Gateway Arts

Gateway Arts
60-62 Harvard St.
Brookline, MA 02445
(P) 617.734.1577
(F) 617.734.3199
(E) gatewayarts@vinfen.org

http://www.gatewayarts.org/

For more details e-mail Lauren Geraghty lauren@vsamass.org

Bohill Wong

Bohill Wong was born in Hong Kong in 1934. He came to the United States when he was 34 years old and moved to Boston, MA. He came to work at Gateway Arts in 1979 after being discovered in a nursing home drawing on any scrap of paper that he could find. His transformation from institutionalized individual to independent person was truly amazing. Mr. Wong drew almost constantly and interpreted his impressions of life through his art. His work was unique and entertaining.

Mr. Wong attracted many fans in the Boston area and completed numerous commissioned works during his lefetime. His work has been shown widely in the U.S. and abroad at the Berenberg Gallery in Boston; the Fuller Museum of Art in Brockton, MA; Very Special Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and at Cavin Morris Gallery, the Outsider Art Fair, the Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, and Margaret Bodell Gallery in New York City. His work has been reviewed in the Boston Globe, on WBUR radio by Lynda Morgenroth and in ArtsMedia- a Boston publication. A biography on Bohill Wong, produced by Marty Ostrow on WGBH's Greater Boston Arts, won a New England Emmy in 1997.

Mr. Wong passed away in the fall of 2004. He was loved by many and will always be remembered through his art.

Gabrielle Sichel

Gabrielle Sichel

"My art is my freedom. I love to do my art. I live to make art because art is my freedom. When I paint and draw, I'm 'home'."

Gabrielle Sichel grew up in rural Connecticut. Her mother is an artist and her father was a writer. Ms. Sichel spent time in New York City listening to jazz. In her paintings and collages she often uses words and intense colors in jazz-like rhythms. She graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1986 and Tufts University in 1989 and came to Gateway in 1997. Ms. Sichel has also taken postgraduate courses at the Museum School and Mass Art. She has received scholarships to the Medicine Wheel Artist's Retreat in 1993, 1997, and 1999. Ms. Sichel has exhibited at the Gateway Gallery, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Radcliffe College, galleries in Ipswich and Arlington, MA as well as the Cambridge Public Library. Cambridge Hospital owns one collage from her series, "A Life Coming into the World." Her work has been reviewed by the Boston Herald and she has been interviewed by the Boston Globe. She has written and illustrated a book of poetry called Sees and Hears and her poems have been published in For Crying Out Loud. Recently Ms. Sichel's work has recently been part of an auction held be Skinner Auction House of Boston.

Gilberto Palacios

Gilberto Palacios

Artist Statement
I am Afro-Cuban...My favorite color is blue...

During my childhood I drew dolls with beautiful and elegant dresses. I took great care in protecting my drawings so that no one could see them. Those were difficult times for me. My brothers played sports, and I had no interest.

My drawings have gone through an evolution. I am interested in the diasporas of African people in Cuba. My drawings reflect on the continuation of African traditions through the adoration of the saints. I am influenced by the colors and dances of Carnival.

The form of the woman is my inspiration. Now I am content: I work in an art studio where my work is appreciated. I now accept and respect my art work and see it as a gift from God. I will make art until the last day of my life.

Bio-
Gilberto Palacios was born in the late 1950's in Cuba and grew up in Havana. His single mother worked hard to raise Gilberto and his eight siblings. As a young boy, the music and festivals of Havana captured Gilberto. He would draw the festivals on anything he could find. "In Cuba, they sold no art supplies, so I just drew on paper bags with a pencil." The limited acceptance and oppressive dictatorship forced Gilberto to say good-bye to his family and leave Cuba for the United States in 1980. Gilberto would spend the next twenty years of his life struggling to fit into a new culture that was foreign and daunting, faced with language barriers, lack of jobs, discrimination, depression, and homesickness. Peer pressure toward substance abuse by fellow Cuban-Americans left Gilberto feeling alienated. He decided to take a bus to Boston to start anew. Upon arrival, Gilberto was referred to Saint Francis House, where he found shelter and support. In addition, he made use of the art room at St. Francis to explore with paper and paint his childhood and the beautiful culture of Cuba that became solace to his loneliness. His passion for art and need for employment flowed into his hopes of becoming a hair dresser, but after studying at LIBS school, he decided that painting is where his interests lie. Gilberto has now found comfort and a home in Boston. He is currently working as an artist out of the Gateway Arts studio in Brookline, Massachusetts. His work is diverse and filled with vibrant colors and life. The majority of his work is in acrylic or watercolor, but Gilberto's talent spans several media types: sewing, textile design, jewelry, pottery and decorative furniture. The loving memories of his mother and his passion for the festivals and music of his heritage play a dominant role in his work. Gilberto's use of color, mythology and graphic pattern flow from one piece of art to the next with unbroken continuity and grace.

Sanders Paul

Sanders Paul was born in New York City in 1978. He now lives in Boston, MA with his father. He is very devoted to his Jewish heritage.

Mr. Paul loves to draw people and write dialogs about his interactions. Depicting individuals that he knows is a way for him to chronicle his life. He is a participant in the Gateway Arts program in Brookline, MA where he is considered to be one of the most promising emerging artists.

