LYNN — There’s a new art studio in Central Square, and it’s a GAS.
Great Art Studio — GAS — is the brainchild of Mary Flannery, who in 1988 founded Raw Art Works just 10 steps down the road, and her husband Chris Whitlock. Flannery and Whitlock recently retired from RAW and Fidelity Investments respectively to channel all their energy into this art incubator.
Their dog, Boo, a deaf, 13-year-old bordoodle (border collie/poodle mix), is taking a nap on a couch. Rustic and modern collide in the space, which also features large black-and-white Keith Haring-like figures lurking throughout. A few small works from the premiere showing, “pARTS,” with paintings by RAW alums Dan Chapman, Nicole Curcis and Sara Barrientos, remain on one wall; 40 were sold for $30 to $50 on opening night. A neon yellow dress in the front window draws the attention of passers-by, as do two tree stumps just outside the entrance where folks walking downtown can sit and rest.
“This is the result of 30 years of dreaming,” said Flannery. “Chris and I have been looking for space for four years. We wanted to stay in the Downtown Lynn Cultural District and be part of the excitement and growth that’s happening here.”
“Chris is one happy, happy man. Making stuff is his passion,” she added. “He’s like MacGyver. He can build anything, and he had so much fun getting this ready for our opening party.” Whitlock, a founding board member of Beyond Walls who manned that nonprofit’s woodworking shop, calls himself the Chief Inspiration Officer. Whitlock was LynnArts’ first tenant down the block, renting the basement.
The couple, Nahant residents who have been married 30 years and have two children, say they do not aspire to be mediocre. “We have spent years being surrounded by incredibly curious folks. GAS will be a place where creative collisions are a regular occurence,” states the mission statement. “We love to be creative and love to hang with people who feel the same … We believe that Lynn will benefit from some GAS in its creative tank.”
The studio will feature exhibits of works by the couple and other artists; salon-type galleries, where on any given day or night participants might critique art/advertising, enjoy music, or make art collectively; launch marketable ideas with Door 2 Door artists from RAW and provide studio hours where those artists can do their work.
“We really believe in the idea of gatherings, and hope to host events that further the arts district mission,” said Flannery. “Galleries are disappearing, not only locally but throughout the world. Wouldn’t it be cool if Lynn is a destination for artists and art lovers. Mayor McGee’s vision for Lynn as a walkable city is very exciting.”
On tap is an exhibition rooted in traditional portraiture juxtaposed with a contemporary twist, “It’s All in Your Head,” features the work of Boston-based artists Kseniya Galper and Laura Fish. Galper and Fish both worked with Whitlock at Fidelity, where he was director of Creative User Experience for 16 years. It opens Nov. 11.
Great Art Studio is at 33 Central Square.
