public art

The “Black Women Lead” public art project adorns Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester and Roxbury with 212 banners spotlighting iconic Black women — in almost every field of work — who’ve shattered glass ceilings by being the first Black woman to do something, inspiring many and making a difference in our communities.

The park next to the Hawthorne Youth and Community Center in Roxbury’s Highland Park will once again come to life with the calming glow of lights this season.

In collaboration with Now + There, artist Rhea Vedro has begun a three-part public art project titled “Amulet” that starts with community workshops in East Boston and culminates in a series of bird-inspired steel sculptures installed at City Hall Plaza.

As part of the Transformative Public Art Program run by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, 10 murals and 27 short-term projects and art activations have been funded around Boston, many in the Roxbury neighborhood. The initiative aims to bring public art projects into the neighborhoods where residents spend their time, to bring accessibility and joy to each enclave.

When Billboard Hope launched in John Eliot Square in March 2021, founder Dayenne Walters was testing the artistic waters of the project. Months later, the billboard has brought a vital source of hope and inspiration to the Roxbury community. In September, Roxbury native DaNice D. Marshall will show her work on the large-scale surface.

A new piece of public art has arrived at Chinatown’s historic Hudson Street. Developed by Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) and artist Gianna Stewart, “Storytell & Sway” provides usable space for the Chinatown community while acknowledging the area’s rich immigrant history.

Audrey Lopez will take the helm at the Rose Kennedy Greenway’s public art program this September. It’s a crucial time for public art, as pandemic restrictions are lifted and streets are flooded with viewers once again.

Artists Paul Goodnight and Larry Pierce have contributed a new addition to Grove Hall’s thriving public art scene, an energetic 60-foot long piece titled “No Strings Detached.”

In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, Hyde Square Task Force and the Connolly branch of the Boston Public Library have partnered to create an interactive story walk in Jamaica Plain’s Latin Quarter.

Five artist teams have submitted proposals for a new memorial on the Boston Common to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. The proposed designs are currently under consideration by a local committee and city residents.

In early August, a new 106-foot mural by Raúl de Nieves debuted on the side of Fenway Health’s Ansin Building in the Fenway neighborhood. Originally a watercolor on paper piece, “All Is One” applies the historic myth of Saint George and the Dragon to a contemporary world.

Two new children’s books featuring illustrations by beloved Roxbury artist Ekua Holmes will be published in September: “The Stuff of Stars” and “What Do You Do With a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan."