Marguerite Wynter On What To See In Boston This Spring And The Need For Public Art

What is the Boston Public Art Triennial?

The organisation was founded by executive director, Kate Gilbert in 2015, as Now + There, the city’s only public art organisation dedicated to creating bold contemporary public art. We support artists and communities with annual programmes and a triennial (once every three years) city-wide public art exhibition. There has been tremendous growth in the ten years including our rebrand into the Boston Public Art Triennial in the spring of 2024. We looked at other biennials and triennials in North America and thought why can’t that experience happen in Boston, too, so here we go! The Triennial 2025, titled The Exchange, will consist of over 15 public art projects throughout the city, plus all the major museums will have public work on view, with six months of programmes and activations.

Where can we find it in Boston?

The programme starts in Boston’s Downtown area and then radiates into the neighbourhoods of Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, and Mattapan. Travel to Evans Way Park, a local hang out spot for university students in Fenway to see an outdoor work by Nicholas Galanin, then a few short steps away see his exhibition at MassArt Art Museum (MAAM), or hop on the ferry to East Boston to see a community printing press by Gabriel Sosa in partnership with Maverick Landing Community Service. Really, there is so much to see from public parks to unexpected places – it is spread out over the entire city. While not every neighbourhood in Boston will have a Triennial project for this edition, our hope is that over the next few editions we reach them all.

Highlights from this year’s (and the first ever) Boston Public Art Triennial that we must see?

Our curators Pedro Alonzo and Tess Lukey have curated a strong mix of local and national and international artists, so it’s hard to pick one that I’m most excited about. However, what I’m hoping visitors take away is how these artists respond to public space with their work and leave wanting more public art in our city because of it. I’m in awe of the craftsmanship of Stephen Hamilton’s work and so happy for him as a local artist from Roxbury to be part of the Triennial. We’ve partnered with Roxbury Community College to host his public work installation, which will include programming that highlights his practice of celebrating the rich histories of West and Central African traditions of natural dying and weaving. The detail of his work is something to not be missed and if you get a chance to hear from him and his art assistants, you’ll instantly know why he is a hometown favourite. Adela Goldbard, interdisciplinary artist from Mexico City, will present a radical performance in September. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but expect pyrotechnics!

 

Talk us through your role as Director of Partnerships & Engagement for Boston Public Art Triennial. What does this involve?

There’s so much happening in the Partnership and Engagement department – it really covers a lot of ground! Engagement is a big umbrella, from collaborating with the entire Triennial team, to connecting with arts and culture organisations, civic groups, and developing thoughtful programming. As director, I’m always thinking about how our public programmes and activations can spark conversations, open minds, and create welcoming spaces – with community at the heart of it all. We’re constantly exploring ways to make our programming both intergenerational and multidisciplinary, so that people of all ages can find joy, meaning and connection in the work we do. What I love most about public art is how many different ways there are to engage with it – whether someone’s a contemporary art enthusiast or brand new to it all, there’s always an entry point through programming that invites them in.

Boston Public Art Triennial is all about boosting the relationship between Boston’s community and the art world. Why?

Community engagement is an integral part of the work we do at the Triennial. For me, it’s about building trust and developing relationships with people, whether that be artists, neighbours, even the general public. I find that meeting people where they are and showing up is the first step and often times the most important. From scouting locations, to curating new public art, to developing programmes, the people of Boston are always at the centre of our conversations.

Tell us about yourself. When and how did your relationship with art begin? 

I grew up on Cape Cod and from an early age during all school vacations my mum was always signing me up for art making classes at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. She still has work from my childhood hanging in the house. One of my prize possessions is a portrait I drew of my kindergarten art teacher, Miss Coco. It’s hanging in my living room.

 

How did this interest develop into a career in the arts? 

Travel has always been part of my life. My mum, grandmother, and I were a travelling trio which always included a visit to a museum or gallery no matter where we might be. My father is from Antigua in the Caribbean, I’ve been exposed to different perspectives my whole life which I’m forever grateful for. This has helped me realise how important it is for artists to be storytellers and how much we learn from these voices, so it’s really a gift to be able to support and work with artists everyday.

