On June 22nd from 4:00-5:30 pm ET, join the MAPC Public Health and Arts & Culture departments as we unveil new artworks created by nine artists and artist teams that aim to spread the word about COVID-related public health advice. The artworks are available for public use by health agencies, municipalities, community groups, and the general public. Join us to celebrate the artists and receive links to the artworks available for digital download and sharing!

Learn more about the project at www.mapc.org/covid19-art.

Please join the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) for an information session and Q&A for artists interested in the Boston Urban Agriculture Community Events Activation Call for Artists. 

Target Audience: Artists in the Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester, and East Boston areas. 

Register Here!

The Boston Urban Agriculture Strategy is a project in partnership between MAPC, GrowBoston (the City of Boston’s urban agriculture initiative), and the Urban Farming Institute (UFI). The project aims to increase food production in the City with a particular focus on the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and East Boston. Learn more. . .

Join the MAPC Arts & Culture department to learn about federal funding opportunities for cultural planning projects — specifically the Our Town grant program from the National Endowment for the Arts. We’ll talk about some of the types of projects covered by this grant, the upcoming associated deadlines, and hear from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.

Panelists:

• Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture, City of Boston Mayor’s Office
• Hannah Gathman, Senior Regional Arts and Culture Planner, MAPC
• Annis Sengupta, Director of Arts and Culture, MAPC

Register to join us here!

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this session serves as an introduction to indigenous kinship systems and how it informs how Tribal Nations and Peoples perceive climate health and how it informs the approach to solutions. Guest speaker: Ryann Monteiro.

Register Here

Attempts to engage Tribal Nations are generally well-intended but under-informed. A general lack of understanding of Indigenous worldviews and tribal sovereignty has often led to “one size fits all” solutions that do not fit the needs, wants, or desires of that community. Layered with a history of non-indigenous entities utilizing extractive practices in their relationships, the result has been a legacy of distrust. In response to this, many tribes are highly selective in who they work with and why as they seek to protect the very things that have been, and currently are, under threat: their land, language, culture, families, and sacred teachings.

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this talk focuses on the power of indigenous land management practices that have taken place for thousands of years, and the importance of traditional ecological knowledge in the preservation of these native ecological systems that have been severely damaged by human and industry impact for hundreds of years. Guest speaker: Leslie Jonas

Register Here

Currently, the condition of the water is critical as our waterways are sick and dying. This current condition threatens the lifeways of the local indigenous people who have lived and thrived in these natural environments for millenia. Concepts like Rewilding were introduced to reverse biodiversity loss but can exclude the local traditional ecological knowledge systems that have kept the natural world in balance since time immemorial.

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this presentation will delve into the intricate connection between traditional ecological knowledge and the Wampanoag perspective. Guest speakers: Linda Coombs and Bret Stearns

Register Here

It will trace the evolution and expression of their worldview up until the time of initial contact. The discussion will cover how the Wampanoag people managed to preserve certain traditions despite colonization’s challenges. Moreover, it will emphasize the critical contemporary implications of these dynamics, particularly underscoring the pivotal role of the Wampanoag perspective in strengthening climate resiliency efforts in the present day.

Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this discussion will lead us beyond land acknowledgments to a more collaborative and rights-based approach to climate resilience. Guest speaker: Kristen Wyman

Register Here

Learn how indigenous land back efforts in both private and public lands are benefiting municipal efforts to restore and manage forests and waterways for increased biodiversity, greater productivity and resilience to shock and disturbance. Specifically, we will explore the historical characteristics of local indigenous foodways and consider how a transition to an alternative food system grounded in indigenous knowledge and leadership can support a more robust and resilient ecosystem in the context of our rapidly changing climate. 

Come join MassCreative, MAPC, and the creative community for speeches, performances and demonstrations that celebrate the vibrancy and strength of arts, culture and creativity across the Commonwealth. Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll will provide opening remarks.

RSVP for adding this event.

Concord will be hosting a hybrid Community Forum for the three semi-finalists for their Making It Public art installation. View the event flyer to learn more.

Location:
Hearing Room, Town House
22 Monument Square, Concord

or

Virtual (Zoom)
Link
Meeting ID: 868 4763 0182
Passcode: 264996

mgraney@concordma.gov

Learn more about the Making It Public art project on MAPC’s website.

The Lex250 Commission invites community members to hear directly from four artists chosen to develop concepts for a monument to honor the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington in Belfry Hill. This is a hybrid event. Community members are invited to attend in person or virtually via Zoom. Artists will present their concepts for the Lex250 Monument virtually and there will be a time for Q&A with the artists following artist presentations.

Location:
Estabrook Room in the lower level of Lexington Town Office Building
1605 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420

& Virtual

Please RSVP:  mapc.ma/Lex250Monument

Learn more about the project on the webpage.