Category plants
Sidewalk Murals Focus on Storm Drains in Arlington
Bright new murals on Arlington sidewalks mark stark metal grids meant to draw rainwater back down toward local lakes and rivers. If the grids and drains below are blocked and cluttered, that necessary flow is slowed, or worse!
So art leads our eyes down to places where we can help address that problem when we Adopt a Drain! Here are quotes and links that help explain.
Enjoy and Recognize the Art of Painting a Utility Box, Thanks to Anne Katzeff!
My recent photos (August 2024) of Anne Katzeff’s beautifully painted utility (aka transformer) box in Belmont combine with quotes from her chronicle of creating it during several weeks in the summer of 2021. The story Transforming Belmont: Art on the Corner on her ASK Design Blog is a very valuable resource for everyone interested in […]
Connect with “Tapped-In” Outdoors, Indoors, and Online
This second post about “TAPPED IN” opens with an update about important connections between the outdoor installation and the indoor gallery space. The indoor gallery presented images, materials and explanatory text for each outdoor artwork and the whole exhibit theme. In early May, all indoor elements for “TAPPED IN” gave way to a different exhibit in the gallery space. All outdoor art remains up through June 8. Key resources* for “TAPPED IN” continue on the Umbrella Arts website. However, one of the ten artist-scientist pairs’ work was only represented in the indoor space. That was the compelling wall display by Ilana Manolson with Janine Benyus.
Take Time to Take in “Tapped In -Moving Hearts and Minds Through Art and Science”
The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA, April 11 – June 8, 2024 “TAPPED IN” is an innovative art installation at the intersection of art and science that combines outdoor public art with an indoor educational gallery display. Inspired by the concept of ‘edges’ in ecosystems, “TAPPED IN” celebrates the dynamic intersections where diverse influences meet, bringing together ten artist-scientist pairs* to offer fresh perspectives on climate change, CO2 mitigation and action.”
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)
Follow Changes and Connections through Art Ramble 2023 “Geo-Metric” in Concord
‘Art Ramble is an annual, temporary exhibition in the Hapgood Wright Town Forest in Concord, MA, a collaboration of The Umbrella Art Center and Concord’s Division of Natural Resources (CDNR).’ (quote from The UMBRELLA, Art Ramble 2023) September 1 – November 19, Curated by Stephanie Marlin-Curiel
Part 1: Rob Greene, Liz Helfer, Ellen Schön, Laurie Bogdan, Fran Sharp, Susan Arthur
Tent by Liz Shepherd and Suzanne Moseley is an Impressive, Inspiring Work of Art
As artists in residence 2023 at Mass Audubon’s Magazine Beach Nature Center in Cambridge, Liz Shepherd and Suszanne Moseley created a unique, multipurpose tent, rich in images of local plants and animals. Their focus through the traditional photographic process called cyanotype ( or blueprinting) reveals an amazing array of hues from deep blue to bright white. Explore all four sides for fascinating features of nearby nature. Discover even more when you enter and experience how sunlight shines through various fabrics. And be sure to look up and appreciate what wings can do!
Look Back at Daniel Gordon’s Dewey Square Mural on the Greenway 2021
Though I visited and photographed Daniel Gordon’s art on the Greenway in 2021, I didn’t get to post about it. I kept meaning to go back for better photos and then the art was gone. But there are better photos and valuable perspectives in the Key Resources from Wonderland, WBUR, and Daniel Gordon’s own website, all quoted and listed here. Also now I want to document the transformations created by all nine Dewey Square murals in the past ten years.
Large Marble Leaves by Claudia Comte Shine beneath Tall Oak Trees in Central Wharf Park
Enticed by a notice from NOW+THERE about the current installation of Claudia Comte’s Five Marble Leaves in Central Wharf Park, I visited on a sunny October morning. During a delightful half-hour documenting with my iPhone, I began to plan a first post that would convey the captivating combination of artwork and setting. I hope these photos, quotes, notes, and links meet that goal now or soon after further adventures in the park.
Anna Thurber’s Ice Sculptures Enliven the Esplanade: “Frozen in Life,” March 18-20
From 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., explore a row of 15 different ice sculptures on display in Fiedler Field, each of the three days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Quotes and links give background and perspective.
Art Outdoors 