J Jake Art Gallery, Boston MA

Before I blog about the art gallery, I'd like to explain my recent absence here on the blog over the past several weeks. My Dad had a frontal lobe stroke on February 18th. He was in the hospital until Feb. 23rd, when he was transferred to rehab. On Feb. 27th, he had a seizure and was transported from the rehab back to the hospital via ambulance. He then got aspiration pneumonia, and he never was able to recover from all of this. He passed away at his home on Friday at his assisted living apartment under hospice care, surrounded by me and my sisters. He lived a wonderful 95 years and is now reunited with my Mom in Heaven. I've spent every free minute that I've had with him over the past several weeks and that's why I haven't posted any blogs.

Now onto the J Jake Art Gallery...........My camera club was invited to have a show at the J Jake Art Gallery located in the South End of Boston. We submitted our best work and the club members voted which images would be shown. It's a small gallery in size, so only a fairly small number of photos could be chosen. I was thrilled that one of my photos was chosen for the show.

The Reception at the gallery was this past weekend. I wasn't intending on going to the reception as it was so close to my Dads passing.......but then I remembered a conversation I had with him one day at the hospital. He was confused and most days didn't know who we were. On this particular day I asked him if he knew my name. He looked at me and said "no'. I then I asked if I was his daughter? He replied "no". I started making small talk and told him I had taken some pictures the day before. He then replied "oh" "You're very good at that". I was so happy that the fact that I took pictures triggered his memory to know who I was, but I was even more happy to know that he said I was good at it. I knew at that moment that I would attend the reception in his honor, as I know how proud he would have been of me.

The gallery itself is beautiful. It is located on a narrow One Way street that is lined with old brownstones. There is a small gated alley that is between two of the buildings that leads you to a courtyard with a beautiful sculpture.

You then walk down a couple of steps that lead to another courtyard.

Then to another alleyway.

Here is my Sister In Law Susan as we were leaving.

It's such a beautiful area with so much history. I was told the building that houses the art gallery was once a piano mill. In fact, there were five piano mills in that area back in the day. Today this whole area of Boston is quite an art district, and I hope to return here soon to do a photo walk with my camera.

Thanks to Jake and his wife Elaine for the opportunity to have a piece of my artwork on display at this beautiful gallery, and if you are in the area, please stop by and say hello to them and enjoy the work that they have hanging.