CYRUS DALLIN, HIS PAUL REVERE STATUE AND THE PRADO
Community Celebration: Sunday, April 29, 2012, 12-4 PM Paul Revere Mall, Boston’s North End
Public Lecture: Thursday, May 17th, 7:00 PM Old North Church
Boston’s North End/Waterfront community will host a fair on Sunday afternoon, April 29, from Noon to 4 PM, at the Paul Revere Mall on Hanover Street in commemoration of the great American sculptor Cyrus Dallin, his Paul Revere Monument, and the Paul Revere Mall, designed by the famed landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff and architect Henry Shepley.
The public will have the opportunity to learn about the perseverance and vision of Dallin, Shurcliff, and other individuals who were responsible for planning and preserving this public treasure, which is among the most visited and photographed sites in America. Other historical presentations throughout the afternoon will focus on the patriot Paul Revere, and on the history of Boston’s North End neighborhood.
Presentations will be made by event co-sponsors: the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum of Arlington, MA, the Paul Revere Memorial Association, Old North Church, Friends of The Prado, the North End Historical Society, the North End Music and Performing Arts Center and the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association. Members of the Cyrus Dallin and Paul Revere families will also attend.
In addition, on Thursday, May 17th at 7:00 PM, the Old North Church will host a related lecture providing a more in- depth historical review of the topics and an opportunity for public discussion. The featured speaker on the 17th will be Rebecca Reynolds, formerly of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, an American decorative arts curator, author, and consultant who specializes in American sculpture. Reynolds’ talk will focus on the artistic legacy of Cyrus Dallin as well as his 58 year long struggle, , to erect his Paul Revere sculpture in Boston. Representatives from the North End’s historic and cultural organizations including the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association, Friends of The Prado, and the North End Historical Society will also present information about the vision, history and landscape design of the Paul Revere Mall, called “The Prado” by the local community, as well as a review of the neighborhood history commemorated in the Mall, including the Paul Revere statue and thirteen memorial plaques.
The two events are intended to raise a new consciousness about the importance of the Paul Revere Mall for its historical, public and community value. The event sponsors are actively promoting investment in the Mall in order to restore the physical integrity of the space to Shurcliff’s original design and to see a revitalization of the park as both a historical monument and a beautiful open space for neighborhood and visitor gathering and reflection.
With the April 29 and May 17 events, the North End/Waterfront community joins the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum and others in a year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of Dallin’s birth. Cyrus Edwin Dallin (1861-1944), known for some of Boston’s and the nation’s most iconic sculptures, struggled for over half a century against all manner of adversity to erect his sculpture of Paul Revere. This sculpture is an internationally known landmark of Boston, as is his Appeal to the Great Spirit in front of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1882, at the age of 21, a youthful and unknown Dallin won a City competition for Boston’s Paul Revere Monument. His work was selected in a blind completion over far more established sculptors, including Daniel Chester French. Nevertheless, his quest to complete the commission was a 58-year test of perseverance and resolve. Dallin created seven different versions of the Revere sculpture before it was finally cast in bronze and installed in The Prado in 1940. Photos of all seven versions of Dallin’s Paul Revere will be on display at the April 29 event and are exhibited in the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum in Arlington. The fifth version, on display in the Museum, was reproduced in plaster and widely marketed by the Caproni Brothers Studio in the early 20th century.
The Cyrus Dallin Art Museum is the leading center for the study and enjoyment of Dallin’s work. Located at 611 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington Center, the Museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:00-4:00 P.M. Visit www.dallin.org for more information and a complete list of 150th anniversary events.
The North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to protect and enhance the living experience and residential character of the unique neighborhood. Membership is open to anyone with principal residence in the North End/Waterfront area of Boston.
Old North Church (officially, Christ Church in the City of Boston), at 193 Salem Street, is the location from which the famous “One if by land, and two if by sea” signal is said to have been sent. This phrase is related to Paul Revere’s midnight ride, of April 18, 1775, which preceded the Battles of Lexington, Concord and Arlington (Menotomy) during the American Revolution. The church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. It is the oldest active church building in Boston and is a National Historic Landmark.
Friends of the Prado was formed several years ago and helped implement several maintenance programs that brought improvements to the park and its trees. One goal of the April 29 and May 17 events is to grow and strengthen the organization to partner with the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department – which has care and control of the Mall – and other supporting organizations with the mission of bringing improvement and protection to the Mall. With this mission, Friends of The Prado becomes a principal steward of the historical open space.
The mission of the North End Historical Society is to collect and preserve the historical record and material culture of Boston’s North End, to preserve, catalog, and present these resources in service of the wider community through publications, lectures, educational programs, and exhibits. The mission includes ongoing efforts to bring together scholars and individuals knowledgeable and interested in all aspects of the North End’s history.
The North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) is a private, non-profit with headquarters at the Paul Revere Mall. Its mission is to provide affordable arts-related programming to residents of the North End/Waterfront and the surrounding neighborhoods. By encouraging participation in the arts, NEMPAC’s seeks to strengthen relationships with the community and enhance community life.
The Paul Revere Memorial Association actively preserves and interprets two of Boston’s oldest homes, the Paul Revere House and the adjacent Hichborn House. It provides increasingly diverse audiences with a full range of educational programs and experiences based on historical issues and social history themes relevant to the sites, the neighborhood,andBostonfromthe17ththroughtheearly20thcentury. TheAssociationmaintainsanimportant collection of Revere-made objects, household artifacts, items commemorating the midnight ride, and items related to Revere’s life and work. Recently, the Association has been involved in major capital restoration and expansion effort.
For more information:
North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA)
Email: parks@newra.org
Cyrus Dallin Art Museum
www.dallin.org