I interned at a few galleries but realised that gallery life might not be what I was looking for, so I pivoted into the non-profit art work in graduate school. I was fortunate to work closely with Nicola Lees, the now CEO and artistic director at Aspen Art Museum, who I still consider the one that opened my eyes and mentored me at the very beginning of my career. This then led to my working as one of the assistant curators at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, where I worked with social practice and performance artists, and it really blossomed from there into my work in engagement now.

 

Favourite projects you have worked on to date?

This is such a hard question, does everyone say that? Working on the 2019 edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) titled ‘…and other such stories’ will always be the highlight for me. It was my entrance into the world of biennials that taught me so much about planning large scale city-wide events. The curators, Yesomi Umulo, Sepake Angiama, and Paulo Tavarez opened my eyes to so many artists that I still very much admire and I feel so fortunate to have been part of that curatorial team. When I heard about a Triennial in Boston, close to home, I immediately knew it would be the right fit to bring what I learned at CAB to this new project. A Triennial in Boston, I could never have imagined that and now to be part of it is even more special.

Favourite artists – past or present – that you have loved working with? 

There are too many to count! I’ve had the privilege of working with so many artists but some I’ve loved working with are Akinbode Akinbiyi and Tanya Nixon-Silberg.

 

Any anecdotes you can share from this?

I worked closely with Akinbode during the 2019 edition of CAB and he is such a caring and gentle soul which is all reflected in his photography. He led open photography workshops where students and community members in North Lawndale, a neighbourhood on Chicago’s west side, took photography walks to document the everyday life of the neighbourhood. It was truly a one-of-a-kind experience to take those long walks with Akinbode.

Tanya and I met through The Triennial when I first started. She has been a guiding light that I turn to for advice and feedback in working with and for community. Like Akinbode, she has a deep sense of care and empathy in her practice.

 

How does Boston’s art scene compare to others around the world? 

There is a lot of movement here but I’m not sure the public outside of Boston really knows. I went to university in Boston and like many others, I left after graduation to be in New York City. Since coming back, I’m realising there is so much talent and incredible artists, especially coming from MassArt and SMFA at Tufts.

Where is Boston’s creative hub? Does it have one? 

Bostonians have a lot of pride in their neighbourhoods and their communities, so it’s hard to pinpoint if there is a central hub for creativity. I think it’s taking place across the whole city.

Outside of the Boston Public Art Triennial, your favourite spots for enjoying art in Boston?

I’m a big ambient music fan and I really enjoy the shows that Non-Event produces. Last year, I saw KMRU, a Kenyan Berlin-based, ambient sound artist performance at City Hall. I was in awe!

 

Where do you go to relax and/or eat in between gallery hopping in Boston?

I love Rebel Rebel in Somerville. They have a fabulous selection of natural and organic wines; their sommelier also selects the wines for the ICA’s Wine + Coffee Bar – definitively the perfect hang out spot post museum day to look at the views of East Boston along the waterfront. Speaking of East Boston, since I live there, I’m also a big fan of the birria tacos from Taqueria Jalisco.

Your favourite contemporary female artist(s) based in Boston we should all know about?

Rixy. Go see her mural on Highland Street in Roxbury!

A piece of art you could look at again and again and never grow tired of?

I grew up reading Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, so really, any of her work is something I could revisit again and again. I also vividly remember going back to Kerry James Marshall’s Mastry exhibition at The Met over and over while I was in grad school – I was absolutely mesmerised by his work, especially The Lost Boys, and I still am.

 

Which unmissable exhibitions can we look forward in Boston – across the city – this year?

Obviously, the Triennial! Over six months, we’ll host talks, performances, art-making workshops, and touch points for audiences of all kinds to experience the work across the city. I’m especially excited for Castle of Our Skins’ performance – a Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music, in response to Alison Croney Moses’s work in the Triennial. There are also new leadership in the arts in Boston right now. Carmen Hermo joined the MFA Boston last fall as their Curator of Contemporary Art, I can’t wait to see what she brings to the museum, especially with her work in highlighting feminist practices.

Where would you like to see Boston’s art industry go next?

More and more opportunities are opening up for artists to make their mark. I just want that momentum to continue, and for Boston to be recognised alongside the cities we typically think of as art hubs, like New York, Chicago, and Mexico City. In my short time back, it’s clear that Boston isn’t just a university or sports town – the arts are here.

If you had to sum up Boston’s art scene in one word, what would it be?

Happening! It’s all happening – oops, guess that’s four words!