It’s Thanksgiving, the first many of us will spend in person in over two years and at Now + There, we’re reflecting on the power of shared public experiences and what these moments of togetherness can yield.

As a collective of artists and the public easing out of a global pandemic, we’re taking stock of 2021 with a renewed faith in the power of public art experiences to unite and delight.

We’re remembering those moments of coming across something or someone new — like a large cabinet or a friendly stranger in a jumpsuit emblazoned with What Do We Have In Common?— and we are filled with gratitude for all the exceptional humans and organizations who are, with us, creating an open, public art city.

We would like to recognize the many artists, partners, communities, generous supporters, and ESPECIALLY YOU who support free public art and experiences throughout Boston this past year. The following is just the tip of the iceberg and our humble attempt to thank everyone who has helped make an exceptional year of creating provocative public art experiences that delighted, united, and illuminated our shared public spaces.

Thanks to those of you who joined us (finally, IRL!) at Ambrosia, at one (or both) of our Mentoring Murals iterations, and at What Do We Have In Common?. We appreciate how many of you continued to join us virtually on IG, Twitter, FB, and on N+T Asks despite what we know is a real syndrome, Zoom fatigue. Participation is at the core of what we do, and your provocative conversations about art, ownership, community, and what brings us all joy is why we do this work!

2021 began with the gorgeous and ethereal Ambrosia installed at the Prudential Center on March 25. During those pre-vaccination days it reminded us all to stop, look up, and embrace the moments of wonder, beauty, and connection in our everyday lives and spaces. We’re proud that local artist Cicely Carew was willing to take a chance with us on her first public art project and “fly” her mixed-media paintings off the canvas, reaching literal new heights with her dazzling, colorful suspended sculptures made from everyday materials.

Cicely, it might have been your little secret to work with us, but it was our sincere pleasure to help you move to your next big goal. We know you’ll keep soaring!

We’re grateful to Boston Properties for the invitation to return to the iconic Pru for the third time. With so many firsts due to global construction delays and ever-changing health regulations, a project like Ambrosia took a dedicated team to pull off. It took over sixty days of construction and five nocturnal shifts (folx, that’s 9 pm - 5 am!) to create Ambrosia. Our hats go off to the tireless commitment and collaboration of Cicely, N+T’s curator Leah Triplett Harrington + Project Manager Polina Starobinets, and BRM Project Management. Despite the late nights and pandemic challenges, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to welcome spring after a year unlike any other.

Before Ambrosia came to a close in late July, we hosted two soundbath meditations designed by the artist to enhance the immersive vibrant visuals of the work — one with floral tonics and refreshments that tickled our taste buds for a whole sensory experience. (Thanks, Eataly!) Our gift to you this busy holiday season is a reminder that Cicely’s soundbath is available here anytime you might need it.

Cicely Carew and a very relaxed crowd at the closing Floral Tonics event for Ambrosia.

Just because pandemic restrictions relaxed and the protests quieted, didn’t mean we could go back to business as usual. We continued to listen.

The pandemic changed the way we do work (for the better!), and we’re thankful that we could spend the first half of 2021 continuing to connect virtually across Boston’s neighborhoods with our third season of Now + There Asks. We visited the Fort Point, West End, Roslindale, Beacon Hill, South End, Egleston Square and Grove Hall to hear what those neighborhoods needed and how free, temporary projects co-created with artists and community could support that demand. Our guests were especially crucial in helping guide our conversations and we were honored to have spent time exploring Boston’s future with Chiara Cherin, Mark Cooper, Pedro Cruz, Alia Hamada Forrest, L'Merchie Fraizer, Duane Lucia; Ana Crowley Noordzij, Lolita Parker Jr., Cathy Stone, Raber Umphenour, and Dorothea Van Camp.

Celebrating the unveiling of “No Strings Detached” in Grove Hall.

And then came the summer of hugging and high fives...

We kicked off summer 2021 with the debut of Mentoring Murals, a project born out of a 2020 N+T Asks conversation about what Dorchester’s Grove Hall neighborhood needed. For many of us, it was our first welcome back into public space and the hugs were flying. Without Ed Gaskin and Karen Bunch of the Greater Grove Hall Main Streets and Frank Thomas, the owner of Breezes Laundromat, this project showcasing artistic collaboration and mentorship between local artists and amplifying the Black mural movement’s past and present simply wouldn’t exist. Thank you to Kensington Investment Company and New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) for augmenting the program with added financial support to make it literally and digitally larger in scale and impact. Our hope is that this project encourages exploration of Grove Hall with a mobile tour, and becomes a pilot program for other Boston neighborhoods to independently create place-based murals.

