blu prinston is the Communications Assistant at Now + There and former Public Art Ambassador.
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!
Along with my other PAA teammates that summer, we helped to greet visitors to Boston Common as they explored Janet Zweig’s exhibition “What Do We Have In Common?” back in 2021. Together, we demystified the art, collected stories and feedback from visitors, and sought to better understand how people absorb, process, store, recall, and share information both consciously and unconsciously.
I was compelled by an element of staged performance inherent to Zweig's "What Do We Have In Common?" exhibition on the Boston Common. Zweig adapted a wooden cabinet with 200 wood drawers and hid 200 turquoise boxes or "markers" in the park asking passersby questions like “Who owns enough?” and “Who owns the future?”
Becoming a PAA felt like the perfect opportunity to treat conversations like art. This opportunity laid out the perfect setting to master how to lead a dialogue, embrace small talk so it could lead to deeper conversation, ask lots of questions, maintain a friendly attitude, keep things light and do a lot of listening. I was excited to see where these conversations with visitors would lead, what would stick, and how people respond to and engage with Now + There’s public art installations throughout Boston.
A typical day consisted of check-in with teammates, setting up the artwork, promotional materials, positioning A-frame signage on two different paths, re-organizing books from the Giving Library – an additional component built into the artwork's wooden cabinet aimed at expanding dialogue.
Then, I engaged in many forgettable conversations, yet they were all filled with curiosity and a strong desire for mutual understanding.
An exhibition attendee holds a book from the Giving Library.
An egg tart from Chinatown after one of my shifts.
Interactions with an attendee’s bird.
What lingered most for me from the moment (and site) was the vivid tableau of looks, gestures, textures, motion, and rhythm permeating each visitor, the grass, desired paths, slopes, statues, and bikeways. The presence of the artwork stood as a nice feature of wonder that enticed many passersby to come closer and listen for a bit or answer our questions about commonalities and shared experiences thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Thinking back on this experience, the cumulative hours I spent at the Boston Common as a PAA might have been the most time I've ever spent in any public park, whether in Boston or Haiti, where I was born. I grew up behind heavy steel double doors, gated windows, and a general mistrust/distrust for public spaces or objects that belong to the public realm due to my family's inclination toward self-alienation and the general attitude of staying inside for safety. Being outside allowed me to move beyond that and my concerns back then with speaking three languages I did not have a native grasp on.
I talked a lot about the artwork itself, my background as an immigrant (people were curious!), and how moving across sea and city lines affected my worldview.
Some of my favorite questions were: who owns the internet? Who owns fashion? Who owns water? The facts I learned from asking these questions marked my memory.
I even realized that my memory was sharpest when conversations centered around objects or elements that deeply marked my life's possibilities for education, travel, belonging, power, and self-confidence.
I enjoyed being a PAA and consider this step essential to my interest in studying language and its various dimensions.
I'm super grateful for the stellar team that made it all possible! Big s/o to K, E, and P for all their hard work and distinctive contributions.
Now it's your turn! If you got this far, thanks for reading, and don't forget to apply!
Header Photo: (Left to Right) Jasper Sanchez, blu prinston, and Susan Collings.