ART al fresco

by Sean McCarthy

Public art is flourishing in New Bedford and it’s eliciting a wide range of reactions.

Artists from around the nation and throughout the South Coast are celebrating New Bedford with a range of creativity that is enhancing the city’s cultural experience for both residents and tourists. With works displayed at the waterfront and downtown, these free exhibits are part of a growing national movement in contemporary public art. From July through October of this year, the Seaport Art Walk will mark its’ 10th year of public contributions while the Mass Design, Art & Technology Institute (DATMA) will expand to its fifth.

“Public art is different from the experience of being in a traditional gallery,” says Jessica Bregoli, who founded the Seaport Art Walk in 2013. “It’s free and in your face, you can’t not look at it. A lot of people who wouldn’t normally go to an art museum to look at art are seeing it. It’s big and beautiful and colorful – you may love it, you may hate it, but it stirs up new conversations.

“In the last 10 years public art has exploded.”

“Public art is part of a national trend that is becoming more inclusive, and it’s becoming part of the fabric of the city,” says Lindsay Mis, founding Director of DATMA. “It’s pretty exciting to see public art evolve in this way. In five years, I’ve seen way more community engagement in the creation of artwork than ever before.”

“Public art is bringing vibrancy to the city’s landscape. It’s adding life and color,” says Dena Haden, Director of the Co-Creative Center in downtown and a team member of the mural initiative Superflat NB. “It’s showing that New Bedford is open to innovation and new visions and being imaginative in our open spaces.”

The Seaport Art Walk boasts nine works by regional artists, located in the State Pier garden beds along MacArthur Drive, from the corner of Elm Street and Route 18 to the Coast Guard Park.

“This is a great location,” Bregoli says. “These pieces are highly visible to pedestrians and drivers, it’s near restaurants and the Sea Streak ferry. There’s tons of traffic from all walks of life whether it’s workers, drivers or tourists visiting the area.”

Self-guided tours of the Seaport Art Walk are available online at destinationnewbedford.org.

DATMA is in its second consecutive year of creating works around the theme of “Shelter.” They have tapped into the talents of three artists from across the nation to bring their skills to the city with the aim of expressing and articulating what they see in the people, history, and environment of New Bedford.

Local color

Included in the DATMA works are “Threshold,” a piece by New York artist Mark Reigelman, “Our Woven Story,” by Chicago artist Maxwell Emcays, and “Community Tides” by Boston artist Silvia Lopez-Chavez.

“Threshold” is located in Custom House Square in downtown. Inspired by the Religious Society of Friends and the historical role the city played in the Abolition movement, this 17-foot-high piece features two towering open doors and is constructed largely of steel and wood.

“Our Woven Story” is located at the intersection of Route 18 and Union Street, and it explores the role of textiles in New Bedford’s past and present. The work is comprised of more than 300 pieces of recycled textiles collected from among the New Bedford community.

“Community Tides” is a mural located on the exterior wall of the Northern Pelagic Group alongside Route 18 on the west side of the New BedfordFairhaven Bridge. With assistance in its’ creation by students from New Bedford High School, the mural is 223 feet in length and 10 feet high. It is a colorful and dynamic portrayal of the New Bedford community, its diverse economy, and the fishing industry.

“It’s important for art to speak about a certain time and place, to relate to where the artwork is being installed,” Mis says. “It’s like a photograph, it’s a moment in time. And for an artist to interpret the world around them and what might be happening in that area, it becomes a landmark – something that can represent a place.

“All objects in our world have a story in one way or another, you either connect with something or you don’t. You may connect with something that makes you think differently and gets you excited. My favorite comments come from people who are not coming at it from an artistic lens.”

“A lot of contemporary public art reflects society as it is now,” Bregoli says. “It’s a very different experience than looking at Renoirs and Monets in a museum.”

And DATMA’s 2023 exhibits include an outdoor display of regional artists called “Open Studios On the Sidewalk.” Located along the waterfront at Tonnessen Park by the entrance of the Sea Streak ferry, the gallery boasts the work of 11 artists from local towns such as New Bedford, Wareham, Fall River, and Brockton. The works include textiles, painting, photography, and mixedmedia. The display was installed by students from GNB Voc Tech High School.

Community input

“Public art inspires the whole gamut of reactions, you may really love one piece and react negatively to another,” says Haden, who has two photographs as part of the Open Studios exhibit. “Public art inspires reflection and conversations, and I think that’s a good thing.”

A new dimension of the Seaport Art Walk is the Groundwork Gallery, which is making its debut this year. Located on the first floor of the Quest Center at 1213 Pleasant Street, the gallery is showcasing the work of more than a dozen local artists through October. The featured artists were either previously displayed at the Art Walk or had applied to be a part of it.

In addition to providing public art, DATMA is also offering educational programming.

From August 8 through October 8, the New Bedford Art Museum will present “Under the Sheltering Sky.” Located at 608 Pleasant Street in downtown, the show will feature prints from the New Bedford Free Public Library – a first edition set of John J. Audubon’s “Birds of America” and works by Brooklyn-based artist Adrian Brandon. The prints highlight birds in their nests and natural habitats, many of which have never been previously exhibited.

On August 9 and 10, UMass Dartmouth’s Ceramic facilities in downtown New Bedford will present the workshop “Breaking Rules to Help Humanity – Exploring the Possibilities of 3D Printing.”

On August 20, from noon to 3 p.m., there will be a free tour, “Open House at the Mansions,” which will explore two of New Bedford’s most historic properties, the James Arnold House at 427 County Street and the Rotch Jones Duff House & Garden Museum at 396 County Street. In addition to the tours, the day will include free activities along with beverages and snacks.

On September 12, the New Bedford Science Café will offer “Conversations About Climate Change in New Bedford – Exploring Probable Futures.” Located at the Last Round Bar & Grille at 908 Purchase Street, the talk will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and feature guest speaker Alison Smart, Executive Director of Probable Futures.

On September 14, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra will give a free pop-up performance from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Custom House Square in downtown at 21 Bakers Lane.