Artists Suzanne Moseley and Liz Shepherd designed twelve bright banners that hang above the median strip of Massachusetts Ave in Arlington ( April through May) to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. This quick post offers quotes, notes, prints, photos, and rich resources connecting plants, people, and history.

“People, Plants & Revolution is the theme for a series of colorful banners and an audio tour commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in Arlington, MA. Organized by ArtsArlington, the banners portray the landscape elements and important plants that shaped life in 1775 in Menotomy, as the town was known at the time, a colonial farming village.” (quote from “People, Plants & Revolution” Public Art Banners and Audio Tour, Arts Arlington Calendar)

“Learn more about these plants and how people lived, interwoven with revolutionary history, by listening to the audio tour – available anytime and anywhere at www.PlantStories.us.“( quote from “People, Plants & Revolution” Public Art Banners and Audio Tour, Arts Arlington Calendar, through May 31)

“Cecily Miller, ArtsArlington Curator of Public Art and Molly Edwards, Ph.D., co-produced the audio tour portion of this project. Dr. Edwards is a plant biologist turned science communicator who goes by Science IRL (‘in real life’) online. She is dedicated to telling stories that showcase the humanity and joy of being a scientist and foster a sense of belonging in STEM.“( quote from “People, Plants & Revolution” Public Art Banners and Audio Tour, Arts Arlington Calendar)

Image from audio tour site:

“Plants and their cultivation played an essential role in Arlington’s early way of life as a rustic farming community. This series provides a unique perspective on our shared history, exploring the ways that plants were used for everything from building materials to medicine to political protest – from women spinning flax in public to protest unjust taxes on imported textiles to the Sons of Liberty dumping tea from China into Boston Harbor.“( quote from 13 Forest Gallery, Untold Stories )

Image from audio tour site:

“ArtsArlington Public Art Curator Cecily Miller collaborated with artists Suzanne Moseley and Liz Shepherd to develop banners to celebrate some of the diverse plants that were so important in Menotomy at the time of the American Revolution. Many of the plant images were sourced from the Harvard University Herbaria and the distinctive blue color of the banners pays tribute to the history of cyanotype photography in scientific botanical illustration.” ( quote from Arts Arlington, People, Plants & Revolution )

Original silkscreen art at 13Forest Gallery:

“The original silkscreen art used to make the banners is on view at 13FOREST Gallery (through May 23) and the Old Schwamb Mill (through May 31). ( quote from “People, Plants & Revolution” Public Art Banners and Audio Tour, Arts Arlington Calendar)

Original silkscreen art at 13Forest Gallery:

“Suzanne Moseley is an experimental artist, working in printmaking, cyanotype and sculptural formats. She often collaborates, recently with co-artist Liz Shepherd. Her work is in private collections, is often grant-funded and has been exhibited in the US and abroad.” ( quote from 13 Forest Gallery, Untold Stories )

“Liz Shepherd produces large-scale sculptural installations, which bring to mind ideas about the earthly and the divine. She uses printmaking to enhance objects made of wood or paper.” ( quote from 13 Forest Gallery, Untold Stories )

See versions of the banners up close at Robbins Memorial Town Hall (through September 6) on the second floor.  All of the banners and text versions of the audio tour are available at https://artsarlington.org/plants-and-people/.“( quote from “People, Plants & Revolution” Public Art Banners and Audio Tour, Arts Arlington Calendar)

L) Outdoor banner; R) Image from audio tour site:

Banners on the median strip are the ‘art outdoors’ component of a whole amazing collection of related offerings in “Plants, People, and Revolution,” indoors and online! I hope to post again after I explore all these more fully. Meanwhile, I won’t wait to share the impressive art, fascinating information, and engaging events available now!

KEY RESOURCES:

Suzanne Moseley Art: https://www.suzannemoseleyart.com/collections/214110

Liz Shepherd: https://lizshepherd.com/?page_id=149

People, Plants & Revolution” Public Art Banners and Audio Tour: https://artsarlington.org/plants-and-people/

13FOREST Gallery, UNTOLD STORIES : https://13forest.com/untold-stories