Matt Ringler is a photographer based in Brighton who works in both film and digital formats. Capturing a range of subjects from street photography to nature, Matt likes to emphasize color in his work to create vibrant scenes. Recently, his focus has been on photographing local quad skaters in the Boston area as well as being the photographer for the skate group Skatehags.

Nat Reed is a multi-media artist based in Boston. Nat attended the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she earned her BFA in Animation and Jewelry. While attending school, Nat began a career working in bike shops. After realizing the amount of waste that the industry produces, Nat decided to use the discarded metal in her creative practice. Reusing materials became in itself a game. Almost a decade later, Nat continues to dedicate her work to pushing the limits of an objects intended purpose, and optimizing the potential of material in the pursuit of play and sustainability.

Rabbits of Realness is a publishing project that emerged from cross-country phone calls and letter exchanges. The joint pursuit of peace, liberation, and compassion united artists and poets Spoon Jackson and SaraMarie Bottaro. They envision a world full of equal and open access to creative expression that connects everyone to their inner rabbits. We are an artist collective whose mission is to encourage creative expression and nurture mental health through community workshops, letter writing, and sharing art and ideas through zines.

Memory, imagination, history, time. What is the relation of past, present, and future in the moments you inhabit? Since the beginning of recorded time, personal and communal objects have been represented in art. I am drawn to these archetypes because they are reminders of my belonging within our collective human experience across cultures. As the present reflects history, ancient symbols become reminders, with time marked through the hourglass. What needs to be remembered, and what needs to be imagined are questions in my mind. They overlap, and unify while the physicality of experience creates spiritual connection through communal action.

Tiffany Chan is a Brighton local who likes to make things and have new experiences. Making creative 3d origami art became a hobby because they enjoy standard origami (cranes, boxes), and needed a way to pass time and experiment with form, colors, and figures. Tiffany sometimes takes inspiration from real life and/or pop culture, and loves giving paper a better fate than recycling/trash. Tiffany loves to give their creations as gifts to family and friends.

We love our tiny friends upstairs at the Western Ave Children’s Center. They Provided these notecard sized “shiny portraits” to us after a day of crafts and bedazzling! They describe their teaching philosophy as the following: “Western Avenue Children’s Center's philosophy is rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning. This approach emphasizes learning through relationships, where knowledge stems from our interactions with others, with our surroundings, and with diverse and unexpected materials. As a Reggio-inspired program, we value creating learning environments that inspire action and evolve according to the seasons and changing interests. Our classrooms are equipped with materials selected for beauty, flexibility, and durability; we aim to connect children with the natural world by including plants, branches, and other natural materials. Teachers are encouraged to use upcycled materials and non-traditional toys to foster creativity and develop a sustainable mindset in our children.”