This week the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture awards grants to artists and organizations to create short-term public art projects and activations of public spaces through the Transformative Public Art program.
In the Back Bay the Ágora Cultural Architects’ will host an event series at CROMA that will center on stand-up comedy as a source of collective healing by expressing joy and happiness
In the South End the Me2/Orchestra’s project “The Joy Agenda: Be our Conductor!” will host an event in Ramsay Park that invites community members to conduct an orchestra.
The South End based organization ANIKAYA’s project Migrations will host a public discourse on migration that culminates in a mass performance on the Boston Common.
Over in Fenway the Art Resource Collaborative for Kids and Operation P.E.A.C.E’s “Together Through Art” (TTA) will host a free public art walk and celebration in Fenway.
Finally the Boston University Arts Initiative’s collaboration with Erin Genia’s “Caution: Cultural Emergency” will create a temporary public art installation on the BU campus that explores the concept of cultural emergencies.
The city has allocated a total of $750,000 in funding for mural projects at 10 sites across nine Boston neighborhoods as well as another $323,950 for 27 short-term projects.
“(Art) brings joy and inspiration to communities, and helps revitalize our neighborhoods,” said Acting Mayor Kim Janey. “I hope Boston residents and visitors enjoy these beautiful works of art, and that these projects encourage those who pass by them to find creative ways to brighten where they live.”
Last year, Janey said 24 public art projects were awarded grants totaling $35,000. The program relaunched as a key part of Janey’s Joy Agenda, which is a citywide invitation, opportunity, and investment in the City’s collective well-being.
In the spring Janey put out a call to artists and after an exhaustive application process the local artists were chosen by the city to create art around the city.
“Paying artists to integrate bold, new artwork throughout our neighborhoods is a step in the right direction as we focus on reopening our city and coming back together around the notion of joy and renewal,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston.
The selected artists will also work with consultant Liza Quiñonez, a creative entrepreneur and founder of the award winning urban contemporary art and design agency Street Theory.
Quiñonez will provide project administration services and provide the artists with proposal development guidance, community engagement strategy and support, technical assistance, and logistical production and support.
“It’s an exciting time for Boston and I look forward to working with the selected artists on bringing their vision to life in big and bold ways,” said Quiñonez.