BLUE PRINTING
ALONG THE CHARLES: exploring art & the environment through cyanotype
2023 ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
AT MASS AUDUBON'S MAGAZINE BEACH NATURE CENTER, CAMBRIDGE, MA
SIGN UP FOR A FREE CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP THIS JUNE AND JULY
Building on the success of the 2022 Magazine Beach Tapestry Project, Cecily Miller and Michelle Lougee have invited Liz Shepherd and Suzanne Moseley to develop an Artists-in-Residence project exploring nature and creativity through cyanotype. Cyanotype was one of the earliest photographic methods used to document botanical species; today, contemporary artists use it in diverse, experimental, and unexpected ways. The artists will hold four community workshops, so that park visitors can discover this magical process for themselves.
MAY 26: MEET THE ARTISTS
Liz and Suzanne will unveil their pop-up outdoor studio on May 26, 5 to 8 pm, at Mass Audubon's Nature in the City Festival
SIGN UP FOR A FREE CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP
No prior experience is necessary; adults and children ages 10 and up are welcome. Meet at the Magazine Beach Nature Center 30 minutes before the workshop for a guided collection walk or bring flowers, leaves, feathers etc collected from your own walks or yard. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS BELOW.
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Saturday, June 17, 3-4 or 4-5 pm
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Thursday, June 22, 3-4 or 4-5 pm
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Saturday July 8, 3-4 or 4-5 pm
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Wednesday, July 26 3-4 or 4-5 pm
RAIN PLAN: in the event of rain, workshops will be held the next day at the same time.
POP UP STUDIO & PUBLIC ART
For the first part of their residency, Liz and Suzanne have created a a tent draped in large cyanotypes printed on fabric. They combined images of birds collected from Mass. Audubon and plant material found in Magazine Beach Park. This pop-up tent is a work of temporary public art and a space for creativity; when not used for workshop, the public is invited to enjoy it as a shade structure and hang-out spot.
MASS AUDUBON MAGAZINE BEACH PARK NATURE CENTER WEBSITE
NATURE CENTER ADDRESS:
668 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
across the street from the Morse Elementary School, Trader Joe's and MicroCenter; near the Magazine Beach Pool. A pedestrian bridge over Memorial Drive can be accessed from Magazine Street.
MORE ABOUT THE ARTISTS
QUESTIONS?
Send an email to: Cecily.APA@gmail.com or, for urgent matters, send a text to: 617.331.1715.
BEHIND THE SCENES
As part of their Residency, Susanne and Liz will give workshops for the Morse Elementary School 3rd grade art class and Mass Audubon's after school nature exploration group.
BLUEPRINTING ALONG THE CHARLES is curated by Cecily Miller and Michelle Lougee and organized in partnership with Mass Audubon, Magazine Beach Partners (MPB), the Morse School, and Gallery 263. Funding generously provided by the Mass. Cultural Council, Magazine Beach Partners, and individual donors.
This youth-led version of Tom Starr's regional public art project calls attention to the impact of climate change on Arlington by imagining critical moments in our future and "commemorating" them with markers modelled on those found marking historic sites along an interpretive trail.
CURRENT PROJECT: REMEMBRANCE OF CLIMATE FUTURES WITH ARTIST TOM STARR & ARTS ARLINGTON
CLIMATE FUTURES ARLINGTON
Cecily worked with colleague Rachel Oliveri, Coordinator of the Arlington Public Schools Sustainability Initiatives, to develop a youth-led version of Northeastern Professor Tom Starr's regional project, Remembrance of Climate Futures. 12 High school interns created 23 markers that imagine future impacts of the climate crisis on the landscape and community where they live. Based on research, consultation with community activists, and lively discussion, the interns envisioned events such as:
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Flooding of the Amelia Earhart Dam creating Arlington's first climate refugees.
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Construction of the first Support Center to help with the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change, and the first Clean Air Shelter offering relief from air pollution.
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Planting of hundreds of trees along Mass Avenue, transitions to native plants in lawns and to renewable energy for transportation and buildings.
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The first Knotweed Cafe serving safely foraged invasive plants and the arrival of the formerly southern pine beetle in Menotomy Rocks Park.
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Free bus service and a comprehensive K-12 climate curriculum in the public schools.
Several of the interns have become passionate advocates for climate action. Watch their speeches at a December, 2022 celebration for the project here, together with a project overview by artist Tom Starr.
Read more about CLIMATE FUTURES/ARLINGTON on the awesome project website built by the interns. Funded by a grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and organized by ArtsArling in collaboration with the Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development.
WE'RE ON TV!
Arlington Community Media's "Talk of the Town" covered Climate Futures in a comprehensive studio show with three interns, Cecily and Rachel Oliveri; Tom Starr is interviewed separate at home. Watch here:
Climate Futures/Talk of the Town
CURRENT PROJECT: ARLINGTON MURAL PROJECT FOR ARTS ARLINGTON
With funding from Arlington's Transformative Growth Grant Program, Cecily is working with ACAC, the Arlington Center for the Arts and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce to plan and implement 1-3 new murals in Arlington. Cecily has brought Amanda Hill on board as a Mural Consultant to develop a comprehensive tool kit that will guide artist selection and contracting, community engagement, and commissioning process. Also included is a community survey, an inventory of sites, and criteria for site selection.
CURRENT PROJECT: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME – ARTIST IN RESIDENCE WITH KARI PERCIVAL FOR ARTSARLINGTON
Cecily invited artist and illustrator Kari Percival to serve as 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence for the Town of Arlington. As one part of her AIR, Kari has developed "No Place Like Home", a poster campaign supporting local organizations and volunteer groups with environmental missions.