Sharing our Inspiration
In the N+T Journal, we search out artists and projects whose vision highlights, enlivens, and challenges the way we think about ourselves and our city. Who are we as Bostonians? What do we value? And how is all that represented in our public art? Find all of this, news on our latest projects, and insights from guest bloggers. We’re always looking for guest writers, email Jackie McLaughlin at jmclaughlin@nowandthere.org.
$108,000 in funding granted! From LEDs to healing vibrations… to augmented reality, myth-making and the joy of possibility with “creepy crawlers,” artists of the sixth Cohort of N+T’s unique Public Art Accelerator program are using new media to make their mark in Boston this coming summer.
Black History Month is a time for deep reflection, active listening, and critical thinking. And despite the frozen temps in New England, it’s a great time to get outside during our national celebration of Black voices, visions, and contributions.
With your generous support, we’re making moves to expand our reach within Boston. We are thrilled to announce that we’re actively seeking two bold, open, and sharp individuals to join our team!
Go behind the scenes with Cohort 5 Public Art Accelerator artists and learn about their individual projects!
In 2023, Lot Lab’s inaugural year brought us a Year of Mending – In 2024, we are now reflecting on what healing means for Boston’s people and historical landscape. Lot Lab 2024 is presenting local and internationally recognized artists, responding to the theme of Presence. Visionary artists will resurrect difficult histories to transform them with love, imagination, and speculation.
We caught up with the talented folks at Navillus Woodworks and Mill Creek Metal Works, Inc. to find out what it took to get “Graft” ready for prime time with the BRM Production installation team.
As we celebrate the abundance of the season and reflect on the origins of Thanksgiving, we thank the countless individuals and partners whose imagination, care, and collaborative spirit are helping realize a more equitable public art city with bold public art.
Now + There Accelerator Artists – past and present - are having a moment. A big moment that we at Now + There are relishing as we remember them early in their careers, navigating the city as aspiring public artists with bold artistic vision and promise. We’re proud to see them flourishing.
Get ready to revive your 'To Be Read' list, pump up your Spotify queue, and add some excitement to your daily commute with these bold, open, and sharp recommendations.
N+T Assistant Curator Jasper A. Sanchez reflects on the inaugural year of Lot Lab– a pilot program turning an underserved parking lot in Charlestown into a site for art, play, and community– via the importance of partnership.
Jackie's journey to the world of public art is as unique as it is fascinating. She's not your typical communications pro, and her career has been nothing short of an adventure. From navigating the intricate web of municipal government communications in the City of Revere to steering the ship of local political campaigns, and even taking charge of social media for a vibrant global book club, Jackie has been a great addition to the N+T Team!
Inspired by the success and celebration of Cohort Five’s completed projects, we are honored and excited to announce the artists who have been selected next for Cohort Six of the Public Art Accelerator: Jeremy ‘Sobek’ Harrison, Nelly Kate, Michael Berthaud, and Sarah Brophy.
At Now + There, our mission is to foster artists and the public to co-create bold public art experiences that open minds, conversations, and spaces across Boston. This summer three BOS artists are making their mark on the city we all know and love with their reflective and creative projects popping up all over Boston.
N+T Curatorial Programs & Community Engagement Intern Poppy Livingstone shares the story behind Kyle Browne’s community-based flag-making project, Signaling, at Lot Lab.
Sometimes a fresh perspective is just what an organization needs. We were delighted to meet Lee Ann Gilligan, Chief Financial Officer at Tripleseat Software LLC and consultant with 30 years of finance experience, as she moved to Boston after raising a family in the suburbs.
Natalie Lemle is no stranger to Now + There! As a previous Advisory Board member, she’s advised on everything from corporate sponsorships to the latest socially engaged artists.
For longtime Now + There followers, Silvia Lopez Chavez will be a familiar face. We were honored to guide her and the Esplanade Association through their first mural on the Esplanade, Patterned Behavior, in 2018 and watch her dance the whole way through it! Help us welcome this renowned artist, public art award winner and previous Advisory Board Member to the N+T Board of Directors.
N+T Assistant Curator Jasper A. Sanchez shares the story, labor, and care behind Sam Fields’ recently installed nautical rope sculpture, Stay, at Lot Lab.
In July, we welcomed Sophia Moon, Charlestown teaching artist and owner of Essem Art Studio, to host a family morning workshop inspired by Massiel Grullon’s Knotical Waves. Each little artist created their own maritime artwork with their own take on what a sailboat should look like.
In very different ways N+T Public Art Accelerator artists Tanya Nixon-Silberg and Ponnapa Prakkamakul beacon our participation to witness and pay homage to the faces of Boston. We’re thrilled to welcome their projects to Roxbury and the Leather District.
Summer is heating up in Charlestown! Enjoy the ferry ride from Long Wharf Park to Charlestown and you’ll be steps away from Lot Lab.
We officially opened Lot Lab in June, unveiling two major installations by international artist, Ghada Amer, and Boston-based artist Massiel Grullon, while youth from Turn It Around helped raise flags they’d made with local artist Kyle Browne.
As part of our commitment to fostering a more vibrant city through bold public art, we strive to build culturally responsive relationships through our partnerships and participatory programs. This year at Lot Lab is no different; we are connecting with the community of Charlestown and beyond through dynamic programming of performance, spoken word, theater, workshops, and much more.
Fresh off the incredible feat of bringing Simone Leigh’s spectacular artworks from Boston to Venice and then to Boston, Kate Herlihy brings to Now + There balanced respect for artists’ vision with planning rigor. blu prinston, N+T Communications Assistant, chatted with Kate about how early access to arts education, mentorship, and teamwork make her ready to “pay it forward” as N+T’s Managing Director.
As a veteran of two Chicago Architectural Biennales, Marguerite Wynter brings FOMO-inducing stories of events we all missed out on—did we hear joy riding through the South Side?—and a deep commitment to engaging community in the co-creation of public art. Learn more about Marguerite and drop her a line to welcome her to a new event, space, or idea!
Now that we’re getting ready to launch Lot Lab in the Charlestown Navy Yard on June 7, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my Now + There journey, which began with me becoming a Public Art Ambassador two summers ago. If you’re considering becoming a Public Art Ambassador for Lot Lab, I hope my reflections about my time as a PAA can help to guide you!
Talking to artists and community members--listening and learning from them--brings life to all our projects. This year of Mending looks at stories of innovation, global connection, individual perseverance, and tenacity, weaving together the impossible and offering opportunities to amplify what is most delicate (collective joy), transient (dreams), or everlasting (love) in our interconnected world.
We caught up with the four local artists who make up Cohort Five of the Accelerator Program: Krystle Brown, Eben Haines, Tanya Nixon-Silberg, and Ponnapa Prakkamakul. They are all bees-y developing artworks for Boston. Here’s what they absorb as they plan, prep, and build their way to transforming 25K into four BIG projects for YOU to see/touch this summer!
Listen or read along to a conversation between Kate Gilbert, Executive Director, and two former Public Art Ambassadors, now full-time Now + There staff, Blu Prinston and Jasper Sanchez, who are helping N+T redefine public art.
Four local artists, Krystle Brown, Eben Haines, Tanya Nixon-Silberg, and Ponnapa Prakkamakul, are each receiving $25,000 to make their ideas BIG and bring them to Boston in the summer of 2023! Cohort Five will work with a range of media, from installation to puppetry, painting, and performance, while engaging the tight-knit communities connected or living near their temporary art installations.
Gisela joins us with a dynamic combination of public policy and art history experience. She is excited to participate in the development of public art in Boston, especially through engaging, accessible, and creatively situated works in the city.