“The Tammany Tiger Loose – What Are You Going To Do About It?” one of the most powerful political cartoons of all time, appeared in “Harper’s Weekly” on the eve of the elections of 1871. As a corpulent Tweed and a throng look on, Tammany Hall’s tiger has rampaged through the civic arena and now, teeth bared, claws the downed figure of Columbia, representing New York’s innocent citizenry.

Boom Box:

BOSTON, MASS. – Boston is a city consumed by sound. It holds a reputation as a musical town, from its tight-knit rock scene to the renowned music education programs found at Berklee School of Music and top area universities.

With this in mind, The Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts will offer an exhibition of works in sound-based media by forward-thinking Boston area artists. “Boom Box: ,” brain child of visiting curator Roland Smart, picks up Boston’s rich history as a home for both musical and artistic invention and runs with it.

“Boom Box” creates a bridge between fine art enthusiasts and sound enthusiasts. Not strictly a sound exhibit nor solely visual art, the exhibition features work from Boston-area artists whose multi-media projects explore how sound production techniques have influenced visual art and vice versa. “Boom Box” picks up traditions within the sound genre — such as synesthesia (the mixing of different sense perceptions), pirate radio broadcasts and audio-tours — and brings them into a gallery setting.

Technology plays an important role in the exhibition as with David Webber’s “AO 2000.” Webber’s interactive sound machine — made up of various mundane objects and old computers — takes audience location information and uses the data to make music. In addition, cutting-edge technology, the “Audio Spotlight” developed at MIT by Dr Joseph Pompei will be used in a piece by Ross Goldstein and Seth Barger.

Upon entering the gallery, attendees are greeted by a piece from artist Ellen Wetmore that functions as an overture for the whole exhibition: triggers on the stairs produce sounds sampled from other artists’ works in the show.

The exhibit runs January 17-March 9, with an opening reception January 17, 6 to 8 pm. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. A discussion with the artists and curator will be Thursday, January 23, 6 to 8 pm. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 5 pm, Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 pm, Sunday, noon to 5 pm. In conjunction with the exhibition, two special events integrating live work from performance artists, sound artists and musicians, No-Fi1 and No-Fi2, will be Friday, February 7 and March 7, respectively, 8 to 10 pm, donation at the door.

Founded in 1968, the Boston Center for the Arts is an umbrella organization housing and fostering more than 400 painters, dancers, sculptors, actors, playwrights and composers representing all ages, styles and levels of experience. For information, 617-787-2637.