Lately, Clara Wainwright–the legendary Cambridge and Gloucester quilter and installation artist who founded The Great Boston Kite Festival in 1969 and Boston’s First Night in 1976–became concerned about the safety of local bicyclists. The peddlers were often hard to see, increasing their risk of getting hit by autos. She wanted to see them, their clothes, their helmets more visible, shiny even.
So Jessica Finch, a senior placemaking manager for Harvard University, introduced Wainwright to a kindred spirit: Alexandra Adamo-Cioffredi, founder of Alex Makes Art. And they brainstormed and collaborated.
The result, The Shiny Shop, opened in May as a Harvard placemaking initiative for a two-month pop-up run at 114 Western Ave. in Boston’s Allston neighborhood. “The Shiny Shop invites you to be seen, be safe, and be shiny through a series of free drop-in art making and repair workshops that promote bike/ped safety, creative expression, connection, and shared joy.”
As produced by Adamo-Cioffredi and her team, the former coffee shop has become “a creative community hub and joyful neighborhood hangout with interactive installations, hands-on making and mending, zine library, disco bike, and a robust roster of guest artists.”
The Shiny Shop is expected to run through the end of June (check website for hours), with another pop-up run proposed for this fall.
Previously:
• Quilting To Mend The Wounds Of The Marathon Bombing
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