The Brookline nonprofit Gateway Arts, dedicated to advancing the careers of artists with disabilities, opened a new 9,000 square-foot facility on Station Street on Tuesday.
The new office on a street that has become a local arts hub represents a major expansion for Gateway, which is part of the larger nonprofit Vinfen. It expands the organization’s artist workspaces for its roster of nearly 100 artists, adds a bigger gallery and store, and more than doubles its ground floor space, making it more accessible for artists in wheelchairs or with limited mobility. For decades, Gateway had previously been located nearby on Harvard Street.
At a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, leaders from the nonprofit organizations and elected officials extolled the value of art to Gateway’s members, Brookline as a community and beyond.
“Art can be courageous. Art can be a connector. Art can be healing. And in our Commonwealth, we want room at the table for everyone … to celebrate and support talent, work and connectedness, and our shared interest in something that is so beautiful” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll at a ribbon cutting for the new facility on Tuesday. “For me, art is not a nicety or an extra. It’s integral to the quality of life. And I think it is for money of the talented artists who will use this space.”
Greg Liakos, the director of Gateway Arts, said that State Rep. Tommy Vitolo first introduced him to Riverside Properties, the building owner.
Vitolo pointed to “difficult times” like the present as the most important moments to “broaden and deepen our understanding of each other through the arts.”
“Is there anybody out there celebrating humanity more than the Gateway Arts artists and staff?” he said.
Artists Sidney Perry and Carmella Salvucci, two of Gateway’s longest-serving artists, helped Liakos cut a hand-made ribbon to officially mark the center’s opening. Both have been making art in the studio since its founding in 1973, Liakos said.
“Their styles are very different, their approaches are very different, but they’re making incredible work in the studios every day,” he said.
See more photos from the opening by Artemisia Luk:
Darryl Richards, a Gateway Arts artist, organizes his desk in the community studio. Richards most enjoys the spaciousness of the new Gateway Arts location and its proximity to the Green Line, which is right across the street. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Kim Driscoll and Gateway’s longest-serving artists, Sidney Perry and Carmella Salvucci, cut the ribbon in front of Gateway Arts’ new space in Brookline Village. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
Ashley Scanlan (left) and Amy Caliri (right), Gateway Arts artists, hold hands during a group photo after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Scanlan has been at Gateway since 2015, and most enjoys the sense of community it provides. “Everybody is one. We’re always looking out for each other,” said Scanlan. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
Darryl Richards, a Gateway Arts artist of nine years, holds a piece he made that is currently being sold in the Gateway Arts store. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
A visitor passes by two paintings by artist Farah Faustin in the Gateway Arts gallery. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
A colorful assortment of thread and many other art supplies line the community studio walls at Gateway Arts. Gateway artists work in a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, collage, cartooning, sculpture, ceramics, fiber art, weaving, mixed media, and jewelry making. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
A community studio is located on the 2nd floor of the new Gateway Arts location on Station Street. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
A piece in progress by artist Darryl Richards. For his next project, Richards will make a rug. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
The Gateway Arts store, adjacent to the gallery, sells art and merchandise produced by Gateway Arts artists. 50% of the proceeds are paid directly to the artist as commission. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
The gallery at Gateway Arts’ new location on Station Street. Gateway, which is a program of the health and human services nonprofit Vinfen, has signed a 10-year lease for more than 9,000 square feet of space at 9-21 Station Street. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
Gateway Arts Director Gregory Liakos, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, State Representative Tommy Vitolo, Vinfen Chief Strategy Officer Kim Shellenberger, and Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services Sarah Peterson provided opening remarks ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Gateway Arts space. Photo by Artemisia Luk. 
The new Gateway Arts location is on Station Street, a major hub for the arts in Brookline. Gateway’s new neighbors include ArtsBrookline’s Station Street Studios, Puppet Showplace Theater, Feet of Clay Pottery, Andem Art Studios, Liz Linder Photographer, and the John Payne Music Center. Photo by Artemisia Luk 
Veronica Barron, Executive Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater, raised her hand when Rep. Tommy Vitolo asked artists in the crowd to raise their hands during his opening remarks. Barron is excited to continue partnering with Gateway Arts, who has collaborated with Puppet Showplace Theater for the past two years. Photo by Artemisia Luk