Tag Archives: Boston
Two Murals and Their Makers: “See Her” by Ann Lewis and “Patterned Behavior” by Silvia López Chavez
As new murals emerged in Boston this summer, I tried to track two through different stages of development. Both reminded me that mural artists must envision on a grand scale while also dealing with daily details and constant complexities. Many minds, hands, and hearts helped both murals come into being. One source common to both was the force of the non-profit organization Now and There headed by Kate Gilbert featuring the Year of the Woman in public art. I have referenced and quoted from their wonderful website at several points in this post.
Sculptors of Statehouse Statues: Emma Stebbins, Sylvia Shaw Judson, and Isabel McIlvain
Of the seven Massachusetts State House statues listed on the Public Art Walk, three are by women, each from a different generation. This prompts me to present them in time order, with basic facts, key links, and selected quotes.
Garden of Peace, a Place for Grief and Hope
Planned by landscape architect Catherine Melina and sculptor Judy Kensley McKie, this memorial to victims of homicide provides a pathway and suggests a journey.
Being in the Hands of Ursula von Rydingsvard
In connection with the exhibition Expanding Abstraction at the deCordova Museum (April 7—September 17, 2017) the museum’s Process Gallery highlights the art of Ursula von Rydingsvard and other women artists with work in deCordova Sculpture Park. I’m posting now to extend the connection to a recent monumental sculpture by Ursula von Rydingsvard at MIT.
Beverly Pepper, A Presence of Her Own
Lately I’ve been motivated by my goal to post about every woman artist with work on the Boston Public Art Walk before Women’s History Month next year. Sudden Presence is Beverly Pepper’s Cor-ten steel sculpture on that walk. Suddenly I saw how much I had been missing.
Art Beneath Our Feet: Asaroton by Mags Harries
I chose to focus on Mags Harries now because her work is currently featured at the Boston Sculptors Gallery and also within an exhibit at the deCordova Museum through this summer. I’ll hope to have other opportunities to express my enthusiasm for what this inspiring artist has done and is still doing.
Four Fascinating Fountains in the Boston Public Garden
Four of the six fountain sculptures in the Boston Public Garden were created by women.The sculptures in these four fountains are smaller scale than the two by men. All four are bronze on granite bases in the center of bricked basins. The women artists depicted children or animals rather than grand heroic or symbolic beings.
A Welcome Wall: Mural by Mehdi Ghadyanloo on Greenway Now
After creating more than one hundred distinctive murals in Tehran, Iranian artist Mehdi Ghadyanloo brought his wonderfully developed way with walls to Boston. Watching and listening to people in this city guided him to design Spaces of Hope for the Greenway Wall, which is the side of the air intake building facing Dewey Square Park. […]
Matthew Hoffman on the Greenway and Rachel Perry Welty at the Gardner
Artists Choose Words for Us to Ponder:
On a mild sunny February Sunday, I set out to see Rachel Perry Welty’s statement at the Gardner Museum and Matthew Hoffman’s phrases along the Greenway Fence. These two temporary installations have been up since early January 2016 and will be down again in several months.
Sean Collier Memorial at MIT: Measured, Meaningful, Memorable
I’ve visited the Sean Collier Memorial at MIT a few times since it ‘opened’ in April 2015. Why do I keep wanting to return? Of course, I want to know it well enough to write a worthy post about such a significant work of art outdoors. But even without this purpose, I’m drawn toward […]