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.
On April 22, 2021, we visited one of Boston’s most vibrant neighborhoods— Egleston Square, and had Now + There’s first ever interpreted N+T Asks! Curator Leah Triplett Harrington is joined by Paloma Valenzuela, Writer/Producer/Director of the web series The Pineapple Diaries; Nakia Hill, Writers' Room Director at 826 Boston, and Writer/Producer; and Denise Delgado, Executive Director of Egleston Square Main Street.
On April 1, 2021, we virtually visited one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods to examine its past and reimagine its future! Join us in the streets of Beacon Hill with artist L’Merchie Frazier and resident Cathy Stone as Executive Director Kate Gilbert moderates an hour long conversation.
Whether you call it “Rozzie,” “Rozzy,” “the ‘Dale,” “the Village,” or something else entirely: we're still stirring up ideas for Roslindale’s future. On March 4, resident ceramicist Ana Crowley Noordzij and local Main Streets Exec. Director Alia Hamada Forrest shone a light on this urban oasis as we wondered: what will Boston be like in 10 years?
On February 18, 2020 for Season 3, Episode 2 of N+T Asks, we zoomed in on one of Boston’s most historically notorious, but today, oft-forgotten neighborhoods: the West End. With the help of West End Museum Curator/Board President and Gallery East co-founder, Duane Lucia; third-generation neighborhood resident, Chiara Cherin; and local photographer, Lolita Parker Jr. we discussed the West End’s past, current needs, and possible futures.
For the Season 3 premiere of N+T Asks, we zoomed in on Fort Point; with the help of Midway Artist Collective Board of Directors member, Raber Umphenour, and resident multimedia artist, Dorothea Van Camp. There was too much to talk about — from artist housing, to the Boston art market, to the future of Boston artist communities — but we somehow managed to keep it to an hour.
