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.
There will always be people, places and events that citizens wish to commemorate. How do we ensure that the process for choosing whom and what to memorialize is equitable? Information on the upcoming “Beyond the Bust: Defining Our Public Monuments” on May 5, 6—8pm co-presenters Big Red & Shiny including panelist information.
Looking back and ahead, a New Year's greeting from Director Kate Gilbert. In a decade from now when Greater Boston is a must-see destination for public art enthusiasts I believe we’ll look back at 2015 as a pivotal year. 2015: the year public art became an integral part of the re/development of engaging public spaces, the year when artwork selection processes shifted from juried to curated, and the year we learned to balance spectacle and civic engagement.
We sat down with Amy Archambault, the BCA’s Summer 2015 Public Art Resident, on the eve of the opening of her first interactive public art work, inMotion: Memories of Invented Play, and chatted about how she’s successfully transitioning from the unconventional artist/builder to public artist.
In the discussion of place-making and art-in-the-public-realm it often seems like the philosophies and interests of artists are left in the shadows. We think a lot about this at Now and There and wonder: where's the art? and where are artists when public art is planned?
We're pulling together artists Cedric Douglas, Megan McMillan, Liz Nofziger and architect Rob Trumbour ofArtforming to talk about the definitions of public art and what we can do to support more of it in our communities.
We hope you'll join us May 6, 5:30–7pm for Where's the Art? exploring the spectrum of social art practices.
After a long and trying winter Boston will explode with public art this spring — from the upcoming Janet Echelman installation on the Greenway to small public art project and interventions. The following is a list of calls that we think are perfect for budding artists and those wanting to get involved with issues-based work. All have the potential to be meaningful gestures in the public realm.
