Outside the Brookline Arts Center (BAC), a line snakes around a park path and spills onto the sidewalk. Dozens of art enthusiasts, undaunted by the rain, buzz with friendly banter and anticipation as they wait to enter the packed gallery. Inside, the walls and surfaces are covered floor to ceiling with vibrant paintings, intricate jewelry and striking sculptures.

For over a decade, the BAC has nurtured both community and artistic talent through its annual spring fundraiser, Art off the Wall (AOTW). The event brings together artists and community members of all backgrounds to celebrate creativity, promote emerging artists and raise money for the BAC’s educational programming.

This year’s event, held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, emphasized equity and accessibility. Proceeds from AOTW help fund scholarships for BAC students in need of financial assistance and sustain the center’s outreach and exhibition programs.

BAC Office and Studio Administrator Rania Abdallah-Kadafour, an artist herself, curated the event, which featured original works by local, regional and international artists. To expand visibility, select pieces were displayed in April at the Brookline Booksmith, which also hosted a free reception where artists spoke about their work.

The main auction took place at the BAC. General admission tickets were $25 and included drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Guests interested in taking artwork home purchased “collector tickets” priced between $125 and $500, then ranked their preferred pieces within the designated price tier. Participating artists donated 30, 50, or 100 percent of their proceeds to the BAC, a model that has consistently raised over $20,000 for the center while still compensating artists for their work.

Artist Tara Bilotta, whose painting “Gourds” was featured in this year’s auction, said that she appreciated the BAC’s investment in creative development.

“They help support artists, especially young and [up-and-coming] artists,” Bilotta said. “I’m an emerging artist, so they’re helping me out a lot by recognizing me and putting me on a platform, and also uplifting my work by having it in the auction.”

Bilotta explained that, unlike many traditional galas and auctions, AOTW’s more affordable ticket prices not only welcome broader community involvement, but also give artists valuable exposure.

“Networking is a big part of it, too. Meeting other artists and seeing where they come from and what they’re doing is always fun,” Bilotta said.

Jeweler and first-time exhibitor Jasmine Barros said that, as a student completing her studies, she was inspired by the event’s welcoming atmosphere and was proud to share space with more established artists.

“Your neighbors and your friends are the ones supporting you, so it’s intimate and it feels good—because if you’re in a large gallery in a city and you don’t really know anyone who’s coming to look at your stuff, it’s kind of a bummer,” Barros said. “But here it’s amongst friends and other community members.”

According to Barros, organizations like the BAC can introduce young people to careers in the creative arts they might not otherwise encounter.

“I really wanted to be in the show, because I know that they offer classes for people, and I think that an education center is vital. Especially if public schools aren’t offering arts programs, it’s really up to places like this to keep the ball [rolling],” Barros said. “There’s not enough funding for the arts in Boston, so places like this are really incredible.”

As curator, Abdallah-Kadafour said that she worked to ensure that this year’s event was both high-quality and inclusive.

“We didn’t really have a barrier to enter the show as long as you made work that was meaningful and I thought could do well in an exhibition like this,” Abdallah-Kadafour said. “It didn’t really matter what your qualifications were as much, so I think that was removing barriers for some emerging artists.”

Abdallah-Kadafour said that AOTW reflects the BAC’s overall mission: promoting access at every level of artistic engagement and development, from children taking their first class to working professionals sharing their craft.

“All the artwork that was sold supports the artists, the BAC and other people’s opportunities to be able to take a class here, sometimes completely for free,” Abdallah-Kadafour said. “By supporting living, working artists, you get to support the up-and-coming artists—people who don’t know that they’re artists yet.”