Philip Tomaru emailed the other day to invite me to visit Arts & Sciences Projects, the “alternative art space” he and Martin Masetto started back in October. It’s in 368 Broadway, which some of you may recall from the TOAST art-studio open house (the building is a warren of art studios and businesses).

The New Stand

I didn’t need long to check out the space (#409)—it’s maybe 200 square feet. My big question was, why is Arts & Sciences Projects not a gallery? “We think of it as a curatorial space,” said Tomaru, curator and collector. “We collaborate with curators and artists to exhibit various works. We don’t necessarily have a commercial intent. We’re willing to take a risk and do something different.” Indeed, the next exhibit, “Hypothesis Testing,” will be devoted to works-in-progress, allowing artists to show unfinished work, something they might normally be uncomfortable with.

The artists shown at Arts & Sciences Projects are a mix of established and emerging, and not all are based in the city. Tomaru and Masetto have a special fondness for printed matter, having established an area called New Stand with artist-made chapbooks. Tomaru introduced me to something that I thought was really cool: “mail art,” specifically the work of Le Gros Monsieur, a collective that mails art to people. I love the idea of pushing art into everyday life.

Arts & Sciences Projects is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (and by appointment), and it will host occasional workshops and other events. Today, there will be an open house with coffee and treats. The current group exhibit,”Get bitter, and cling to guns or religion or award shows…”, will be up until Feb. 13. 368 Broadway (bet. White and Franklin), artsandsciencesprojects.com.