Prentiss House
Amidst the landmark restoration and official reopening of Prentiss House in Cambridge, MA, art_works collaborated with Live Thatch Boston to design a hyper-local art program for the historic inn with an enduring presence.
Soyoung L. Kim, Standing On Foreign Land, 2019; Thoughts Gathered from a Desert Hike, No. 2, 2019. Print on archival paper. 15 x 20 inches each. © Soyoung L. Kim. Photography by art_works.
Industry: Hospitality
Company Partners: Live Thatch Boston
Services: Artwork Sourcing, Visitor Engagement, Installation
Goal + Impact: In conversation with Prentiss House, art_works selected pieces by four New England artists to infuse the neighborhood landmark with a hyper-local spirit. Our project focused on complementing fresh yet historically-informed interiors while highlighting the vibrancy of the local creative community. We accompanied each work with a label featuring object details, curatorial text, and a QR code, giving guests the opportunity to connect with the artists beyond their stay.
Contemporary prints by Soyoung L. Kim and Cicely Carew populate guest rooms with imagery inspired by travel and its transformative potential. Lizzy Dargie's contemplative abstractions appear in the lobby’s sitting area, while Jodi Colella's embroidered postcard series—installed just behind the check-in desk—captures the intimacy and distance of travel correspondence, a deliberate pairing for a space that lodges travelers.
We also had the opportunity to showcase a collection of historic prints and artworks that bond the inn to its material history. These precious artifacts line a gallery wall in the second-floor hallway, immersing guests in a literal passage of time.
Featured Artists: Soyoung L. Kim, Cicely Carew, Lizzy Dargie, Jodi Colella
Cicely Carew, Fête, 2018. Print on archival paper. 20 x 15 inches. © Cicely Carew. Photography by art_works.
Lizzy Dargie, Navy/Blue from Bunch #6, 2016. Print on archival paper. 8.5 x 18 inches. © Lizzy Dargie. Photography by art_works.
Jodi Colella, Don’t Pick on Sam Too Much, 2018; Back Where We Started, 2018. You Caught My Eye, 2018. Embroidery, found postcards, assorted threads. 7 x 9 inches each. © Jodi Colella. Photography by art_works.
