Factory 63

Last week property developers, Gerding Edlen opened their doors for the public to come and explore Factory 63, a newly renovated building positioned on the corner of Melcher Street and A Street in Fort Point. Factory 63 is home to over 30 apartments and a common space aimed at creating a vibrant and sustainable environment.

Exterior of Factory 63

The building opens to a unique entry space that provides areas for tenants to gather, work, and hold meetings. When entering the building you are greeted with a wall installation by local artist from goodgood, Karen Stein-Shanley, and this first impression suggests this space will be a haven for a collaborative and creative conversation. 

Process by Karen Stein-Shanley 
Foyer of Factory 63

From the entry-way, the space opens up further into a bright, lounge area with modern furnishings and a kitchen/bar area.  The rest of the walls in the main space are lined with additional local artists' work that Gerding Edlen purchased with the help of the Fort Point Arts Community.  Artworks are by Karen Stein-Shanley,  Dorothea Van Camp, Gary Stubelick, Joanne Kaliontzis and Jodie Baehre.

Above:  View of Factory 63 Community Space
Fun Fact - The entire building has minimized its carbon footprint by using green energy.  Gerding Edlen is strong advocate for energy efficiency and comfort.  Read more about the green giant >>

Above: Solar Flare and High Voltage by Dorothea Van Camp. 
Both works were created in 2012 and are screen prints with oil and wax on panel.

Above: Painting in Background - Melcher Street I by Jodie Baehre

Above: Study for Ruth, Shore, Foster, and Gainer by Joanne Kaliontzis
Digital collage on wood panel (2012) 

 Above: Urban Frontier by Gary Stubelick
 

Around the corner from the main gathering space is a small meeting room that seats 4 and a larger working area that seats about 12-15 people at two six foot tables.  The smaller space has a door for a bit more privacy and although the larger space is open, there is a curtain that can be drawn to section it off from the main area.  

View of meeting room space.  Print in background -Tools of the Trade by Karen Stein-Shanley

The last part of the first-floor space is a long curved wall that Design Museum Boston will be utilizing for rotating exhibits.  Design Museum Boston is a newcomer to the area and the first Museum of its kind  in the region, dedicated solely to design.  Known for creating elaborate and extremely well crafted exhibits, we are excited to see what they will bring to Factory 63.

An elevator off the common space takes you up to the rest of the building where the 30 plus rental units are.  These units are divided into artist live/work units (approximately $1300), innovation units (approximately $1700+), and market rate units (beginning at $2200.)

Images from Gerding Edlen, Factory 63

The 5 artist spaces that can only be rented to those with proper artist certification are approximately 700 - 800 square feet. Hard wood floors with large windows and tall ceilings are a chic city-dweller's dream.  The artists' units come with a ventilation system, in-unit laundry, closets, and modern kitchen appliances.  The studios may be a bit tight for more than one person to live and work in, but the common space on the first level and ROOF- DECK make up for this. Yes, I said roof-deck and it is equipped with gardens and grills!

Don't get too excited yet! -  The application process for the artist units is not available quite yet and due to the large number of people expected to apply, these units along with several of the other units in the building are on a lottery system...but hey it only takes one to win!

Winter Public Art

FPAC presents Winter Public Art: light-based temporary art  installations along the Fort Point Harborwalk.

Listener By ‪goodgood (Karen Stein Shanley),  ‪New American Public Art (‬Dan Sternof Beyer, Kawandeep Virdee, Bevan Weissman‬), and Matthew Shanley.  Listener is an interactive light installation that responds to the ambient and intentional sounds around it, transforming static space into a dynamic public place.  It is located on the Fort Point Channel Harborwalk between Congress Street and Northern Avenue, outside of the Boston Children’s Museum.

Canopy by Michael Moss and Claudia Ravaschiere.  Located on the Fort Point Channel Harborwalk between Summer and Congress Streets, outside of Channel FItness Canopy is the laser projection, Canopy, that creates a dimensional, impressionistic canopy with myriad points of green light layered over a cloudscape. Using holographic technology, the artists create an unexpected experience on the public walkway along the Fort Point Channel.

 Image above: Canopy, courtesy of Ravaschiere&Moss

Our Winter Public Art is supported by funding from The Fort Point Channel Operations Board.
2012-13 Winter Public Art was selected by a jury. Thank you to our selection panel: Sarah Hutt, artist and former Director of Visual Arts for the City of Boston and member Boston Art Commission; Kate Gilbert, artist and creative projects manager and former project manager for public art at Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy; Lisa Greenfield, artist and previous FPAC Winter Public Arts Installation artist; Vivien Li, President, The Boston Harbor Association; Charlayne Murrell-Smith, Vice President, Boston Children's Museum.  Additional thanks to the Boston Children's Museum, Channel Fitness, and NAI Hunneman.