Category Harvard University

Plant Party Grows Creative Interactions Inspired by Give & Take Mural

Here are quotes, notes, links and photos from a truly fulfilling evening, July 15, 2025: Rooted Together, Plant Party, from 5 to 6:30. The event was planned around Little Free Greenhouse, one of three swap boxes in Give & Take, outside Harvard Ed Portal, 224 Western Ave., Allston.

3D Mural Features Swap Boxes: “Give & Take” Designed by Non Issue Studio

Quotes, notes, links from first visit, with hopes of more to come: “Our newest interactive public art project, presented in partnership with Harvard EdPortal. On view at 224 Western Ave, Allston, MA, from May 2, 2025 to April 2026” (quote from Non Issue Studio: Swap Boxes)

Amal, Twelve Feet Tall, Set Out from Massachusetts in September on a Two-Month Walk West across the Country

Here are moments from the one event I experienced. It forcefully conveyed the effort and impact of Amal’s many visits throughout that first day. Greg Cook’s Wonderland post is a wonderful visual document of those starting events in Boston and Cambridge. The title is Little Amal, Giant Puppet Depicting Refugee Girl, Begins Journey Across U.S. Be sure to link to that! Then for a full overview with important details, past, present, and future of Amal’s walks since 2021, delve into Walk with Amal! (maintained by The Walk Productions and Handspring Puppet Company)

Explore All Sides of Xinan Ran’s Collaborative Textile Sculptures Outside Harvard Museums of Science and Culture

Lucky to live near these three colorful sculptures swaying beneath their trees, I hope to revisit many times and stand inside for their stunning views. Now that I’ve sensed their sustaining presence, I want to quickly spread the word to anyone who has the chance to visit or connect somehow. The quotes and links here should explain enough to draw you in.

Circle around Spheres at Harvard Museums: Origen by Bosco Sodi, plus a nearby Monument

Current Creative Works at Harvard Art Museums Relate to Historic Work at Harvard Museums of Science and Culture
Reflecting on Connecting: A new exhibit of clay spheres sent me back to a long-standing granite sphere by indigenous artists long ago. Here are my photos with quotes from resources that offer background and perspective for viewing the art.

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.

Harvard Business School Features Sculptures by Three Black Artists: Yinka Shonibare, Melvin Edwards, and Thaddeus Mosley 

As May begins, I want to share my photos, notes, and links for these three artists while their sculptures are still on campus (for the 2021-22 academic year).

Cheer for Changes in One Tree through Several Holidays and Seasons

Here is my record of seasonal decorations in the front yard of a historical house near me in Cambridge: William James House at 95 Irving Street. Most of the photos here focus on the tree and fence, though the steps, porch, and roof have also been transformed for several holidays. This post just keeps track of the leaves, blossoms, lawn, and snowfall as they interact with holiday shapes and colors people placed within the landscape.

More Public Art Appears in Harvard Square: “Michelle the Blue Elephant”; Patricia Thaxton’s Mural

View two of a few recent additions to visual art in Harvard Square. I’ll save the rest for future posts. Both artworks involve creative use of fabric. Both are in settings that don’t always enhance viewing or documenting art. But as Patricia Thaxton notes on her printed mural “The Beauty of Everyday Living,” it is about joy and harmony “in spite of it all,…”, including unavoidable traffic, trash, and construction equipment. See photos, quotes, and links:

Temporary Art Leads to Ongoing Information from Harvard Museums of Science and Culture: PLAZA PAINT PROJECT

The person I saw painting attractive images on Science Center Plaza said she was not an artist, but she was creating interactive art to engage people with rich resources from the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture while the physical doors are still closed to visitors. She noted that the paintings on the plaza would be power-washed away in a few weeks. So once again I’ll post quickly to speed the news about temporary art  before it goes.