By Margaret Teague
Staff Writer

“Opening Our Doors” brought a buzz of arts to the Fenway area Monday, Oct. 14, near Evans Way Park and the Museum of Fine Arts. The day focused on celebrating different cultures and offered 45 different places to visit and activities to partake in for free.
The day kicked off at the Christian Science Plaza where the Boston Children’s Chorus performed. Mayor Menino spoke, followed by the Kids Parade, led by the Hot Tamale Brass Band.
The day’s events were broken down by areas.
At the Christian Science Plaza area 20 events were held including The Mission Hill Youth and Community Performance, Indoor Kite Flying and Kite Building, and the ZUMIX A Cappella Ensemble.
At Evans Way Park, one could find poetry, music, and dance. Several food tents were set up as well. Afro-Brazil showed off their drumming skills.
“About one hundred and fifty families came and went, some stayed. The day had an underlying fall theme,” said Steph Durwin.
Good Clancy, a company specializing in architecture planning preservation, presented “Interlace,” “an interactive art installation.” The company displayed about 30 3-foot frames covered in images. People passing had the option to write on a piece of paper what living in the Fenway means to them. They then weaved their paper in and out of the frame.
“College kids not wearing enough clothes on a Saturday night in the winter time” was just one phrase weaved in the frame.
“I was pleased at the number of people that came and was happy to see that it worked. We wanted it to be interactive,” said Wentworth alum Matt Savarse from Good Clancy.
Bristol Recording and Voice Studios held free seminars including Home Recording Making Beats, Intro to Songwriting, and an Open Mic session.
“We had a good amount of kids come out today. We had an open mic session but the kids were shy. The hands on recording session drew a lot of kids in,” said Jason Blaske, a Bristol Recording manager.
All day events at Evans Way Park included Sparc! the artmobile and Marshall’s Farm Stand, where kids chose pumpkins to decorate and bring home. People also had the option to purchase apple cider and local farm treats.
“It was funny to see kids dancing and painting pumpkins,” said Durwin.
From 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., the Museum of Fine Arts offered free admission to everyone. Ticket prices are normally $25.
“There was definitely more people for a Monday. There was a huge line in the morning,” said a MFA worker.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum held an open house and offered free admission for all from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. If your first name is Isabella you have free admission to the museum for a lifetime.
“I wanted to see the new entrance to the Gardner Museum, and to see what it’s like inside. It’s a good place to come on a rough day, you can pretend you’re Isabella,” said Carol Treacey.
Several people waiting in line found out about the free admission through Bostoncalender.com and Facebook.
“In the afternoon the line built up, people normally go to the MFA first because it is bigger,” said a security guard at the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum.
MassArt College had an open house for their Sandra and David Bakalar Gallery, and Stephen D. Paine Gallery for the Fenway event. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., nearly 30 people attended.
“The day has been slower than we expected, which is kind of unfortunate. It’s a slow Monday because of Columbus Day and we get a lot of people from colleges and people on tours, but not nearly enough people knew about this,” said Victoria Barquin, a MassArt student and gallery worker.
The Massachusetts Historical Society had an open house.
“The Massachusetts Historical Society building is beautiful. We love antique furniture. They have lectures and talks that we weren’t aware of before,” said Keith and Susan Tornheim.
“I think they should have publicized the free admission more. The museum is such a great resource that should be utilized,” said Xemia Antipova.
The general feel was that the day was not publicized enough.
The Fenway Cultural District was formed in 1998 to recognize an area that is rich in art, music, educational, community, and religious institutions, as well as historic sites. The district’s mission “is to create and sustain a vibrant cultural area in Boston that attracts local residents, citizens throughout the Commonwealth, and national and international tourists and visitors,” according to their pamphlet handed out on Monday.
This section of Boston, bounded by Huntington Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, and the Back Bay Fens, is an acclaimed destination for cultural tourism with a thriving community identity, according to www.femwayculture.org