Ruby Pearl

Charles Hurvitz

Larry Edmiston

Amy Calir

Alba Murphy

VSA arts of Massachusetts - China Trade Center,
2 Boylston St. Suite 211, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-350-7713, TTY: 617-350-6836, Fax: 617-482-4298
Site Map


Gateway Arts 60-62 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02445 (P) 617.734.1577 (F) 617.734.3199 (E) gatewayarts@vinfen.org http://www.gatewayarts.org/ For more details e-mail Lauren Geraghty lauren@vsamass.org

Bohill Wong	Bohill Wong was born in Hong Kong in 1934. He came to the United States when he was 34 years old and moved to Boston, MA. He came to work at Gateway Arts in 1979 after being discovered in a nursing home drawing on any scrap of paper that he could find. His transformation from institutionalized individual to independent person was truly amazing. Mr. Wong drew almost constantly and interpreted his impressions of life through his art. His work was unique and entertaining. Mr. Wong attracted many fans in the Boston area and completed numerous commissioned works during his lefetime. His work has been shown widely in the U.S. and abroad at the Berenberg Gallery in Boston; the Fuller Museum of Art in Brockton, MA; Very Special Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and at Cavin Morris Gallery, the Outsider Art Fair, the Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, and Margaret Bodell Gallery in New York City. His work has been reviewed in the Boston Globe, on WBUR radio by Lynda Morgenroth and in ArtsMedia- a Boston publication. A biography on Bohill Wong, produced by Marty Ostrow on WGBH's Greater Boston Arts, won a New England Emmy in 1997. Mr. Wong passed away in the fall of 2004. He was loved by many and will always be remembered through his art.
Gabrielle Sichel	Gabrielle Sichel "My art is my freedom. I love to do my art. I live to make art because art is my freedom. When I paint and draw, I'm 'home'." Gabrielle Sichel grew up in rural Connecticut. Her mother is an artist and her father was a writer. Ms. Sichel spent time in New York City listening to jazz. In her paintings and collages she often uses words and intense colors in jazz-like rhythms. She graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1986 and Tufts University in 1989 and came to Gateway in 1997. Ms. Sichel has also taken postgraduate courses at the Museum School and Mass Art. She has received scholarships to the Medicine Wheel Artist's Retreat in 1993, 1997, and 1999. Ms. Sichel has exhibited at the Gateway Gallery, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Radcliffe College, galleries in Ipswich and Arlington, MA as well as the Cambridge Public Library. Cambridge Hospital owns one collage from her series, "A Life Coming into the World." Her work has been reviewed by the Boston Herald and she has been interviewed by the Boston Globe. She has written and illustrated a book of poetry called Sees and Hears and her poems have been published in For Crying Out Loud. Recently Ms. Sichel's work has recently been part of an auction held be Skinner Auction House of Boston.

Gilberto Palacios	Gilberto Palacios Artist Statement I am Afro-Cuban...My favorite color is blue... During my childhood I drew dolls with beautiful and elegant dresses. I took great care in protecting my drawings so that no one could see them. Those were difficult times for me. My brothers played sports, and I had no interest. My drawings have gone through an evolution. I am interested in the diasporas of African people in Cuba. My drawings reflect on the continuation of African traditions through the adoration of the saints. I am influenced by the colors and dances of Carnival. The form of the woman is my inspiration. Now I am content: I work in an art studio where my work is appreciated. I now accept and respect my art work and see it as a gift from God. I will make art until the last day of my life. Bio- Gilberto Palacios was born in the late 1950's in Cuba and grew up in Havana. His single mother worked hard to raise Gilberto and his eight siblings. As a young boy, the music and festivals of Havana captured Gilberto. He would draw the festivals on anything he could find. "In Cuba, they sold no art supplies, so I just drew on paper bags with a pencil." The limited acceptance and oppressive dictatorship forced Gilberto to say good-bye to his family and leave Cuba for the United States in 1980. Gilberto would spend the next twenty years of his life struggling to fit into a new culture that was foreign and daunting, faced with language barriers, lack of jobs, discrimination, depression, and homesickness. Peer pressure toward substance abuse by fellow Cuban-Americans left Gilberto feeling alienated. He decided to take a bus to Boston to start anew. Upon arrival, Gilberto was referred to Saint Francis House, where he found shelter and support. In addition, he made use of the art room at St. Francis to explore with paper and paint his childhood and the beautiful culture of Cuba that became solace to his loneliness. His passion for art and need for employment flowed into his hopes of becoming a hair dresser, but after studying at LIBS school, he decided that painting is where his interests lie. Gilberto has now found comfort and a home in Boston. He is currently working as an artist out of the Gateway Arts studio in Brookline, Massachusetts. His work is diverse and filled with vibrant colors and life. The majority of his work is in acrylic or watercolor, but Gilberto's talent spans several media types: sewing, textile design, jewelry, pottery and decorative furniture. The loving memories of his mother and his passion for the festivals and music of his heritage play a dominant role in his work. Gilberto's use of color, mythology and graphic pattern flow from one piece of art to the next with unbroken continuity and grace.
Sanders Paul	Sanders Paul was born in New York City in 1978. He now lives in Boston, MA with his father. He is very devoted to his Jewish heritage. Mr. Paul loves to draw people and write dialogs about his interactions. Depicting individuals that he knows is a way for him to chronicle his life. He is a participant in the Gateway Arts program in Brookline, MA where he is considered to be one of the most promising emerging artists.
Ruby Pearl	Charles Hurvitz	Larry Edmiston
Amy Calir		Alba Murphy
VSA arts of Massachusetts - China Trade Center, 2 Boylston St. Suite 211, Boston, MA 02116 Phone: 617-350-7713, TTY: 617-350-6836, Fax: 617-482-4298 Site Map