Boston, MA – The African-American Master Artists in Residence Program (AAMARP) has been invited to mount an exhibition at The Boston International Fine Art Show (BIFAS) October 18-21 at The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts in the South End. Selected work from the artists on display will be for sale. The special exhibition is free with admission to the show. www.FineArtBoston.com

The AAMARP at Northeastern University was founded in 1977 by Dana Chandler and provides studio space for thirteen artists and an enriching environment for a diverse community through the arts. Through their advocacy and outreach, the AAMARP artist collective has celebrated and explored the African-American experience and African diaspora through a variety of genres for over 40 years. The exhibition and sale of AAMARP work at the Boston International Fine Art Show is an exciting addition to this year’s show line up.

The AAMARP exhibit at BIFAS will highlight nine artists working in a variety of media. Gloretta Baynes’s work explores themes of social justice, metaphysics, and African writing systems. Sudanese-born Khalid Kodi is an internationally established mid-career artist who has exhibited widely both here and abroad. Graffiti artists DEME5 (Ricardo Gomez) is a contemporary artist who creates with paint, charcoal, and aerosol spray. Photojournalist Don West captures scenes from everyday life and has documented African-American leaders for several decades. Other exhibiting AAMARP artists are: Hakim Raquib, Jeff Chandler, L’Merchie Frazier, Reggie Jackson, and Susan Thompson. This exhibit will be the first group show for the AAMARP in many years.

In addition to the AAMARP exhibition, each year the Boston International Fine Art Show chooses a non-profit to honor at the Gala Preview that opens the show. This year’s beneficiary is the Art for Justice Fund. www.ArtforJusticeFund.org Founded by Agnes Gund with a $100 million donation from the sale of a beloved painting, the Art for Justice Fund makes grants to organizations, advocates, and artists leading impactful and cutting-edge work to safely reduce jail and prison populations across the country. The producers of the show underwrite 100% of the costs of the Gala Preview allowing all of the proceeds to go directly to the Art for Justice Fund. This year’s Gala Preview is on Thursday, October 18th. Tickets and more information are available online at www.FineArtBoston.com/gala.

During the show, selected images from a special exhibition by one of the 2018 Grantees of the Art for Justice Fund will be on display. The Writing on the Wall is a collaborative installation created by conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas; professor of English and activist Baz Dreisinger; and The Mass Design Group. The installation is made from diagrams, essays, letters, notes, poems, and stories from incarcerated people around the world. With the help of The Art for Justice Fund grant, Thomas and Dreisinger will partner with Mass Design Group to turn the concept into a travelling exhibition, and formerly incarcerated leaders will be paid to lead forums and discussions at exhibition locations.

The Boston International Fine Art Show features the work of 40 galleries from across the U.S. This year’s BIFAS will offer original works of art that satisfy a wide array of collectors, tastes, and price ranges from affordable pieces created by today’s most promising artists to museum quality masterpieces. Special programs during the show include an Art & Finance series with noted experts Joshua Rose (Editor, American Fine Art) and Evan Beard (National Art Services Executive, US Trust); book signing and talk by photographer Larry Lederman on his recently published book Frederic Church’s Olana on the Hudson; and Trefler’s Restoration and Repurposing Clinic.

For more information on the BIFAS special programs, please visit: www.fineartboston.com/special-programs

The 22nd Annual Show takes place October 18-21, 2018 at the Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End. 

Gala Preview: 5:30-8:30pm on Thursday, October 18th. www.fineartboston.com/gala

Weekend hours: Friday October 19, 1-8; Saturday, October 20, 11-8; and Sunday, October 21, 11-5. 

Weekend Admission: $15 online or at the door, 12 and under free.  Ticket includes all special programs, re-admission throughout the weekend, show catalog, and coat check.

For more information visit www.FineArtBoston.com or call 617.363.0405.

## Editor’s Notes:

• Additional background available on request
• Interviews with the AAMARP artists available
• More information about AAMARP and images available on request
• On site coverage encouraged