Artist Ellen Driscoll wants her audience to reimagine the Boston waterfront in an interactive way. Her sculpture consists of three large wheel-like structures that are filled with mosaics of different aspects of the harbor such as marine life, the fishing industry, and the shipping industry. Viewers can change the appearance of the artwork by spinning the wheel and playing with the orientation of the mosaics.
Located by Harbor Towers in the Wharf District, David von Schlegell’s “Untitled Landscape” was installed in 1964 and consists of four large pieces of stainless steel facing each other in obtuse angles. Schlegell’s intended to create objects of such a scale that could relate buildings, bridges, and other large objects. A small kiosk near the structure explains the installation in further depth.
Fort Point is home to over 300 artists who produce work in a wide array of media. It is recognized as one of New England’s largest artists’ communities. Often members of the artist community will install public art throughout the Fort Point Channel neighborhood – within the trees, under bridges, and even in the Channel itself. The historic warehouse buildings of Fort Point house painters, photographers, sculptors, designers, ceramicists, performance artists, jewelers, book artists, digital media artists, and more. Be sure to swing by the neighborhoods and see what’s new.
Located along the Harborwalk, Paul Revere Park features a long wall of mosaic tiles and additional tilework at two other locations. At one place in the walkway wall, Paul Revere’s ride from Charlestown to Lexington is traced on a map made of eight square white tiles. On either side of the map, viewers can read Revere’s account of his ride inscribed in tiles along the wall. Nearby, above a bench set into a wall, are two large mosaic panels, one depicting flowers and the other depicting red birds in flight. Mosaics also decorate the sides of a spiral-shaped climbing tower for children, which are enlivened with an explosion of colorful flowers. The mosaic patterns were designed by Susan Gamble, who created many of the uniquely shaped tiles by hand in her studio.
A block inland from the Harborwalk sits the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a public park that stretches 1.5 miles through downtown Boston. In addition to the park serving as a beautiful green space in a dense city, the Greenway also hosts an ever-changing exhibit of contemporary public art. The Rose Kennedy Greenway hopes that its art will engage viewers in an interactive and meaningful way that considers the innovative possibilities of art in the 21st century.
