Americans for the Arts

Public Art Meets Boston’s Contemporary Park

In 1991, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority began one of the most challenging and substantial changes to the Boston landscape, the Central Artery/Tunnel project, or the Big Dig. Although this project eventually succeeded in easing downtown traffic congestion, the Big Dig put Boston into a state of upheaval for almost sixteen years. Despite all of their trials, the city, state, MTA, and various civic groups came together to create something new: a park that would cover over the scar of the old Central Artery and open up new space for Boston residents. The Greenway, stretching from New Sudbury Street in the North End to Beach Street in Chinatown, re-connected old neighborhoods that were once separated by the elevated highway. Inaugurated in 2008 and named for Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Rose Kennedy Greenway is an important part of the city’s efforts to reinvent Boston in the 21st century. The Greenway has helped beautify the city, encourage a sense of community and create civic space. Today the park is home to water features, food trucks, free public Wi-Fi, a carousel, free events and a public art program. This little ribbon of green is a refuge for urban residents, a place for recreation and social interaction.

In 2012, the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy began the process of creating a strategic plan for its public art program after seeing its potential to spark the city’s imagination, connect neighborhoods, contribute to economic health and inspire civic interaction. The result of this was a five-year strategy entitled “Public Art on the Greenway,” an initiative to bring innovative art to Boston through free, temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists.

The vision for this new program was inspired by four conceptual frameworks:

• Connection: Projects that unite the segmented parks and connect the individual communities along the Greenway.
• Interactivity: Projects that engage visitors with the park and one another.
• Civic Dialogue: Projects that highlight freedom of expression, freedom of speech, diversity, and other civic and community issues.
• Ecology and the Environment: Projects that deal directly with issues of sustainability and the environment.

Already, the new public art initiative is attracting attention. Earlier this spring, the Conservancy unveiled a new installation of twelve bronze animal heads fashioned by famed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads represents the twelve traditional figures of the Chinese Zodiac, cast into huge animal heads that weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds. On a worldwide tour with stops in London, Paris and New York, Ai Weiwei’s exhibit is now featured on the Greenway through October 2016. In the park, the sculptures are positioned around the Rings Fountain, where Bostonians are invited to splash and cool off in the summer heat. This exhibit, however, has a more serious side; in creating these sculptures, the artist wanted to highlight the global issue of the looting of cultural antiquities. By featuring contemporary artists like Lawerence Weiner, Carolina Aragon and Gianna Stewart, the Greenway is spearheading Boston’s growing identity as a creative community and an artistic powerhouse.

Are you attending our 2016 Annual Convention in Boston? Be sure to visit the Greenway and check out the art on display. Directions and information can be found on the organization's website.