On a beautiful early summer evening on June 16, we unveiled the first mural in the three-part series, “No Strings Attached,” by legendary artists Paul Goodnight and Larry Pierce, with help from Robert Murrell. The mural depicts Pierce’s dancers with Goodnight’s banjo players, paying homage to the persistence and influence of African American musical traditions, passed from one generation to the next. We’re grateful to Mayor Janey for her inspiring remarks, to our friends at Fresh Food Generation food truck for making the festivities extra delicious with their delicious Caribbean-inspired food and for the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development for providing us with the adjacent lot to host a mini block party celebrating the opening. After a year of social distancing — and with the confidence vaccines in our arms — we came together for first-time hugs and left with the feeling of visiting a long-overdue homecoming.

After the opening, we reconnected with Larry, Paul, Robert, and Karen for a hybrid N+T Asks conversation on the intersection of art, business, and social equity facilitated wonderfully by N+T’s Community Partnerships Manager Kenny Mascary. We covered the history and importance of mural-making to communities and also how businesses and the city can facilitate more artistic expression across Boston (affordable housing for artists is at the top of the list!). We appreciated all the thoughtful questions and look forward to continuing these discussions in 2022.

We rolled into September at a fast clip as the team launched the second beautiful piece in the Mentoring Murals collaboration from Ekua Holmes and London Parker-McWhorter.

On September 8th, we unveiled Ekua and London’s piece “Honoring the past, seeding the future,” a combination of photography and vibrant illustration that magnified the importance of today’s youth building for tomorrow’s future. Thanks to the generous support of Kensington Investment Company (KIC), we were able to expand the canvas for this piece giving Ekua and London two additional canvases and helped Ekua plant sunflowers as part of The Roxbury Sunflower Project. They bloomed just in time for the unveiling and enhanced the artwork’s botanical elements. Fresh Food Generation once again provided so much delicious food, and we danced, and we painted our hopes and dreams for the future on planters filled with sunflower seeds to bloom in the year ahead.

(And coming soon on December 11, we’ll debut Johnetta Tinker and Susan Thompson’s collaborative mural for the Mentoring Mural program called “Deeply Rooted in the NeighborHOOD, homage to Alan Rohan Crite.” More info here.)

Janet Zweig forever changed our perspective of ownership and through our work commissioning her project, we will always remember that “everyone, no one, and anyone owns public art”. We are just stewards of the process; guides on a journey.

On September 22, we were absolutely thrilled and thankful to open What Do We Have in Common?, a project begun in 2019 by renowned public artist Janet Zweig and commissioned by The Friends of the Public Garden to help commemorate their 50th anniversary. We were not alone in being relieved and delighted to bring this project to life after so many delays— we are grateful for our partnership with the Friends led by Liz Vizza with Sarah Hutt, Bob Mulcahy, Lynn Page Flaherty, and Jan Trousilek. And what a project it was!

The piece consisted of an oversized illuminated beautifully hand-crafted cabinet accompanied by 200 illuminated bright blue markers emblazoned with thought-provoking questions asking visitors to consider ideas of shared ownership, commonalities and to reflect on how we all care for things together. The artwork was constructed over several months by Janet along with help from amazing fabricators 4 Nomor, Awn Design, Andrew Hlynsky, Sign Effectz and the always-capable BRM Production Management. The opening event was the culmination of many months of hard work. It included memorable remarks from the Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Boston’s Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space and Parks Commissioner Ryan Woods, and an unforgettable performance of Cassandre Charles’ Transformative Uncertainty performed by members of the Boston Dance Alliance’s Dance and Disability cohort.

But the real heart of What Do We Have in Common? were the 12 fantastic Guides who stewarded it and engaged thousands of you in thoughtful conversations throughout its 30-day run in Boston Common. Georgia Bowder-Newton, Susan Collings, Gabriel Graetz, Tra Ha, Stephen Larrick, Alex Leondedis, Tyreke Monteiro, Gabby Preston, slandie prinston, Alexandra Smith, Jasper A. Sanchez, and Rachel Thorne, we can’t thank you enough for your hard work, empathy, and willingness to explore all the project’s provocative questions. We’re not sure we’ll ever really know who owns the moon, but we’re so lucky we had you with us daily to consider that question and so many others!

