IF YOU THINK of some of the world’s greatest and most productive cities through history – Florence, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, and of course, Boston – there is an underlying quality that makes them flourish. In these cities, innovators and artists have always worked side by side sharing their creative spirit, knowledge, and entrepreneurial […]
Arts and Culture
Posted inArts and Culture
How allyship helped make Bill Russell a legend
ON A BRIGHT and otherwise perfect afternoon at Fenway Park, just before the start of Sunday’s game, the PA announcer shared the news of Bill Russell’s passing. Many, if not most, had not yet heard. As one commenter recounted, “The sound the crowd made was one I’ve never encountered before. Gasps of shock and surprise […]
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Fitchburg aims to drive back to the future
EARLY ON A RECENT Thursday morning, Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale climbed into the passenger seat of a 1914 Model T and took a ride down Main Street into the city’s future. At first blush, the occasion seemed to mark the kind of humdrum event that could only excite a municipal traffic planner – opening the […]
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Healing families of those killed by gun violence
OUTSIDE OF TRAUMA ROOMS in hospitals around the country, there is a place that those in the medical field call the “quiet room.” According to Dr. Cornelia Griggs and Dr. Peter Masiakos of Massachusetts General Hospital, “It is a bland spot; a few soft chairs surround a table that holds a box of crisp institutional […]
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In Hynes redevelopment, you’ve got to have arts
GENE RODDENBERY’S classic television series explored the voyages of the starship Enterprise, exploring new worlds, seeking out new lives and civilizations and to boldly go where nobody has before. We have that opportunity today here on Earth with 4.4 acres of underutilized space in central Boston. Gov. Charlie Baker is moving ahead with a plan […]
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Street mural artists explain their craft
ARTISTS, SAID PERCY FORTINI-WRIGHT, are “documenters” of history. “Without artists, you wouldn’t know what went on in the past,” he said. “Art is what man has created up until now…It’s the most important thing and should be kind of put on a pedestal and not looked at as like art as a profession. It should be […]
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Murals: An emerging form of community development
THE WALLS OF the affordable housing buildings in The Point neighborhood of Salem have been painted for as long as 15-year-old Bunny Spodick can remember. For a long time, they were painted with nasty messages and graffiti, giving the neighborhood a dim, dark feel, she said. Then El Punto Urban Art Museum started in 2017, […]
Posted inOpinion
Boston’s corporate sector needs to step up on arts
WHEN I WAS a working musician, few metrics mattered more to me than my orchestra’s concert attendance. A full house has a flywheel effect where the energy between the performers and audience creates a positive feedback loop. It’s no surprise then that corporations tend to support large arts institutions with loyal audiences. This type of corporate sponsorship […]
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Demolition redo: Petersham must vote again on fate of Nichewaug Inn
A DECADES-LONG battle over whether and how to preserve the historic Nichewaug Inn in Petersham appeared to come to an end last December, when voters at a special town meeting agreed to demolish it. Turns out, it’s not over yet. The town made procedural mistakes in notifying voters about the meeting – and now, […]
Posted inOpinion
Using art to address social issues
First in a series of commentaries on arts in community LeLand Gantt’s performance of Rhapsody in Black was an entry point for people in an overwhelmingly White region to talk about race. This compelling one-man show exploring racism, identity, and self-image was presented virtually in 2021 through a Berkshires community collaboration. Clinton Church Restoration is […]