Here is yet another impressive mural by Sophy Tuttle that I must revisit for more comprehensive photos plus better understanding of the structures, symbols and concepts that connect its full length of 190 feet! Then I’ll want to revisit often for the pleasures of the whole painting along the wall of 30 Dane Street in Somerville.
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
Quotes, Video, Photos and Resources here, with hopes to follow up about this impressive project:
“In our last mural celebration this season, a ribbon-cutting was held at Drake Village in Arlington Heights — site of an installation of large-scale mosaics created in an inspiring collaboration of senior residents and Arlington Public High School Students. ” (quote from ARTS ARLINGTON newsletter Dec 2024)
After posting about Sophy Tuttle’s memorial mural for the eagle named MK, I returned for better photos. Then, suddenly, I saw how close it was to the utility box Eileen de Rosas painted some years earlier. Both artworks feature graceful plants and purposeful birds. Both are great reminders of how artists can convey the vitalities of nature on utilitarian structures not conceived with art in mind.
My first visit to Lena Mac’s new mural led me to look back at an earlier one and then discover many more. This post shares photos of two near me and a link to her website, which shows her range worldwide!
Though I have sometimes posted about temporary art*, .this is my first focus on how it is part of what happens in my neighborhood on Halloween. Every Labor Day, by a recent tradition, neighbors of all ages meet to propose, discuss, consider and then vote to choose a Halloween theme. This allows several weeks for families, individuals and groups to plan and create amazing artworks that connect our homes for one brief energetic evening.
“Last week, artist Sophy Tuttle put the final touches on her awe-inspiring tribute to MK, a much-loved female eagle who died from eating rats poisoned with rodenticide; the poison doesn’t kill immediately, impairing rodents so they become easy prey. Sophy’s glowing image remembers MK as a strong and glorious bird, in the prime of her life, surrounded by wildflowers that contribute to a healthy ecosystem. ” ( quote from NEW MURAL HONORS FALLEN EAGLE, Arts Arlington newsletter, Sept. 2024 )
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.
September 27 was my first visit since the completion of “your spirit whispering in my ear.” These photos, notes, quotes, and links form a sequel to the early-September post about the mural in progress.
Photos, Quotes, Links and Notes for the First Month of the Tenth Mural on the Air-intake Building, Dewey Square, Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston”If you’re walking through Dewey Square next week, you may notice crews near the mural wall. They’re there to paint our new Dewey Square mural, “your spirit whispering in my ear” by Jeffrey Gibson! The painting of the mural is always a wonderful communal experience where people come to watch a new piece of art come to life, so feel free to pull up a chair and watch the process.”
Art Outdoors 