New art exhibits and murals on display at City Hall

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture today announced a series of new artwork is now on display at Boston City Hall, including four new art exhibitions and three new murals. This effort is part of Mayor Walsh's commitment to creating a City Hall that is a vibrant public space and is welcoming for all.

"City Hall Galleries have been an incredible success, showcasing the work of local artists both to City employees and to everyone who comes into City Hall to conduct business," said Mayor Walsh. "It's a great example of how we continue to incorporate the arts into everything we do as a City, elevate and value the contributions of individual artists, and also provide opportunities for artists to showcase their work to a wider audience."

The new art exhibitions represent a diverse mix of artistic mediums, and include:

• A Summer Proposal: Boston City Hall: features the work of eight Boston and Cambridge based artists who have created pieces for Boston City Hall using various mediums including film, sound, video, ceramic and painting. Inspiration for their work comes Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles' architectural design of the building, constructed in 1968. The eight artists, all who teach at local universities and colleges, include Azra Aksmija, Mark Cooper, Sheila Gallagher, Andy Graydon, Nick Montfort, Ben Sloat, Mary Ellen Strom and Deb Todd Wheeler. The show is part of an ongoing series of exhibitions featuring guest curators from Greater Boston's leading cultural organizations announced as part of the Boston Creates Cultural Plan. The exhibit is on display through August 18 in the Scollay Square Gallery and third floor lobby of City Hall, and is curated by Paul C. Ha, director of the MIT List Visual Art Center. 

• Saturn's Transit: A Selection of Journal Entries: features cut paper organized into imagery as a result of the artist's process of mindfulness. The work is excerpted from a larger series of journal pieces based on current events and the artist's personal anxieties. The exhibit is curated by Jeremy Hetherington, a Boston-based industrial designer and artist, and will be displayed in the fifth Floor Mayor's Gallery through August 11, 2017. 

• Sail Boston: Celebrates June 2017's "Sail Boston," photographer Kevin Davis will showcase images from Sail Boston 2000, Op Sail Boston 2009, Op Sail Boston 2012, Op Sail Philadelphia 2015, Gloucester Schooner Festival, Camden Windjammer Festival, and Boothbay Windjammer Festival. These photos will be displayed in the second Floor Mayor's Neighborhood Gallery from July 15 - August 30, 2017. 

• Historic Artifacts from the City's Archaeology Laboratory: features artifacts found in sites that record Native American history of Shawmut and contribute to the history of Boston and our nation. The laboratory serves as part of the City Archaeology Program, founded in 1983, that supports Boston as the "City of Archaeology," by protecting below-ground cultural resources in the City, educating the public on archaeology through various city programs, and managing Rainsford Island, one of the City's most important historic holdings. The exhibit is curated by City of Boston staff archaeologist Joe Bagley, and will be on display through July 30, 2017 in the Mayor's Display Case on the 5th floor of City Hall.

More information about the upcoming exhibition in the City Hall Galleries can be found here.

In addition to the City Hall Galleries,  Mayor Walsh announced the unveiling of three new murals at Boston City Hall. Two murals depicting Boston's circles, squares, and corners were installed on the seventh and eighth floor of City Hall. In addition, a mural that serves as a backdrop for City Hall weddings faces the City Clerk's office on the sixth floor.

In collaboration with Boston Property Management and DCL Ltd., Heidi Schork, Director of the Mayor's Mural Crew, designed "Circles of Boston" (floor 7) and "Squares of Boston" (floor 8), which are a colorful and modern take on various beloved and recognizable iconic neighborhoods, such as Codman Square, Audubon Circle, and Upham's Corner. Schork also collaborated with the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics to create a backdrop for those who get married in City Hall at the City Clerk Office on the 6th floor. The mural was produced as part of the New Urban Mechanics' Married in Boston project, a photography series that highlights weddings at City Hall. People who use the backdrop are invited to use the hashtag #MarriedInBoston on social media.

The Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture's mission is to support artists, the cultural sector, and to promote access to the arts for all. The office houses the Boston Cultural Council, the Boston Art Commission, and the Poet Laureate program. Responsibilities include leading up the City's Cultural Plan, Boston Creates; managing the Boston Artist-in-Residence program (BostonAIR); curating exhibitions in City Hall; and operating the historic Strand Theater in Dorchester.  For more information go to: www.boston.gov/arts 

The cultural plan is a ten year plan for supporting arts and culture in the City of Boston. It was created out of a year-long community engagement effort designed to help local government identify cultural needs, opportunities, and resources and to prioritize, coordinate, and align public and private resources to strengthen Boston's cultural vitality over the long term. The full cultural plan can be found online at http://plan.bostoncreates.org.