Category Weather and seasons

Heads Up to View “Heat Blooms” Designed by Art for Public Good

View photos,* quotes, and links for “Heat BLOOMS,” a temporary art installation, August-September: *from two almost hot afternoons
“When temperatures top 85 degrees, the flowers of “Heat BLOOMS”—a new art installation in Cambridge’s Harvard Square—bloom, like a visual thermometer warning of extreme heat.

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.

Two Thrones Endure through Many Seasons of Turnaround/Surround by Mierle Ukeles, Danehy Park   

For more than twenty years two benches ( thrones) created from recycled aluminum have been a hilltop landmark of Danehy Park in Cambridge. They are part of Mierle Ukeles’ broader installation called Turnaround/Surround (1993–2004), which includes fragrant plantings, a welcoming ‘glassphalt’ path and dance floor designed with recycled colored glass.
The focus here is on selected views of the thrones during different weather and park activities. I hope they convey my admiring fascination with the textures, design, interplay and durability of these functional unique artworks.

“Hatchlings” Offer Even More Ways to Enjoy the Greenway This Winter

Walking a snow-covered stretch of the Greenway for an hour in late December, I got to visit seven of nine Hatchlings* with increased appreciation at each site! Certainly now I want to see and revisit them all many times before they leave in late February. This quick post with notes and quotes aims to urge anyone who can do a winter walk in Boston to enjoy them too. For everyone else, the resources here offer intriguing information about their origin, presence, and potential as public art. *including two initially on the Esplanade

Delight in “This is Art” from Studios Without Walls in Riverway Park, Brookline

Delighted to finally visit this annual outdoor exhibit, I hope that it will return each spring for another 25 years at least! Next year I vow to visit as soon as it starts and to revisit several times before it ends. Here are some quickly selected photos along with quotes and links about the art, artists, ideas, interactions, and attractions in “This is ART.”

Creative Actions Add Valued Shade for Summer Days in Cambridge

Mid-August weather urged me to share what I have seen and learned so far about Shade is Social Justice structures in Cambridge. Here is a quick post with photos, quotes, and links to explore before a promised sequel post with something more.

StoryWalks Playfully Reflect Their Settings

This post is a quick follow-up to STORYWALKS DISPLAY BOOK ARTS IN PARKS WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING CAMBRIDGE with two examples of the eight StoryWalks in Cambridge listed for this summer, 2024. Placement of book pages at children’s eye levels along fences around playgrounds helps relate their outdoor play to themes of selected books.

STORYWALKS Display Book Arts in Parks Worldwide, including Cambridge

In recent summers I’d been captivated by spreads of whole picturebooks along fences in Cambridge parks. I’ve appreciated these broadened views of related illustrations and book design, as well as the opportunity for everybody to follow stories as they move throughout a park.
This post shares examples from my city, plus some background information that made me aware of StoryWalks around the world.

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

See Six Sculptures by Melvin Edwards in Different Seasons at deCordova before they Leave this Spring!!

The deCordova Sculpture Park is a great place to take in several selected works by one artist, especially Melvin Edwards! You can get close to all sides of each artwork and recognize connections to related sculptures within your view. Circle them on snowshoes or other ways this winter; stroll among them in the spring. Feeling lucky to live so near, I’ll pass along related links, quotes, and photos now.