Boston may be no graffiti-lined Philadelphia, but quirky and contentious outdoor art pieces still line the city’s streets. With fresh collaborations among local and international artists and Boston City Council, captivating murals just keep on coming. Check out these cool and quirky projects to see the best of Boston’s street art scene.
Bartlett Yard, Roxbury
In celebration of Boston’s arts and culture scene over the last few months, Bartlett Yard in Roxbury has played host to a temporary street art collection and a series of creative community events. Once home to a derelict bus garage, the area has been brought to life with colorful and creative wall art featuring a colossal cockroach and a bright pink octopus. The Bartlett Yard buildings will be bulldozed between November and December to make way for a new residential development, so get there quickly if you want to catch a glimpse of these vibrant designs.
Shepard Fairey Wall Art
To complement an exhibition of his work at the Institute of Contemporary Art in 2009, notorious contemporary graphic designer Shepard Fairey delighted Bostonians with an array of outdoor art projects peppered throughout the city. Famous for his “Obey” slogans and his “Hope” election poster for President Obama, Fairey has roamed the street art world for the last 20 years, producing work that mixes political messages with bold designs and striking images. Several of the Boston murals remain intact around town, drenched in the artist’s trademark blacks, whites and reds.
Boston Arts Commission Projects
In a series of recent projects, the Boston Arts Commission has teamed up with local street artists to transform everyday city objects into works of art. In 2008, the citywide PaintBox initiative converted disheveled electrical boxes into eye-catching outdoor art. The new ArtBox project, launched in April 2013, aims to freshen up the drab concrete barriers of Boston’s roads and bridges. Earlier this year a host of volunteers stenciled a vibrant yellow and blue sketch designed by artists Benjamin Winters and Vaclav Sipla onto the Northern Avenue and North Washington Street Bridges.
Dewey Square
Until recently, a dramatic technicolor mural of a masked boy in pajamas loomed over downtown’s Dewey Square. “The Giant of Boston” arrived in 2012 courtesy of renowned Brazilian street art duo Os Gêmeos, and has been a controversial fixture on the Boston street art scene. A more demure seascape by the name of “Remembrance: Salt and Light,” concocted by British-born artist Matthew Ritchie in varying shades of grey, has now replaced “The Giant.” Inspired by Boston’s history and coastal location, the much-discussed design aims to create conversation and engage the city, but Bostonians remain divided as to whether the new arrival will live up to its predecessor.
(Main image: Feature © Polka Dot Images)
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