We’re postponing… but! In response to the Massachusetts’s Governor’s guidance in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, we’re postponing this event. In the meantime, however, we’re still thinking about these important issues, and know you are, too. We invite you to sign up here to receive occasional emails on this and related topics. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to being in touch!

What can municipal staff working in the areas of planning, open space and recreation, and public arts do to address untold histories, engage with controversy, and leverage the power of public art and public memory in these discussions?

Join the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and New England Foundation for the Arts for a professional development workshop designed for municipal staff on new approaches to public memory and public art in Greater Boston.

In this workshop, you’ll learn about best practices for facilitating dialogue about controversial monuments and memorials in your community, and about inspiring examples of public art and public history projects that are transforming public memories of places around the country. You will also engage in small group discussions where you’ll have an opportunity to learn about lesser-known historic and cultural stories in our region and how those stories and experiences can be actively engaged in place-based planning and programming related to public art, creative placemaking/placekeeping initiatives, and more.

Facilitators and Speakers: To be announced

This event is part of a series organized by the MAPC’s Arts and Culture Department and NEFA’s Public Art Department in conjunction with MAPC’s MetroCommon 2050 planning process. This unique, cross-sector initiative brings together artists and creators, planners, and policymakers to discuss the evolving relationship among public art, public memory, and public policy and to explore how artists can envision and shape more inclusive, thriving spaces and communities in Greater Boston.

The Medfield Anthology is a site-informed performance piece written by playwright and Metropolitan Area Planning Council Artist-in-Residence Hortense Gerardo.

Featuring local Medfield talent from The Gazebo Players and performances by members of the Boston Dance Theater!

First created as an immersive walking play through the Medfield State Hospital grounds, the play portrays the Medfield State Hospital in its many facets – not only a place where patients went for psychiatric care, but also where community members attended an annual Harvest Ball, young lovers went to movie screenings in the chapel, and youngsters competed in Little League games.

The cast and crew of The Medfield Anthology are excited to present the play in an exciting new online format. Featuring a new scene about the 1918 flu pandemic and a movement piece adapted for viewing on computer screens, the latest version of this play⁠ takes on surprising relevance⁠—as does the history of the site itself.

Followed by a Q&A with Medfield Town Planner Sarah Raposa and Cultural Alliance of Medfield Director Jean Mineo about future plans for the chapel and the rest of the MSH campus

Register for tickets here to receive a link to the free performance!

For more information, visit: https://medfieldculture.org or www.mapc.org/msh-events.

What is spatial justice, and how can cities and towns use this framework to rethink how their built environment supports people’s rights to be, thrive, express and connect? What role can artists and public art play in helping us imagine and shape more inclusive, thriving public spaces throughout Greater Boston? Join a lively discussion among artists, activists, and urbanists who are leading the conversation about spatial justice in our region today.

This meeting has been postponed to a later date and time still to be determined. Once it has been determined, this posting will be updated to reflect the new date and time. Thank you for your understanding!

Revere residents:

What kinds of arts and cultural community space do you want at the old Beachmont Fire Station on Winthrop Ave? Join us for this virtual conversation to learn what we’ve heard from the project Working Group, community focus groups, and the project survey, and let us know what you think!

Join us for this virtual community-focused conversation. Register here. 
Meeting materials and presentation will be in English, Spanish, and Arabic.

Find more information about this project here: mapc.ma/Beachmont-Fire-Station.