This building draws much attention on the street, with its facade which has been made to be reminiscent of an Incan ruin, with a large stone face above the doorway and colorful bull on the door. The museum is not open to the public, but the artists offer tours by appointment and open their doors for various concerts and the annual Somerville Open Studios. Those lucky few granted access to the space are treated to a one-of-a-kind experience.
Using a style the artists call “Mystical Realism,” the walls and ceilings are covered with fresco-like paintings and mythological themes, creating a stained glass effect. The focal point, the building’s great hall, is filled with fresco-like paintings of Russian mythological and religious icons. Saturated oil colors were used for the tiger and bull totems, birds, druids, and mermaids.
It’s a pretty wild place to visit. Every wall of every room is covered in images like this. Some areas naturally were off limits to the general public but I can imagine them all being so ornately decorated. Once again, you can only visit it during the Open Studios weekend or sometimes they have yoga classes and performances and such in the main room. Pretty cool.
