WHERE'S THE ART? EXPLORING THE SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC ART PRACTICES

(Boston, MA) New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), Now and There and Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) are pleased to present Where’s the Art?, a panel on May 6 that brings together artists with designers for a healthy discussion about the many definitions of public art and what we can do to support more public art in our communities.

“We are delighted to support this conversation and join forces with organizations that nurture artists and artistic practice in Boston,” said Cathy Edwards, Executive Director, NEFA.

Featured panelists include Cedric Douglas, artist and creator of the mobile art lab Up Truck; Megan McMillan educator, writer, sculptor who with her partner Murray recently completed a project for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche; Liz Nofziger, creator of “Bounce,” the community-sized ping pong table at the BCA; and Rob Trumbour, a principal at the public art and architecture collective Artforming.

The panel is coordinated and moderated by Kate Gilbert of the recently launched Now and There, a non-profit dedicated to creating temporary and site specific projects for, and with, the community of Boston. Says Gilbert, “In the discussion of place-making and art-in-the-public-realm it often seems like the philosophies and interests of artists are left in the shadows.”

Veronique Le Melle, President and CEO Boston Center for the Arts noted, “The BCA represents the intersection of artist and audience, what better setting for a conversation on place-making. We are pleased to partner with Now and There and NEFA to bring this conversation to the community.”

WHAT: Where’s the Art? Exploring the spectrum of public art practices
DATE: May 6, 2015
TIME: 5:30–7pm
LOCATION: Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St Boston, MA, 02116

Where’s the Art? is a free event but registration is required. Visit http://www.nowandthere.org/events/ to register and for more information.

ABOUT THE CO-SPONSORS:

NEFA builds connections among artists, arts organizations, and funders, powering the arts to energize communities in New England, the nation, and the world. NEFA is a nonprofit that operates in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the New England state arts agencies, with additional funding from foundations, corporations, individuals and other government agencies. Part of NEFA’s Public Art program, the Fund for the Arts supports nonprofits for artist selection and implementation of new site specific works.   www.nefa.org

Now and There is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating impactful public art projects in Greater Boston. Formerly UrbanArts, Now and There delivers thought-provoking, public art projects that advance new definitions of public art, acculturate Boston to the cultural, social and economic benefits of art, and help define Boston's essential public art identity. www.nowandthere.org

Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is a not-for profit performing and visual arts complex that supports working artists to create, perform and exhibit new works; builds new audiences; and connects art to community. The BCA serves arts audiences through exhibitions, live performances and community events, and supports artists through affordable studio, rehearsal and performance space on the historic South End site. The BCA’s two-acre campus is home to hundreds of working artists, as well as several nonprofit arts and educational groups that provide a wide spectrum of services. www.bcaonline.org

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Cedric Douglas is an artist and designer, who combines the use of idea, graffiti ideology, and raw creativity to connect, inspire, and interact with the community. Douglas is inspired by public art because of its accessibility. His latest project, The UpTruck is a mobile arts lab that was created to engage residents in a co-visioned, co-created process leading to a final design and implementation of a permanent art structure for the Uphams Corner Community. www.theuptruck.com

Megan McMillan, artist, writer, and SMFA faculty member together with her partner Murray McMillan create a blend of installation, video, performance, and photography. The McMillans recently created “The Shifting Space Around Us” for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche and “What We Loved and Forgot: Installation” for Boston's Lawn on D inaugural season. www.meganandmurraymcmillan.com

Liz Nofziger brought “Bounce,” a colorful, interactive outdoor installation to the BCA plaza last summer as part of the BCA's Temporary Public Art Residency program. Made up of three conjoined, regulation-sized ping pong tables, custom-engineered to form an oversized Community Ping Pong Court the project added a sculpture presence to the plaza as well as sheer delight to all who played on it. www.nofzilla.com

Rob Trumbour is an architect, educator at Wentworth Institute of Technology and Design Principal at Artforming. Artforming is a Boston-based collective of artists, educators, and design professionals whose mission is rooted in the conception, fabrication, and installation of multi-sensory public art and architecture intended to foster individual contemplation and open public dialog. www.artforming.org

Artists’ images furnished upon request.

ABOUT ARTWEEK:
ArtWeek Boston is an initiative of the Citi Performing Arts Center, whose mission is to be a champion for nonprofit innovation in Boston and provide arts and entertainment to the greater community. ArtWeek Boston is a twice-annual 10-day collection of events throughout the city that features unexpected and creative experiences that are interactive or offer behind-the-scenes access to artists or the creative process. Spring ArtWeek will be May 1–10. www.artweekboston.org

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CONTACT:
ANN WICKS, NEFA | 617.951.0010 x534
KATE GILBERT, NOW AND THERE | 617.283.1841