Gallery Marquee is the newest addition to the Fitchburg art scene. Its mission is to make art accessible to everyone.
The “Crosscurrent” art exhibit, open from Saturday, June 8 to Saturday, Aug. 10, features 60 mixed-media pieces by local high school and college students. Eight of those students are from Oakmont Regional High School.
The exhibit also features artwork by other local young artists from Leominster High School, Fitchburg High School, and Fitchburg State University.
The gallery staff wanted to allow young local artists to display their art in a “real” gallery. Bridie Wolejko, a volunteer curator and gallery manager, said there aren’t many opportunities for young artists to get their work into galleries, so Gallery Marquee wanted to open that door for them.
“Outside of school, teens don’t have many opportunities to express themselves,” she said. “Having this exhibit for young local artists helps them have the confidence to do art because they know it’s possible to get their work displayed.”
Many young artists in the Marquee Gallery exhibit have never publicly displayed their work. Wolejko said the artists also had the opportunity to price and sell their art if they wanted. She said the gallery is a community, so they don’t charge a commission, which means the artist will get all the money from any sales.
Since Gallery Marquee opened in February, it has committed to making art accessible to everyone in the community and creating a space for often-overlooked artists. The gallery is at 699 Main St. in Fitchburg, and its summer hours are Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. and again on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.
Meet some of the artists
Oakmont senior Emily Gaudet discovered her love of photography when she was 13, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said her mom was a photographer when she was younger, and she was pushed to pick up the camera during the pandemic.
“I remember when my family would go to the beach, my mom always had the camera with her,” she said. “During the pandemic, I was so bored of being stuck inside that I picked up my mom’s old camera as an excuse to go outside.”
Gaudet’s piece is a photograph of the TD Garden arena in Boston. She said she was experimenting with her camera’s settings when she took the photograph and liked how the colors turned out.
Ava Ashmore, a junior at Oakmont High, has enjoyed painting and doing arts and crafts since she was 10 years old. She said her mom allowed her to paint on the walls of her room growing up, which really boosted her desire to keep painting. Ashmore’s piece at the Marquee Gallery is of flowers from her sister’s and boyfriend’s births done with acrylic paint.
“I was really excited to see my piece in the gallery because I’ve never had any of my art in a gallery,” she said. “I’m super happy that people are able to see my art, which is a very new experience for me.”
Hydeia Hamilton, an Oakmont class of 2024 graduate, said she started to find her artistic side during middle and high school art classes. She said she didn’t take many classes but loves to use oil paint because it takes a long time to dry. Hamilton’s piece is a self-portrait of her embracing an ambiguous figure.
“In this world, there are conflicts all the time. However, it is so important just to be connected with those around you and know who your support system is,” she said. “Those who know me personally know who the other figure is, but the fact that my face is the only one people can see shows the connection between the individuals.
Hamilton plans to attend Mount Wachusett Community College in the fall to study Criminal Justice. She said she doesn’t see herself studying or doing art professionally because she loves painting too much to treat it as a job.