A new space marks a new era for Webster Arts

On the night that Webster Arts invited its artists, board members, and volunteers to see its new home on Summit Avenue, the word that kept being tossed around was “excited.” Excited to be growing, excited to welcome folks in, excited to be out of the basement and on the cheery corner near Lockwood.

“We’ve come a long way from many years of planning the art fair and other events on kitchen tables and being strictly homegrown,” says Webster Arts president Patrick Murphy. “So for us, this is our dream come true. This is just a quantum leap for the organization. It makes us more accessible, and it gives us the ability to better serve the community in so many ways.”

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In December, before the 19-year-old arts organization had even properly moved in, passersby were already walking in to the space to see what was happening—perhaps not surprising when, from the street, the new exhibition space next to Betty’s Books almost looks like yet another buzzy boutique. Webster Arts’ entry does host a rotating array of goods from local artists, but its main function remains the same: to engage, entertain, and educate the community through the arts.

It’s fitting, then, that this new era for Webster Arts begins with the Open Theme Annual (on view through February 28), which executive director Jennifer Donaldson says is the organization’s most popular show of the year. “It welcomes artists to submit work in any media and any theme,” she says. “Because there is no theme, the field is wide open, and it really gives the artist and Webster Arts a great opportunity to showcase artists’ best work.”

Several spring events are also in the works, including the exhibitions About Face and Small Works, as well as the return of such outdoor events as Spring Forward, Webster Arts’ scavenger hunt, and Paint Webster.

“We’ve got lots of ideas, but one of the nice things—particularly with a bunch of creative people, like the folks who are involved with Webster Arts—is we don’t even know what’s possible yet,” says Murphy. “I really believe there’s a feeling that we can do anything.”