Still Life · Martwa Natura

April 10 - May 24, 2026

Featuring WORK BY ANNA LELIWA

Reception: Thursday, April 23rd from 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Gallery Hours Saturdays Noon to 5 PM

The subject of still life (in Polish martwa natura, literally “dead nature” or “mortal nature”) was historically the lowest-ranked category in academic painting, trailing behind landscape, portraiture, genre scenes, and history painting. Yet the static depiction of objects, flowers, or food often told stories about life and death, about the transience of human beings and material things, and about the enduring beauty captured and preserved within an image.

This is especially evident in 17th-century Dutch still lifes, where, among flowers in full bloom, one can spot insects, caterpillars, or lizards, while partially eaten or unfinished food and drink evoke the presence of someone who once shared the meal but is no longer there.

My recent still lifes bear the names of people who have left a lasting mark on my life and artistic practice through friendship, love, and mentorship. With this exhibition, I would like to encourage reflection on life and to show that flowers, vessels, or fruits sometimes carry meanings far deeper than their decorative appearance.

 About the Gallery at 249 A

Gallery at 249 A features rotating art exhibitions and special arts events. The space is an evolving project of the 249 A Street Cooperative, one of Massachusetts’s first limited-equity live/work cooperative for artists. The building, which is home to more than 45 artists and their families, has served as a model for artists’ housing nationwide and was key in the growth of the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC). The 249 A Street Cooperative celebrated its 40th anniversary with the opening of this gallery space in September 2024.

This program has been made possible in part through the fiscal sponsorship of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston, Inc., with funding provided by South Boston Community Development Foundation and the City of Boston’s Project 80 Fund. The views expressed in this program are those of the artists and do not reflect the views of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston, Inc.

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May 28 to July 5 John Dykes · New Work

July 9 to August 20 Dan Osterman  · Works on Paper and Board 

September 10 to September 25 · Fidelity Friends 

September 28 to October 31 · BUILDING-WIDE FALL GROUP SHOW