Category design
Creative Actions Add Valued Shade for Summer Days in Cambridge
Mid-August weather urged me to share what I have seen and learned so far about Shade is Social Justice structures in Cambridge. Here is a quick post with photos, quotes, and links to explore before a promised sequel post with something more.
StoryWalks Playfully Reflect Their Settings
This post is a quick follow-up to STORYWALKS DISPLAY BOOK ARTS IN PARKS WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING CAMBRIDGE with two examples of the eight StoryWalks in Cambridge listed for this summer, 2024. Placement of book pages at children’s eye levels along fences around playgrounds helps relate their outdoor play to themes of selected books.
STORYWALKS Display Book Arts in Parks Worldwide, including Cambridge
In recent summers I’d been captivated by spreads of whole picturebooks along fences in Cambridge parks. I’ve appreciated these broadened views of related illustrations and book design, as well as the opportunity for everybody to follow stories as they move throughout a park.
This post shares examples from my city, plus some background information that made me aware of StoryWalks around the world.
Actively Enjoy Public Art by Ponnapa Prakkamakul*, Part 2: Year of the Dragon, 2024, on the Greenway in Boston
This second part of two related posts shares photos, quotes, and links about the artwork in Chin Park.
“Keeping joy and play at the center of her work, the artist invites viewers to engage with the installation in multiple ways: you can walk up the sculpture as if riding on the dragon, explore neighborhood surroundings through a rainbow-colored kaleidoscope feature, or play with the built-in hand drum.” (quote from Rose Kennedy Greenway, Year of the Dragon, Ponnapa Prakkamakul )
Indoor Exhibit Reveals Stories and Processes Behind the Lifespan of Outdoor Art
The exhibit “Rust Happen(s): Caring for the Public Art Collection” opened at Cambridge Arts Gallery 344 in March, but I didn’t get there till the end of June. It will close on July 19, 2024. I’m posting quickly now to maximize remaining time for you to enjoy this revelatory exhibit.
See How a Mural Can Connect People, Past and Present: El Punto Community Mural Designed by David Fichter
Generations” – “Generaciones”i nstalled September 2023, Harbor St/Congress St, Salem:
Visits to “Generations” – “Generaciones” on site or online (or both, many times) will powerfully connect us to people and events in the history of a significant part of Salem. This mural is just one of many that David Fichter has designed for numerous communities to relate dramatic moments and human interactions in their history. Families, school groups, and anyone attentive to what’s happening up on the wall will find lots to enjoy and discuss! This post offers quotes, links, and photos that should lure you to explore “Generations” – “Generaciones !”
Art and Science Enlighten Us in a Not-quite Total Eclipse
Without the dramatic light changes of a total eclipse, this party in Kingsley Park offered creative ways to engage with and understand the significant event above us. I was impressed with the availability of learning resources and supportive volunteers. Here are a few photos of what I glimpsed when I wasn’t peering through eclipse glasses or other devices.
The Beauty of Utility Boxes as Public Art: Samples and Plans
I have long planned and should soon include an ART OUTDOORS page for Utility Boxes as Public Art with resources about this special art form. The current post is a first step in committing to the plan.
Why are Utility Boxes Great Sites for Public Art? Six answers and several examples follow.
Art by Christos Hamawi ( Boston), Pom Poison ( Somerville, Laurie Bogdan, Karen McCarthy (Arlington), Molly Scannell ( Arlington)
WINTERACTIVE, Boston 2024: “Echoes” and “Guitar Slide,”Two Samples from Sixteen Artworks
WINTERACTIVE: A Canadian Art Experience in Downtown Boston January 17–April 14, 2024 With barely one month left for this innovative temporary display of sixteen outdoor artworks in Boston, here is my overdue post, with focus on a grand-scale whale and a giant guitar.
Remember to Look Up at Memorial Hall, Harvard University
Many concerts and other memorable events have marked my good luck of living a few blocks from Memorial Hall* for more than five decades. But this winter was the first time I walked around the whole building looking up and taking photos in wonder at the multitude of marvels. My mission had been to focus on the handsome brick designs, yet metal, stone, tile and glass all called for admiration.
*“Memorial Hall, immediately north of Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a large High Victorian Gothic building honoring Harvard men’s sacrifices in defense of the Union during the American Civil War—”a symbol of Boston’s commitment to the Unionist cause and the abolitionist movement in America.””
Art Outdoors 