Category portraits
Ladies of Liberty Stand Out in Arlington and Stand for Creative Forces Everywhere
Liberty images, statements, and costumes created by a group of artists for the Boston No Kings Rally in October came together for Fall of Freedom, November 22, with continuing sense of purpose! These photos, quotes, and links should support their promise.
Arts Enhance Action in Boston Labor Day Parade, 2025
Costumes, displays, banners, posters, music and dance relate to the theme: Workers over Billionaires!
Glad to be there and then go through many photos. Here are a few examples of statements people made in different ways.
Photo-Collage Aluminum Prints Tell Many Stories in Misa Chhan’s “Year of the Snake” on the Greenway
I loved walking among the compelling pages of this sturdy, large-scale outdoor book in Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park on the Greenway one evening in late July. Focused on faces, fabric patterns, and family members, I formed connections at my own pace. My next walk there will bring out more to share. Meanwhile quotes from the Greenway link should offer context and entice you to explore Misa Chhan’s artwork.
Onward with Hands-Off Signs, April 2025
Here are photos friends have shared from Hands-Off rallies near them, just hints of much more everywhere. They extend the range of spirited signs within Boston and beyond. Links connect to the earlier post about Hands-Off rallies plus hopeful happenings since then.
Hands–on Signs Energize “Hands Off!” Rally in Boston, April 5
Here are a few samples of the plentiful expressive statements and creative designs that characterized this significant event. Link to the quoted Boston Globe and NPR articles for basic background and dramatic photos as well.
Young Artists Respond Creatively to Noted Grownups of Art History
Artworks by students at Saint Peter School in Cambridge are engagingly displayed in a corner window of CVS Pharmacy in Porter Square, Cambridge. The art and information led me to learn more to share in this post. If you live locally, you can still stop on Somerville Avenue to look. Otherwise, or in addition, enjoy the photos, links, and quotes that extend the creative spirit of students and their art teacher/artist Tonya Grifkin.
See Many Sides of Murals by Adam O’Day, Julia Roth and Cedric Douglas in Kendall Square
In December I happened upon two murals (painted 2019, 2020) on vent shafts for BioMed underground parking in the Canal District, Cambridge. Both extended my fascination with how artists can work creatively to include all sides and various functional features in their mural designs. The photos, links and quotes here should help reveal what artists did to transform vent shafts into colorful, exciting works of art!
Take in Bike Tour of Public Art in Cambridge: Central Square, Cambridgeport, and Riverside
This post notes outstanding outcomes of an exciting event one perfect evening in late July 2022: the beautifully organized free bike tour of Cambridge public art between Central Square and the Charles River. 1. Bike-riders of all ages gathered outside the Central Square Library for an overview of art around the library and along the planned route of the whole tour. Cambridge police and attentive volunteers guided everyone safely through the sunset finale. 2. The tour is now engagingly documented in a 2-minute video. 3. The route has become a self-guiding tour for cyclists, though certainly adaptable to walkers. Facts, links and videos on the tour site are informative and intriguing for interested readers far from Cambridge. 4. The whole experience even elevated my already towering enthusiasm for public art!
ART SCRIM Extends Possibilities for Public Art Outdoors, as shown by Yenny Hernandez, Anna Dugan and Deborah Johnson
Each of these three artists has created several fabric panels that transform stretches of metal construction fencing near the intersection of Harvard Street and Western Avenue in Allston. One, Anna Dugan, incorporated concrete Jersey barriers as well. All three worked out their own distinctive series of panels printed on scrim, a lightweight durable translucent textile that has long been used in theater sets. Daylight, street light, clouds, the sky itself, and any machinery or equipment behind the fence can add variables to our view. Whether driving by or standing near, we respond to these shifting features. I grew more aware of such changes as I photographed the art. In fact, I felt that each artist had recognized and successfully addressed the possibilities of scrim.
Murals offer Many Ways to Celebrate a City: “Chelsea Resilient: Call and Response Through the Ages” and “City of Dreams”
In mid-May I visited two mighty murals barely two blocks apart: “Chelsea Resilient: Call and Response Through the Ages” by David Fichter and “City of Dreams” by Silvia López Chavez. With great enthusiasm, I now share photos, quotes, and links that should convey the rich history and possibilities of both murals.
Art Outdoors 