There were so many behind-the-scenes contributors to this project. It absolutely would not have been possible without the additional partnership of the City of Boston, Boston Parks & Recreation Department, City Archeologist Joe Bagley, and Boston Park Rangers, and the Wizards for daily security.

Excited to see where the 2021 Cohort of N+T Public Art Accelerator artists take us…

Another highlight during this year of firsts was attracting 50+ applicants to the N+T Public Art Accelerator to be guiding Cohort Four, Eli Brown, Rixy, Karmimadeebora McMillan, and Rhea Vedro in navigating the complexities of public art. We’re grateful to each of them for contributing their unique perspective and ideas through vibrant weekly discussions, and we’re looking forward to seeing the inspired projects they develop in 2022!

We also want to congratulate and recognize Karthik Pandian, and Ang Li from the 2020 cohort for the successful launch of their projects Video Commune in Allston and Places of Assembly in Chinatown.

We also want to thank and recognize the artists, educators and specialists who shared their time and expertise with this year’s cohort, including Danielle Abrams, Abby Satinsky, Gabriel Sosa, Deidra Montgomery, and Jenny Nute. Lastly, none of this would be possible without the generosity of individuals who believe in the power of art + community including Joyce Linde, and James and Audrey Foster.

We give tremendous thanks to the Now + There staff and team who made our projects come to life, including our Assistant Curator Leah Triplett Harington, Office Assistant/Bookkeeper Adria Katz, Kate Newth, CFO, and two key additions to the team in June: Kenny Mascary, Community Partnership Manager, who is creating fertile ground for future projects while reminding us to water the seeds we’ve planted and Erin Sunderland, Communications Manager who amplifies the work of N+T artists in all things print and digital. In 2021 we said goodbye to Victoria Hall, Polina Starobinets, Katie Charlton, and Romy St. Hilaire who leave big shoes for all who try to fill their legacies in operations, project management, development, and curatorial support.

Former and current N+T team members celebrating the first Mentoring Murals opening IRL in Grove Hall. From L-R, Katie Charlton, Adria Katz, Kenny Mascary, Leah Triplett Harrington, Kate Gilbert, Polina Starobinets, Victoria Hall, and Erin Sunderland.

It can’t be mentioned enough that with Bianca Mauro and her entire team at BRM Production Management, we’re able to take an artist's concept from sketch to reality, and we’re comforted each time she reminds us that “everything is figureoutable.” BRM’s team includes Jane Long, Chaz Morse, and Sarah Atherton. It extends to Simpson Gumpertz & Heger and Citywide Contracting, who make sure everything stays in its place and looks better than when we got there. And we are indebted to Karen Stein Shanley of goodgood design studio for her expertise, creativity, and speediness in design along with Ayanna Mack who similarly gives us the design tools we need to help share more about N+T artists’ projects. And to say public art doesn’t exist without our friends at the City of Boston is no exaggeration. Thank you to our Kara Elliot-Ortega, Karin Goodfellow, Julia Ryan, Tricia Gilrein, and Paul McCaffrey.

Spreading the word about the power of public art and reliving the moments of connection and wonder experienced in our projects comes easily with great press coverage in Boston’s leading publications, from the Boston Globe to GBH, thanks to Diana McCloy and Hannah Miller of Teak Media, poignant videos crafted by Casey Preston of Whitebirch Media, and the magic immortalized by photographers Caitlin Cunningham, Jaypix, Dominic Chavez, and Faith Ninivaggi.

We also extend much respect and humble thanks to the foundations that continue to fuel and underwrite our growth with unrestricted funds — many of whom continued with supplemental Covid-19-related funds.

We express our deepest gratitude to the Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation, the City of Boston, the Klarman Family Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and NEFA’s Fund for the Arts. We appreciate the cohort building and training we’ve experienced with peers across the Commonwealth in the Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative as well as their support of our work with Technical Development Corporation.

These foundations, a few anonymous angels, the many generous individual donors and partners LIKE YOU make building an open public art city a genuinely collaborative and invigorating process.

We have much to be grateful for this season! Today, we kick off our annual campaign and we invite you to say thanks to these friends and join them with a gift in any amount today.

Celebrate 2021

In partnership,

Kate Gilbert, Executive Director, with the Now + There Board of Directors: Jesse Bearkahn, Michele Davis, Sabrina Dorsainvil, Audrey Foster, Geoff Hargadon, Charla Jones, Brian Moy, Kathy Sharpless, Lisa Tung, and Laura Camila Rivera.