Arlington Public Art Celebrates Spy Pond Mural Completion

The largest piece of public art in Arlington is about to be installed on a wall overlooking Spy Pond, and a public celebration is scheduled  for Sunday, November 11 at 2 pm at Linwood Circle in East Arlington, MA.

A 25’ x 100’ digital mesh mural featuring images inspired by the natural and recreational resources of  Spy Pond and printed by the locally owned business Arlington Banner and Flag, will be hung on the side of the Arlington Boys and Girls Club building overlooking Spy Pond.

The public is invited to a short reception featuring key speakers including John Budzyna of the Arlington Center for the Arts, David Ardito, Interim Head of Visual Arts for Arlington Public Schools, Alan Manoian, the Town’s Economic Development Officer, and Karen Grossman, President of the Friends of Spy Pond Park.

Adria Arch, a representative of Arlington Public Art, commented, “We are indebted to David Ardito, Interim Head of Visual Arts for Arlington Public Schools, for facilitating the mural images and to the students whose work will be displayed for all to enjoy.”   The four young artists, two of whom are now at college, have been invited to be present at the reception and include Jordawn Moses, Jobada Kachi, Lydia Genard, and Claire Stevens-Luneau.

The mural is the result of a fundraising campaign to raise awareness and interest in public art in Arlington.  It is the product of a successful collaboration between many groups in town including the Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington Vision 2020, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington Planning Dept., Arlington Boys and Girls Club, Friends of Spy Pond Park, and numerous businesses and individuals. 

Fundraising for the mural included this summer’s Chairful Where You Sit, a pop up installation of chairs displayed on the Minuteman Bike Path. Over 30 local artists donated their time and talents to reinventing used chairs  that were available to the public for a donation of $100. Artbeat, the Creativity Store, located on Mass Ave in Capitol Square, sponsored the Art Gecko public art fundraising campaign this summer.  Currently, public funds are not yet available for public art, however many businesses and residents have contributed generously to the project.

HISTORY OF THE MURAL:

In the spring of 2011, Arlington High students were invited by Arlington Public Art to submit an image to be selected for a mural overlooking Spy Pond. Four images were chosen from over sixty entries by Arlington High School students. http://www.acarts.org/pdfs/SpyPondMural_StudentArtists.pdf

Student artwork for the mural was chosen specifically to highlight the artistic talents of our youth and to engage the community in supporting youthful creativity.  Rather than choose an image by a professional artist, APA felt that youth-generated imagery would be more easily supported by residents.  Images generated by young people, many who have fond childhood memories of Spy Pond and the Arlington Boys and Girls Club, seemed especially appropriate for the setting. The eye catching, colorful mural covering the large blue wall next to Spy Pond, will enliven the view from the bike path, Spy Pond, and surrounding homes, and attract visitors to Arlington.