Artist Voices

Waiting by the light: One artist's account of riding the T

Waiting by the light: One artist's account of riding the T

Guest blog post by MBTA public art finalist Elisa Hamilton on the importance of public art in her childhood and it's influence on her career as an artist.

"Did you know that the glass tile wall of that bus tunnel used to light up?  I have childhood memories of waiting near that wall all aglow in blue and red, as if it was magically lit from within.  Those colors are still vivid in my memory; maybe you’ve also felt that brilliance.  I believe that the people in our communities deserve to have that light alive in our public spaces, and I believe that - with enough support - we can keep the light of public art shining in Massachusetts, so that we can all be illuminated in its glow."

inMotion: Memories of Invented Play

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. 

The Big Bowl of Sunshine at Lawn on D

In an art town as small as Boston, worlds often collide. Recently N+T’s own Kate Gilbert sat down with fellow SMFA alum Thomas Stevenson to discuss his latest project, “Living Room”, commissioned by theLawn on D at Gilbert’s suggestion. The following is an excerpt of the conversation between artist and curator about how “Living Room” came to be, about fear in public spaces, and about learning to be flexible when you come upon big rocks in your tiny sandbox.

MOMO brings smart design and color to Boston

In February the Brooklyn/New Orleans street artist MOMO arrived in Boston in the midst of Snowpocalypse ‘15, an unrelenting series of snowstorms and freezing temperatures that left Boston under 93” of snow. Undaunted by it all, MOMO completed a massive 250’ x 34’ mural over eighteen nights in the lobby of Boston’s iconic John Hancock Building bringing his signature combination of blending techniques, harmonious colors and universal forms to warm up the austere lobby and its wintery surrounds.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with him on his fourteenth night of painting to talk about his technique, the challenges he faced and that delicate balance of making a public artwork that's accessible yet not silly. The following is an excerpt from that conversation which was published by our friends at Brooklyn Street Art on March 26.