Category Nature study
Sophy Tuttle’s Murals Bring Buildings Brilliantly to Life: INTERCONNECTED and PROTECTING NATIVE PLANTS & POLLINATORS
Here are photos, quotes and links for two different but related murals: INTERCONNECTED on Western Avenue in Allston and PROTECTING NATIVE PLANTS & POLLINATORS on Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington.
Bronze Sculptures by Cyrus Dallin in Arlington Combine History and Humanity
New important plantings around Cyrus Dallin’s long-standing sculpture (since 1912) on the lawn of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston this summer made me realize how much I did not know about the sculptor. That led me to Arlington, where some of his significant works have braved all weather for over a century, and where the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum has developed valuable online resources about his works. A winter lull finally let me review my summer notes and photos for Dallin’s art in Arlington, where he lived in the first half of the twentieth century. Now I need to share some fascinating aspects of his art.
Artists Reshape Forest Spaces during 2021 ART RAMBLE “Something in the Air”
Curated by Laurie Bogdan and Kimberley Harding; Hapgood Wright Town Forest in Concord, MA, September 1 – November 14…The Umbrella site 2021 Art Ramble: “Something in the Air” lists the sixteen artists’ bios, websites, and statements about their artwork, as well as audio versions to access as you move along.I visited in September and October, followed by posts, each focusing on four installations. This third post connects four more through their relation to the forest’s trees, shadows, and light while always aware of the air.
Visit 2021 ART RAMBLE: “SOMETHING IN THE AIR” for Vital Stories and Vibrant Views
In September, after my first visit, I posted an overview with focus on four artworks and a plan to return for additional explorations. Now, selecting from photos in my second visit, early October, I focus in this sequel post on artworks about animals with wings.
Take Time to Take in Juan Travieso’s Mural, Engulf, on the Greenway in Boston
Engulf mural , Lincoln Street Triangle, about three blocks southwest of South Station, created by Juan Travieso in 2019 is up through October 2021. Sometimes obscured by cars and trucks in its adjacent parking lot, the long low wall space is notably less visible from a distance than the tall Greenway mural wall in Dewey Square. Additionally, the mural’s lifespan has coincided with pandemic limitations on travel and social activity. I’ve visited twice and hope to go again before it’s gone, while wishing I could do more to convey the visual drama and mystery generated by Juan Travieso ‘s Engulf.
All I can offer so far is to post segments of the mural with captions quoted from the Artist Statement to focus on the issues that are motivating Juan Travieso’s creative work. This should help me recall what I saw at the wall and discover design elements I didn’t absorb at the time. Maybe it will connect with someone who missed the chance to be there, or might still have that chance.
Circles Unify Art by Laura Baring-Gould and Mags Harries/Lajos Héder in Drinking Fountains Revived Around Fresh Pond Reservoir
For many months of the pandemic, these drinking fountains were shut down (sometimes covered over) sadly signaling limits on ordinary routines and extraordinary art experiences. When the fountains around Fresh Pond became available again, I wanted to honor their functional and creative qualities. I began to see circles as useful frames for water and also design elements in art, as the artists must have from the start.
Restored and New Art Combine in Renovated Clarendon Avenue Playground: Bronze Birds by Juliet Kepes with Leaf-Pattern Fence by Bart Uchida
In 1980, artist Juliet Kepes designed five bronze birds for the brick walls of Clarendon Avenue Park in Cambridge. A longtime admirer of her children’s book illustration, I wasn’t aware of her range of creative work until a few years ago when I read the Cambridge Arts/ Public Art listing below. By the time I managed to visit the park in 2019, it was closed off for extended renovations after almost forty years of use. ….
Recently I learned that the renovated park had opened, so I headed there one early evening in July. The bronze birds were back, set against a stone wall that replaced their brick background. Floral plantings enhanced their new setting, with the promising addition of a flowing plant-patterned fence that certainly added to my appreciation of the whole park.
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.
Connect to Concord with “Change is in the Air: Art Walk” through May
Following the map for Umbrella Artfest Earth Day Art Walk has greatly added to my own awareness of Concord as well as the artists who created installations for the six stops listed. Because Art Walk has been up for a week with just a few more ahead, I’ll post quickly now. I want to spread the word so people who live close enough can go before it’s gone. Then I’ll hope to post a more comprehensive sequel later in May, including one key installation* I didn’t get to visit yet.
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.
Art Outdoors 