How do you find the best local artists in your area? It can take some research, but a lot of the time they’re sitting right under your nose. I’m starting to learn more about the local artists here, so I wanted to share some Boston local artists with you that I know you’ll love as much as I do. By no means am I an expert in local artists, but I certainly hope to become one with time!
Appreciating Boston local artists is becoming part of my day to day life and I am loving every moment.
These are definitely a special group of 7 of visual artists, but I have to admit, there are so many Boston local artists that I am learning about all of the time. I’m so excited to share even more with you, and hope to do interviews and even work with some of these talented people down the line.
Here they are (in no particular order, so make sure you read to the end)!
Also, please note that all of the images you see in this blog post are embedded pins from Pinterest in an effort to respect the intellectual property of these artists. If no image is used, it is because I could not find the artist’s work on Pinterest, so I encourage you to use the link provided to go to their website to see more of their work. I can’t even begin to tell you how fun it has been to look through these artist’s websites, so I highly recommend you do the same!
1. Valerie Imparato
Valerie Imparato has done exhibits and murals all over Boston, from the Cambridge Common to the Museum of Fine Arts, and many places in between. She is clearly a major contributor to the talent in the Boston art community. On her website it says that her “aesthetic draws from the diverse cultural influences in her upbringing with an emphasis on East-African and Carribean art.” Her unique aesthetic is so complexly beautiful. Drawing your eye in with her use of color, texture, and pattern, her works of art evoke emotion and tell a story.
You can buy her work on her website, and she has a range of price points, so you have every reason to support her work! I am in such awe of her work and could look at it all day. Also, you can even get gift cards on her website which is such a cool way to both support her work and give a really awesome gift.
Look at Valerie Imparato’s work using the link below!
Click here to visit Valerie Imparato’s website and to look at more of her work.
2. Masha Keryan
As it turns out, if you want to see Masha Keryan’s work in person, all you have to do is go visit East Boston โ she painted a mural for Dirty Water Dough in 2020. Dirty Water Dough is a local pizza shop (that’s delicious by the way) and her work is on display on the exterior of their restaurant location in East Boston, so you can see it simply by standing on the street corner. I love it!
Using vibrant colors and thoughtful shapes to create human forms, Masha Keryan has a specific style that is completely her own. According to her website, before she moved to Boston at age 14 she lived in Armenia and Russia and grew up loving art. Be sure to check out more of her work and follow her on Instagram @mashakeryan.
Click here to visit Masha Keryan’s website and to look at more of her work.
3. Christina Chang
As someone who grew up in Boston and has taught art to students locally throughout her career, Christina Chang embodies what it means to be part of a community. She has a variety of work, and focuses mainly on paintings, which I love. With abstracts and landscapes making up most of her portfolio, she mixes contemporary and traditional design โ something that I take inspiration from with art, and also with interior design. Also, her use of color is so good. So good.
You can shop her paintings on her website, where she offers abstract paintings, landscape paintings, floral paintings, sculptures, and more. I love how impressionistic her work is, and think that it would be so gorgeous to have in your home.
Click here to visit Christina Chang’s website and to look at more of her work.
4. Mattaya Fitts
Another Boston local, Mattaya Fitts grew up here. Her paintings are an invitation to the viewer to shift their perspective and see things in a new way. I love the color palettes that she uses, and think that her website’s description of how her work is “informed by personal narrative, metaphor, and nature” captures the essence of her work beautifully in words.
Her otherwordly painting style transports me into a thoughtful daydream. You can follow her @mattayafitts on Instagram, where she generously shares her work as well as progress pictures on her stories โ I just saw her story showing a mural she’s currently working on! You can also check out this article written about her in the Boston Globe. In the Globe article she talks more about the inspiration behind her work, and the vulnerability that she is able to express through her paintings.
Look at Mattaya Fitts’s work using the link below!
Click here to visit Mattaya Fitts’s website and to look at more of her work.
5. Mia Cross
Clearly I love painters and muralists, because Mia Cross is another Boston local artist who explores her creativity through paintings, murals, and more. Something that I notice consistently throughout her body of work is that she uses colorful shapes to create forms and show contrast โ whether they are more abstract or more realistic. I think that her use of bright colors and color blocking makes her paintings stand out. The bright colors give her work a playful quality that I really enjoy.
Mia Cross offers commissions in the shop on her website alongside available paintings, prints, and her own merch! You can explore her shop using this link. It’s really fun to see her different work on her website, and I especially love the abstract paintings she has done.
Click here to visit Mia Cross’s website and to look at more of her work.
6. Keith Morris Washington
With a focus on landscape and portraiture, Keith Morris Washington is a very interesting artist to follow. His work has a unique line quality that makes everything he creates look like his own โ his style is so distinguished, it’s like a personal trademark. I have loved looking through the art on his website because you can see how his style translates across different subjects. If you are a detail oriented person, you will love his work. The small squiggles in his line work is so intriguing, and his work offers “meaning and metaphor,” as his website so eloquently states. I definitely think that his work would look beautiful on a wall in your home if you are lucky enough to purchase it.
Click here to visit Keith Morris Washington’s website and to look at more of his work.
7. Silvia Lรณpez Chavez
Wow, what a note to end on! We get to talk about Silvia Lรณpez Chavez. She is a BIG TIME muralist, and you will start noticing her work all over Boston if you know what to look for. I love how accessible she makes art โ with her focus on public art, so many more people get to enjoy her work. Her website says that her work sits “at the intersection of art, design, and community” which is so true. I am a firm believer that art brings people together and cultivates deep and meaningful connections. I also think that her work inspires togetherness and collective imagination, which is uplifting to see in the world.
You can keep up with Silvia Lรณpez Chavez by following her on Instagram @silvialopezchavez. I know I’m excited to go visit some of the sites where her work is in Boston, which you can find by looking at her website.
Click here to visit Silvia Lรณpez Chavez’s website and to look at more of her work.
There you have it! This post was all about Boston local artists, and we really were only able to scratch the surface together. The Boston art ecosystem has so much to offer.
I hope that you learned about a new artist through this post, and found at least one artist who’s work you love. Each of these local artists inspire me in unique ways, and I am so grateful to be able to share them with all of you.
If you’re interested in getting more inspiration about all things art and design, make sure you go follow @garlandcollections on Instagram and Pinterest.
Hope to see you back here on Monday for our next blog post! And don’t forget to join the email list (scroll down to the bottom of the page) so that you never miss a blog post.
