Category Massachusetts history
Murals that Convey History: Local Examples
Walking to my nearby Porter Square and a bit beyond in Cambridge, I visited murals that show elements of history in ways that suit this artform. You can learn and sense a lot about earlier centuries in Porter Square by walking the block that contains three related murals. You can take in the impact and origins of a significant statesman’s life by standing in the presence of the Tip O’Neill mural in North Cambridge.
Uplifting Updates, Thanks to Boston Women’s Heritage Trail and Boston Art Commission
At the end of my self-assigned project of posting about women artists on Public Art Walk, I began to wonder how I could better share the fascinating discoveries that came from it. After listing the artists and my posts on a blog page last month, I wished for some ways to convey what I had learned beyond my own small base of friends, colleagues, and family. Now two organizations are doing what I wished for.
Anne Whitney and Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson Dealt with Men on Pedestals
My first post about women artists represented on Public Art Walk Boston included art by both Anne Whitney and Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson on Commonwealth Avenue Mall. That was in March 2017. Now almost a year later, I will wrap up the promised project with their additional art.
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.
Lilli Ann Rosenberg Engaged People in Making and Enjoying Public Art
Lilli Ann Killen Rosenberg (1924–2011) initiated memorably collaborative community art projects wherever she went throughout her working life. From the Henry Street Settlement in New York City to numerous sites in the Boston area and then others in southern Oregon, she engaged children and adults in creating responsive public art. This post offers images from Boston sites I have visited and quotes or links that motivate me to visit many more.
Nancy Schön Engages Us with Characters and Stories
Making my way through the list of twenty-two women artists represented on Boston Public Art Walk, I’ve grown more aware of how pivotal Nancy Schön has been to my own interest in public art. …Through the years I’ve watched or joined with adults and children of all ages interacting happily with distinctive animal characters from Make Way for Ducklings written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, published 1941.
Watch for History and Humor by Kate Burke and Gregg LeFevre in “Boston Bricks,” Winthrop Lane
Yet again the goal to post about women artists with work on Boston Public Art Walk has led me to suddenly see what’s been in plain sight so long, in this case since 1985. That year Kate K. Burke and Gregg LeFevre inlaid more than one hundred bronze relief tablets throughout the brick walkway of one historic lane in downtown Boston.
Common Exchange Adds Uncommon Experiences to Public Space
Cambridge Common seemed to me a public space of few surprises until a few months ago. Then suddenly it became a place to spark inspiring statements by holding hands, to select story performances from a food truck, to share the seat of a gigantic chair, and to join an eyes-closed tour led by a blind artist. Those were just some of the experiences offered through Common Exchange*, with ongoing installations and scheduled events from May through September 2017.
Pleasures of Playful Perspectives: Art by Mark Reigelman and Meredith James on the Greenway
Enlightened and excited by both artists’ presentations on September 26, I ‘m posting quickly now, just in case you can plan to go before their temporary exhibits vanish October 7 (Reigelman) and October 8 (James). Later on, I hope to share our perspectives in the interactive spirit of these engaging forms of art outdoors.
The Garden of Peace, an Ongoing Force Links Story after Story
This post shares my impressions from the Thirteenth Annual Honor Program at the Garden of Peace: a Memorial to Victims of Homicide. It follows from a July post with background about the Garden and the two women artists, Judy Kensley McKie and Catherine Melina.