Seven Can’t-Miss Events During Boston Design Week
Here's where to go and what to do at the annual celebration.
Beyond Walls / Photo courtesy of Fusco & Four Ventures
Boston Design Week is almost here. For the fifth year in a row, the 12-day festival will celebrate arts, style, and everything aesthetically pleasing in Boston.
From April 4 through April 15, you can pick and choose from a lineup of more than 70 panels and programs to check out, all adhering to the theme “Now, New, Next.” The calendar of events covers all elements of design, including topics like architecture, urban planning, historic preservation, technology, and sustainable design.
Below, we’ve selected seven things to look our for during the festival. All programs are open to the public—most are free of charge, though some will require an RSVP. For a complete list of events, see the Design Week 2018 calendar.
1.
Beyond Walls
The Beyond Walls 2018 fundraiser will benefit the community initiatives that have made a splash in Lynn over the past year. Last summer, Beyond Walls installed LED underpass lighting, exhibited vintage neon art on city streets, and hosted an art festival that put up 15 new murals in Lynn’s downtown. Guests can nosh on treats from Lynn’s local businesses and get a look at what’s to come for Beyond Walls’ 2018 efforts.
Free, April 5, 6 to 10 p.m., the Lynn Museum, 590 Washington St., Lynn, RSVP at evenbrite.com.
2.
Top Places to Live
If you’ve picked up a copy of our March issue, you’ll know it name drops towns where you can find some of the last great real estate deals. This panel discussion, moderated by the author of this blog post, is meant to guide guests to find deals of their own. Hear from four home and real estate experts about today’s housing market and how to navigate it. (We’re excited for our own event. Can you blame us?)
Free, April 4, 6 p.m., Boston Design Center, 5th floor, One Design Center Place, Boston, RSVP at eventbrite.com.
Concertize Your Home / Photo courtesy of Fusco & Four Ventures
3.
Concertize Your Home
Boston’s legendary piano shop, M. Steinert & Sons, just released Steinway’s first new product in 40 years—and it wants the design community to know about it. At this event, hear about the new Steinway Spirio, a piano that plays famous pianists’ performances by itself. (The auto-played songs are “utterly indistinguishable from a live performance,” boasts the company.)
Free, April 7, 5 to 7 p.m., One Columbus Ave., Boston, RSVP to tedh@msteinert.com.
4.
Achieve Inspired Textiles in a Modern World
A representative from Knoll is gracing Thos. Moser’s Boston showroom for a talk about the company’s 70-year history. It will cover Knoll’s modern approach to design and why Knoll is the perfect textile partner for Thos. Moser’s handmade pieces.
Free, April 9, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Thos. Moser, 19 Arlington Street, Boston, RSVP to bostonshowroom@thosmoser.com.
The Summer of ’66 / Photo courtesy of Fusco & Four Ventures
5.
The Summer of ’66
In the 1960s, designer Richard Shultz set the standard for outdoor furniture forms. His 1966 collection has become iconic, and at this event, Shultz’s son, Peter, will highlight some of his most revolutionary designs in a presentation at Lekker Home. Shultz will chronicle his father’s career from his start in mechanical engineering to his lasting design legacy.
Free, April 11, 6 to 9 p.m., Lekker Home, 1313 Washington St., Suite 117, Boston, RSVP to rsvp@lekkerhome.com.
6.
Making A Cultural District: The Alchemy of Community, Identity, and Design
Boston’s Fenway neighborhood has been—and still is—in the midst of drastic changes. That’s why Kelly Brilliant, the executive director of the Fenway Alliance, wants to chat about it with you. She’ll be joined by Janet Oberto of Selbert Perkins Design and Philip Barash of Sasaki to talk about how design can be used to foster community there.
Free, April 13, 5:30 to 8 p.m., the Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, RSVP to kbrilliant@fenwayalliance.org.
Indigo Dyeing Class / Photo courtesy of Fusco & Four Ventures
7.
Indigo Dyeing Class
Step into any of the city’s home design boutiques and you’ll find accessories decked out in indigo dye. At this Design Week celebration, learn how it’s done from the pros at FABRIC and Boston Makers. The course will teach students various designs, such as shibori, resist, and pole-dyeing techniques.
$40, April 14, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m, Fiber Arts Boston, 38 Wareham St., Boston, purchase tickets at fiberartsboston.org.
