2020 2019 2021 2022 2023

Artists-in-Residence Cohort 3 artists were selected, staff capacity. months to work.

Artists-in-Residence Cohort 4

Artists-in-Residence Cohort 5 the Uphams neighborhood, based on artist painted a was programmed neighborhood events, but only artists. paired with a BCYF, but in freely connecting including:

Commission (then Elderof Transportation , Record Management Arts & Culture importance of organizing (community building & actimobilizing different groups), clear program expectations.

Obando, DS4SI, professors + fellows) led Artists led events and open to public. Resilience and research.

Leadership (Karin Goodfellow, Amuguni).

A cohort of 5 artists were selected, for greater individual support. Artists had 12 months to work, later extended 3, and higher payment.

City partners

Boston Public Health Commission (Youth Organizing Institute), Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement, Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, Office of Emergency Management, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Advancement, Dept of Housing (Boston Housing Innovation Lab)

Depts applied to be City Partners.

Hosted 2-3 City Partner meetings, facilitated by Sherman Cultural Strategies, to process and talk integrating projects into workflow.

Learning

Planned curriculum and workshops for artists. But learned to hold space for flexibility, accessibility, honesty, and care during the pandemic and mass mobilizations.

Design and Leadership

Arts & Culture; AIR program manager role became part of Arts & Culture’s staff budget, not grant-funded or part of program operations budget.

Documentation

Hired a Communications Fellow (Veronica Wells), who expanded process documentation (podcast, videos, blogs) and engagement through virtual events.

City Partner

Boston Planning + Development Agency (Planning & Research Divisions), Environment Dept, Dept of Transportation, Dept of Parks and Recreation, Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture (AIR Program)

Depts apply to be City Partners, with more expectation-setting around communicating capacity and making time.

Learning

Dedicated monthly City Partner Sessions to build cohort, process, discuss integrating into workflow and leveraging policy windows.

Dedicated monthly Artist Sessions for artists and Partner Circles for all artist-City teams. Established program phases (e.g. Research Phase) to guide process, meetings with the Mayor’s team and Arts & Culture teams.

Design and Leadership

Arts & Culture; AIR program manager contracted part-time after leaving full-time with hope to help onboard. Processing and posting the job took almost 1 year.

Learned the necessity of a team and central role of care labor & compensating it fairly.

A cohort of 6 social practice / civic / community organizer artists were selected, and given 15 months to work. made videos and Culture.

Documentation and Deidra (Sherman Cultural

Arts & Culture (Communications team for the Office)

Evaluation

Melissa Q. Teng (Participatory Action Research AIR)

— Some of City Hall’s cultural obstacles

Where could we intervene?