Category animals in art
Artists Resa Blatman and Christopher Frost Keep Up our Connections with Birds on the Bike Path
To follow up on earlier posts, here are views from recent rides ( June 2021) on the bike path through Arlington and Somerville, plus links to rich resources about both artists and community arts organizations.
Look Up at Significant Symbols in Concord for the Umbrella ARTFEST
The two photos above are from installations I had hoped to include in my quick post about ARTFEST a week earlier. Both installations interact with varying light, air currents above, and beings below. In this promised swift sequel I try to offer photos, quotes, and links that will lead you closer to those experiences online or in person.
View a Few of Many, Many Murals by Marka27, “Prolific Artisan”
In recent years I have seen, admired, and taken photos of several murals signed by Marka27, but finally I feel prepared to post with a focus on Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez. In this post I can offer photos of a few of his Boston-area murals, along with quotes and links that should lead you to lots more by this “Prolific Artisan.”
Metal Preserves and Transforms Features of Trees in Art by Ed Shay and Letha Wilson
Ed Shay’s ten-foot-tall bronze “Acadian Gyro” entered deCordova Sculpture park about three decades ago. Letha Wilson’s nearly as tall cor-ten steel sculpture “Hawaii California Steel(Figure/Ground)” came in about two years ago. Until now I hadn’t considered their common key elements: 1) attention to the forms of leaves and branches, 2) expressive rendering of those forms in durable metals ( bronze and steel) 3)relation to the seasonally changing foliage of nearby trees. My awareness grew from posting about four more obviously tree-related artworks in the park and noting further connections. Though I have been a volunteer guide in the park for almost two decades, this focus led me deeper into resources with heightened reasons to share them.
Wonders of Children’s Books Wait within the Solomon Gate, Designed by Höweler + Yoon Architecture
If you enter Harvard Yard from Quincy Street near its intersection with Massachusetts Avenue, watch for the rushing rabbit, grinning cat, top hat, and other small images in the tall black ironwork of the gate completed in December 2020. These might entice you to stop and look for more connections to “Alice in Wonderland” or to a world of children’s books.
Winter Weather Combines with Outdoor Art: Monique Aimee’s Brine Tanks Mural, James Tyler’s Ten Figures
Photos from recent winter visits add perspective and updates to earlier posts in other seasons.
Murals by Sophy Tuttle, Solei, and Ann Lewis Highlight Pumphouses on the Charles River Esplanade
More than a year ago, three artists adorned all sides and surfaces of three different pumphouses on the Esplanade. I had meant to connect and celebrate these accomplishments at that time. Now at the start of a new year, I can do that with additional appreciation of their presence. Though pumphouses along the Charles River have always been essential in regulating water drainage, their cement block structures were neglected and defaced until funds from the Esplanade Association allowed artists to transform their appearances in 2019.
Arlington’s Artist-in-Residence Michelle Lougee Highlights the Existence of Persistence on the Bikeway
Many hands and minds created each of nearly forty unique forms installed among the trees two months ago to survive four seasons of New England weather. Their shapes and textures have become more distinct since October’s shade from autumn leaves has gone. Like others who use the bikeway, I’ll watch for ways the art will change with wind, snow, sleet and sunlight. And I’ll keep thinking of the meanings of “persistence.” Meanwhile, here are quotes, links, and images that should reveal the resourcefulness, resilience, and reasoning that have carefully kept this prescient project going.
Panels from Significant Summer 2020 Extend Mystic River Mural and Affirm Hopes
In my July post about the Mystic River Mural Project, I was hopeful but not sure that the Summer 2020 project would work through all the complications of the pandemic. Now I can gladly share glimpses of the inspiring outcome with photos of the 2020 panels added this fall on Mystic Avenue. For context, read quotes with links to informative sources. Also note a new video that adds an enriching overview of the whole project.
Chris Frost Builds Two New Birdhouses for the Bikeway in Arlington before Taking Colony Down
After more than two years of winning devoted fans and welcoming many special guests, “Colony” created by Christopher and Basil Frost is due to depart before October ends. When I visited for an emotional last look, I was glad to find that two new birdhouses nearby were ready for first looks, both full of their own appeal and promise.
Art Outdoors 