricrecords.com

management@maryloulord.com

Boston folksinger Mary Lou Lord has been in and out of the spotlight throughout the last decade. Coming off a publicity hiatus due to the birth of her daughter, Mary Lou got back to performance basics, spending the time busking in the street after her1998 major label release "Got No Shadow". She has recently provided the music for a Target commercial. That song, "Speeding Motorcycle," a Daniel Johnston cover. She tackles songs by legends like Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson and Bruce Springsteen as well as newer "indie" oriented artists such as Elliott Smith and the Magnetic Fields. Mary Lou will be recording her next studio album for Rubric later this year.

Photo: Stephen Baird

Magic

Balloons

Richard Kwesell

Richard Kwesell

5259 Bancroft Hts.

Colorado Springs CO

80906

richipalliucci@hotmail.com

"I wanted to know if I could do it," Richard admits, when asked what first motivated him to set up a chair in Harvard Square two summers ago, and twist balloons and perform magic tricks for the children (and adults!) who pass by. After two summers &endash; both of which have been spent on the same corner in the Square performing magic weekends and twisting balloons weekdays &endash; and one winter &endash; spent exploring the busking scene in Argentina and Brazil - ëwanting to know if he can do it' is no longer his motivation. Street performing, explains Richard, has changed his life. "I could never go back &endash; I absolutely love it."

-- Clara and Pablo Schuhmacher

Music

Keyboard

Gerry Mack

401-253-5121

Rhythm and Blues to Soul to Motown -- Gerry Mack will sing and make his key board rock the night a way.

Photo: Stephen Baird

Music

Danielle Miraglia

www.daniellem.com

danielle@daniellem.com

As a full time touring singer/songwriter, Boston area native Danielle Miraglia has captured eclectic audiences all over the map from music lovers in listening rooms to rowdy late night bar crowds. Edgy, humorous original tunes like "Hot Mom" and "Dysfunctional Home" and heart wrenching songs like "Moment by Moment" delivered with a captivating stage presence have landed her opening spots for the likes of Patty Larkin and Brooks Williams, a national television appearance, a Sunday night residency at The Burren in Somerville, MA and a growing buzz on the music scene.

Photo by Jodi Hilton

Music

Classical Guitar

 

Peter Podobry

617-740-9829

podobry@aol.com

Late afternoons you'll find Peter, a classical guitarist, performing for large audiences out in front of the Au Bon Pan, where he's been playing for over five years. Street performing is only one of the soft-spoken musician's talents, however. Indeed, a graduate of Berkley College of Music, this Russian guitarist has accomplished much in his twenty-five years with the medium: he plays regularly at variety of venues in and around Boston, and has also recorded a number of cds. Although he is primarily a classical musician, Peter has explored other genres of music as well, especially jazz and basso nova. When out in the Square, Peter says he likes to improvise on well-known pieces, which allows him to be original while still communicating to his large and varied audience.

-- Clara and Pablo Schuhmacher

Music

reggae, soul, hip-hop

Toussaint Sankofa

765-868-1098

uhurmission@hotmail.com

www.memetic

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Sidewalk Art

Sidewalk Sam

Art Street, Inc.

83 Church Street

Newton, MA, 02458

617.244.3171

sidewalk@sidewalksam.com

www.sidewalksam.com

TSidewalk Sam draws pictures on sidewalks in the midst of pedestrian traffic and delights passerbys with his friendly, inclusive creative spirit.

Photo: Stephen Baird

Political Satire

Puppets

Uncle Scam

unclescam@buskers.org

unclescam.org

Skilled Devil's Advocate!! born 5/18/50 11:18 am Wareham, Ma. taurus

street puppetteer/ busker/political pusher son of always working mother/preacher teacher father/got 4 brothers (third of five ) two daughters (S&A )/1 grand daughter/a beautiful talented family of scammers ,especially that grand with the little scam smile that melts all resolve and the most beautiful companioness in the world today.

Photo: Lauren Ingram

Note: The Uncle Scam web page has a photo gallery from 1999 on of Brattle Square perfomers and artists. Also has a links page to many artists.

Latin-American Music

Jorge Villalobos

Mariachi Azteca 2000

617-762-2001

Photo taken at the Dowtown Crossing MBTA Station in September 2003. MBTA rider stopped to sing harmony with Jorge Villalobos on Spanish language song

 

Photo: Stephen Baird

Music

Banjo

 

John Westerfield

PO Box 1999

Boston, MA 02105

 

617-623-2618

John, however, does not believe in childrens's music, which he equats with playing down to children. He says that if kids like his music, they like it, and don't need to be played down to. In general, they respond very well to his music. John said that sometimes he'll "finish playing and no one is clapping, and all of a sudden he'll here one kid going 'Yay,' completely uninhibited."

Joh told me one cute story of an event at one of his recent performances. He told m that he heard a young girl say to her father, "I gave him my lollipop." when he checked his case latter, he felt a lollipop in it. I'm not sure wheater he ate it...

Excerpt from Lauren Ingram's Senior Thesis

Photo: Lauren Ingram

 

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