Through the Work of Various Artists, Island Visitors will Strengthen Community Connections
BOSTON, Mass. – August 5, 2019 – Throughout the course of history, art has served as a common unifier. This summer, thanks to the efforts of the National Park Service and Boston Harbor Now, a non-profit dedicated to providing community access to the Boston Harbor and its islands, visitors to the Harbor Islands will become a part of art programs that serve to make new community connections in Boston.
During the month of August, visitors will be able to join the local Artists in Residence as they create art that reflects the spirit of the natural and cultural resources on various islands and ferries. Artist Robin McDonald Foley will greet visitors on Peddocks, Lovells, Georges and Spectacle Island, offering them opportunities to join her in co-creating her piece, Quilting the Islands Together, that will showcase the visual story of multiple generations visiting the islands. In addition, artist Brian Sonia-Wallace will create typewritten poetry for visitors to take home and join in on the writing process of a single meta-text on Spectacle and Georges Island, as well as on-board various ferries.
Artist Marsha Parrilla will also facilitate events in Joe Moakley Park in August and September, as she brings together the voices of native indigenous people of the islands for panels and activities to reveal perspectives on the past, present, and future of the Harbor Islands.
The Artist in Residence program is not the only opportunity for visitors to engage with art and culture on the islands, however. The ArtCart located at the Welcome Center on Atlantic Avenue distributes pencils, pastels, watercolors, crayons, coloring books and more to visitors who desire to capture the beauty of the islands through visual media.
To learn more about the art programs taking place on the Harbor Islands this summer, visit www.bostonharbornow.org/recreation.
About the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Beaches, wooded parks, parkways, and reservoirs – All of these places make up the Massachusetts State Parks. You can find a place to go in all regions of the Commonwealth from Pittsfield to the Boston Harbor Islands. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR, Mass Parks) is one of 12 managing partners of this national and state park and owns and manages more than half of the islands, including Georges and Spectacle Islands, as well as the other four islands that are serviced by the public ferry.
About Boston Harbor Now
In April of 2016, Boston Harbor Now launched as a new non-profit civic organization with a bold
mission: to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for Boston’s harbor, waterfront, and islands. Boston Harbor Now works with public and private partners to expand access to open space and recreational, educational and cultural opportunities harbor-wide, to plan for and build an integrated and expanded water transportation system, and to foster economic development and growth that is resilient to sea-level rise and the effects of climate change. Boston Harbor Now plays a unique role as the non-profit partner of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park raising funds to help the National Park Service, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the City of Boston and hundreds of youth and community organizations to build visitor amenities and recreational infrastructure like campsites and trail networks, to provide interpretive, educational and cultural programs and volunteer opportunities, and to provide free access for children and families from low-income communities.
