Category visual art

See How a Mural Can Connect People, Past and Present: El Punto Community Mural Designed by David Fichter

Generations” – “Generaciones”i nstalled September 2023, Harbor St/Congress St, Salem:

Visits to “Generations” – “Generaciones” on site or online (or both, many times) will powerfully connect us to people and events in the history of a significant part of Salem. This mural is just one of many that David Fichter has designed for numerous communities to relate dramatic moments and human interactions in their history. Families, school groups, and anyone attentive to what’s happening up on the wall will find lots to enjoy and discuss! This post offers quotes, links, and photos that should lure you to explore “Generations” – “Generaciones !”

“TAPPED IN -Moving Hearts and Minds Through Art and Science” Part 3: Three More of Ten Creative Teams

This third post about “TAPPED IN” completes my plan to focus on artwork by all ten artist-scientist pairs in the exhibit. The pairs represented here are Mags Harries/ Nadia Szeinbaum, Victor Pacheco /Paul Kirshen, and Casey Figueroa /Terrius Harris.
THE UMBRELLA ARTS CENTER, 40 STOW STREET, CONCORD, MA, APRIL 11 – JUNE 8, 2024

“The exhibit aims to touch hearts and minds, fostering change through art that visualizes the impact and implications of the scientists’ work.” ( quote from TAPPED IN , Umbrella Arts Center)

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.”  

Art and Science Enlighten Us in a Not-quite Total Eclipse

Without the dramatic light changes of a total eclipse, this party in Kingsley Park offered creative ways to engage with and understand the significant event above us. I was impressed with the availability of learning resources and supportive volunteers. Here are a few photos of what I glimpsed when I wasn’t peering through eclipse glasses or other devices.

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)

WINTERACTIVE, Boston 2024: “Echoes” and “Guitar Slide,”Two Samples from Sixteen Artworks

WINTERACTIVE: A Canadian Art Experience in Downtown Boston January 17–April 14, 2024 With barely one month left for this innovative temporary display of sixteen outdoor artworks in Boston, here is my overdue post, with focus on a grand-scale whale and a giant guitar.

Lively Large Creatures, Past and Present, Greet Us from a Lawn in Cambridge

If you live near 101 Washington Avenue in Cambridge, you can still visit the colorful Coconut Crab by day or night. Otherwise, enjoy a few views here, with some clues to origins and purpose.
Also here are photos from December 2020 of another great greeter, Silly Frilly Lizard, more evidence that other fascinating creatures have and hopefully will grace the same lawn over time.

Actively Change your Views of Artworks at deCordova Sculpture Park

Seeing art from all sides is always a rewarding feature of deCordova Sculpture Park. These two recently installed artworks* offer revelations from such opportunities.  Here are photos from walk-arounds of both neighboring artworks with notes, quotes, and links that add perspective.  
*Huff and a Puff, Hugh Hayden; ^Temporal Shift, Alyson Shotz

KENDALL SQUARE ART WALK: A Great Way to Find and Focus on Public Art

For countless years I’ve wandered around Kendall Square in Cambridge to locate murals, sculptures, and other outdoor art to post about. Now a new numbered map and list from THE ART WALK PROJECT provides a much-needed self-guiding resource. KENDALL SQUARE ART WALK has already proven its worth for me, with exciting promises ahead! Here are two sample discoveries from January 1, 2024, late afternoon in Kendall Square: a recent mural by Sophy Tuttle and a long-standing sculpture by Chris Williams,

Remember to Look Up at Memorial Hall, Harvard University

Many concerts and other memorable events have marked my good luck of living a few blocks from Memorial Hall* for more than five decades. But this winter was the first time I walked around the whole building looking up and taking photos in wonder at the multitude of marvels. My mission had been to focus on the handsome brick designs, yet metal, stone, tile and glass all called for admiration.
*“Memorial Hall, immediately north of Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a large High Victorian Gothic building honoring Harvard men’s sacrifices in defense of the Union during the American Civil War‍—‌”a symbol of Boston’s commitment to the Unionist cause and the abolitionist movement in America.””