5 to 9

13FOREST Gallery is pleased to present 5 to 9: The double lives of commercial artists, an exhibition featuring the work of contemporary artists Daniel Benayun, Josh Luke, Kenji Nakayama, James Weinberg and Nina Wishnok.

As the title suggests, each of these five artists leads something of a double life, balancing his or her fine art practice with the world of commercial design. By removing the stigma so often applied to artists who take on commercial work, 5 to 9 celebrates artists' ability to satisfy their creative pursuits, both on the clock and off.

In addition to the fine art pieces highlighted in 5 to 9, work by Benayun, Luke, Nakayama, Weinberg and Wishnok can be seen throughout the Boston metro area. In this way, 13FOREST Gallery complicates the seemingly arbitrary distinction between what constitutes fine and commercial art. By reflecting the ease with which these artists transition from the urban to the gallery space, 5 to 9 underscores Boston's prominent role as a city with an inherent connection to design culture.  

13FOREST Gallery will host a reception to mark the opening of the exhibition on Saturday, March 19, from 4 to 6 pm.

March 19 - May 13, 2016

Sat 3/19, 4-6 pm: Opening Reception - plus window numbering debut by Best Dressed Signs

Sat 4/9, 2-4 pm: Limited Run - screen printing demonstration with James Weinberg

Thu 4/21, 6-8 pm: 9 to 5 - a conversation on commercial and fine art practices with the exhibition's artists

About the Artists

Daniel Benayun graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston in 2011 with a BFA in illustration. He currently lives and works as a full-time designer and painter in Jamaica Plain. Benayun's artwork has been featured in various publications, including the Boston Globe.
 
Josh Luke graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a BFA in painting in 2000. He then went on to apprentice and work at New Bohemia Signs in San Francisco, one of the most prominent hand-painted sign businesses in the country. In 2010 he moved east to pursue an MFA at the Art Institute of Boston and to open his own company, Best Dressed Signs, whose work is widely featured throughout Boston.
 
Kenji Nakayama was born in Tomokomai on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. A mechanical engineer by education, Nakayama moved to Boston in 2005 to study traditional sign painting and to dedicate his time and energy to art-making. His diverse practice ranges from careful pinstriping and gilded lettering to hand-cut, multi-layered stencil paintings. Nakayama's work has been shown internationally and is in the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York.
 
James Weinberg is a designer, illustrator and artist based in Somerville, Mass. Inspired by natural history, folk-art, silkscreen printing, printed ephemera, op-art and old advertisements, his work has appeared on a variety of book jackets, posters and music packaging. His work has been featured in the AIGA BONE show and 50 Books/50 Covers.
 
Nina Wishnok is a printmaker and graphic designer whose studio is in Somerville, Mass. She received a BA from New York University and a Graphic Design Certificate from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Wishnok has received various grants and fellowships for her work, including from the Saint Botolph Club Foundation, Anderson Ranch Arts Center and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

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