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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Zullo Gallery has become an invaluable resource to Medfield’s artists and art enthusiasts. With plenty of space for exhibits, gallery viewing hours on the weekends, and art classes for children and adults, the gallery has helped to keep the town’s art scene alive since it opened in 1988.
Since late 2011, the Zullo has hosted “First Thursday,” an event on the first Thursday of every month to bring the community to the gallery. Because January’s event was cancelled due to snow, February 1 became the first “First Thursday” of the year.
A dozen tables and three times as many chairs covered the light hardwood floors of the gallery for the evening event. The tables, topped with a white tablecloth and a candle, soon filled with locals looking to enjoy some time at the gallery from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“We call it our monthly celebration of the arts,” said gallery director Bill Pope. “It’s just an opportunity for people to come into the gallery, who perhaps can’t get here on weekends and see the show. Sometimes we have live music, which we will tonight; sometimes we have a special wine tasting or beer tasting or something that goes along with it.”
American songbook and Brazilian tunes duo Tom Duprey and David Hawthorne softly played in the background as the patrons ate, drank, and conversed with one another. The gallery always has a liquor license for the “First Thursday” events, and frequently partners with local restaurants to provide food.
“We have such limited hours, so it’s a great way to bring people in here and be able to sit down,” said Bill.
Although the gallery will usually have a show or an exhibit going on, for this month’s Thursday event, Bill put up a variety of artwork, including paintings from the palette knife painting class that is held Monday mornings.
While the chilly months have certainly kept locals indoors as of late, Zullo’s “First Thursday” was the perfect remedy for a case of cabin fever.
