Category celebrations

Bottle Trees on Brattle Street Bring Histories to Light: “Forgotten Souls of Tory Row”

Several times this summer I have viewed and visited the bottle trees on the History Cambridge lawn. I hope to keep revisiting till they’re gone, April 2023. For now, I’ll share photos, quotes, and links that help me appreciate, understand, and reflect on an enlightening project, “Forgotten Souls of Tory Row: Remembering the Enslaved People of Brattle Street.”

Artists Kayla Myers and TECHNI Energize Art-Making for Zone 3 Community Sketchbook

Early in the afternoon of art activities for Zone 3 Community Sketchbook on July 16 in Allston, I photographed people of all ages engaged in adding to the very long stretch of inviting open wall. Two days later I came by again. Awed by the art that had been accomplished in one weekend, I couldn’t wait to share the impressive results. Here are selected photos, links, quotes, and notes to convey how this new phase of creativity in Zone 3 came to be.

New Murals on Blue Hill Avenue by Ekua Holmes and London Parker-McWhorter Make Many Meaningful Connections

My visit to “Honoring the past, seeding the future,” the newest Grove Hall murals, extended my own range of travel after too long a time. Simply walking a few blocks around their location (on and near 345 Blue Hill Avenue) offered such an abundance of promising connections that I must now choose a few of many for focus in this post. Here are the chosen three.

Gail Boyajian’s Mosaic on the Ground Looks Up to Birds, Myths, Flight, and Sky

While museums and art centers must be closed, I’ve opened my eyes to art outside their doors. Today I’ll focus on “Bird Mosaic” by Gail Boyajian in the memorial garden to the right of the gate to Maud Morgan Arts in my neighborhood. Planned sequel posts should show and tell more about the art center and the garden (Mary’s Garden).

Follow up on Elliott Kayser’s Pigs from their Year on the Greenway

The photos in this post come from January 1, 2020, the last time I visited Elliott Kayser’s eight ceramic pigs along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. They had kept their stations well for almost a year. Now that the Year of the Pig is almost over they are gone!

From a very informative Greenway blog post, I have learned that five of the pigs have moved on to the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton. Chiefly the blog post clearly tells a story with great photos of ten steps involved in creating the pigs. If you wondered about the origins or future of these sculptures, about 250 pounds each, read that blog post.

Murals by Silvia López Chavez: Uplifting Connections

Starting with one of the newest of many murals by Silvia López Chavez, I want to share some images, notes, and rich resources that convey my enthusiasm for her art and process. For the three murals in this post, as well as plenty more, the artist’s website includes excellent photos that document stages of her work and inspiring stories related to the art.

Tufts’ Monumental Mascot: Jumbo by Steven Whyte

The first time I saw Steven Whyte’s Jumbo statue on the Tufts University campus I had big plans to post about it. That was in April 2015 when it was first installed and celebrated.  Now four years including several visits later, I know that the massive range of Jumbo’s stories kept me from a decisive post. Today I’ll try to step back and share a bit of the big picture.

Elliott Kayser’s Art Adds Many Ways to Celebrate Year of the Pig along the Greenway

Eight lifelike, life-size terra cotta pigs, each representing a different native pig breed in China, have settled along the Greenway. Guided by a map, I found each one, informatively labeled, between the North End and Chinatown. I hope to keep visiting them as seasons change their surroundings and their interactions with people.   “The year […]

Temporary Art by Teresita Fernández Activates Harvard Yard until October 1: Autumn (…Nothing Personal)

Day by day, this space generates staged and spontaneous creative activity. I’m posting now with basic information (see Key Resources below) so that anyone who lives near enough, as I do, can truly be there while it’s still up in September. Photos from events I’ve been to might hint at how they were.

Clara Wainwright, Sydney Roberts Rockefeller, and other Artists Created Creature Pond

To keep up with the timing of my goal to post about women artists represented on Public Art Walk Boston, I’ll focus on the known facts now. This could lead to future posts with more fluent followup.