Open Bicycle

This last Saturday, Zack, myself, and an awesome crew of helpers officially welcomed the public into OPEN’s newly-renovated space in Union Square, Somerville. We cleaned the place up, hung the gallery, chilled the beers, polished the bikes, and made some spoke cards:

Early in the evening, the shop began to fill up- locals, racers, friends, couriers, frame builders, artists, out-of-towners, and a few dogs mingled amidst the shiny components and locally-crafted bicycles.

The latest custom fillet-brazed steed from Icarus:

3RRR owner and artist Nao Tomii:

A bit after 7pm, the enormous raw steel door that separates OPEN from the Chorus Gallery was raised. The gallery’s inaugural show, “Keep it Down,” is a new exhibition from local photographer Justin J. Keena that showcases the artist’s past and current work via a diverse range of study, and the public seemed to be enjoying the new space and the evocative photographs:

Shortly after the gallery opening, the video kicked off. There were a few technical hitches, but our man Jon knocked out some quick technical debugging and the show began, with people covering the floors, stairs, and furniture.

A short film we produced last winter started the series, followed by another short that showcased a day in the life of Geekhouse builder Marty Walsh.  (Both films were shot and edited by local videographer Steve “Stebs” Shinnerer of Quarter Productions.)  The Boston premier of Macaframa followed- the hi-def shots of smooth riding in warm air got everyone hyped up for spring. The movies went over well with the crowd and the party began in earnest. Dom, Maggie, and Stebs held down the bar:

Free Narragansett, Fisherman’s Brew, and Redbull & Vodkas kept the kids happy and everyone took turns playing records, dancing, and generally cutting loose:

We had a wonderful time, met a bunch of great people, and saw many friends we haven’t seen for the last 4 months as we’ve been building the shop. More events are planned for the near future- we’ll post info as it becomes available. Thanks to all that helped out and supported us; we couldn’t have done it without you!

Photo credits go out to Kirsten Tamme! (Yes, we gave Justin Keena the night off..)