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.
Our 2020 Accelerator artists, Shaka Dendy, Ang Li, Karthik Pandian, Gabriel Sosa, and Yu-Wen Wu, successfully completed a six-month intensive designed to demystify the process of creating public art and will each receive a $25,000 stipend to realize their projects in over 7 Boston neighborhoods between now and September 2021.
We’re partnering with Arts Connect International to sponsor the 2019 Arts Equity Summit and present a panel “Loop-breaking: creating a virtuous cycle of public art production” to consider the challenges of creating truly community-oriented artworks and discuss barriers to entry for public art artists and audiences alike.
The Commonwealth Ave Mall was among Boston’s first planned public spaces. But when construction on the Mall began in 1856, it signaled the very beginning of an urban planning renaissance in the city that lasted through the Gilded Age (1870's - 1900). Now it’s the site of Liz Glynn: Open House, enriching it’s already potent message about access to public space.
Here’s to our volunteers! As the volunteer coordinator for Patterned Behavior, I met over thirty hardworking and passionate people whose help was vital in making our project a reality. They painted, primed, greeted, and directed traffic for over two weeks, and everyone who came out brought their own unique perspective and enthusiasm to the site.
