'R-O-X-B-U-R-Y' public art project
Artist Joe Wardwell collaborated with poet Nakia Hill and youth from 826 Boston’s Youth Literary Advisory Board on this project. It was installed in January 2022.
The project created a colorful, layered installation of poetry and Roxbury landscapes on three walls at the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library. This is visible from Warren Street.
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Arts and Culture
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1 City Hall Square
Room 802Boston, MA 02201-2029
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More public art at the Roxbury Branch:
Project details
The total project budget was $250,000, including fabrication and installation. This project is the first of three site-specific projects by local artists that the City commissioned for the branch. It was funded through the Percent for Art program. In addition to new commissions, the City also restored and reinstalled "The Word" by Vusumuzi Maduna and Obie Simonis onto the facade of the library.
This project complements the $17.2 million renovation of the branch, which included:
- a new welcome area overlooking a redesigned plaza
- improved visibility and openness
- dedicated space for children, teens, and adults
- a prominently featured African-American collection
- a nutrition lab and learning lab, and
- refreshed collections.
The Roxbury Branch, formerly the Dudley Branch, hosts a wide range of programs and activities for patrons of all ages. All of this was previously hidden behind glass block and concrete walls. The new large windows of the branch will now make this activity visible from the street.
A relocated entry and plaza improvements along Dudley Street will also improve the civic presence of the library. This will help connect the library to the neighborhood and make it more welcoming.
The artwork is located in a prominent clerestory site inside the main library space. The artwork consists of three panels on large slanted concrete walls visible from many areas of the library, as well as from Warren Street at night.
The commissioning process began with public meetings on what the neighborhood would like to see in the branch. From those meetings it was clear that there was a strong desire for public art that speaks directly to what it means to live in Roxbury.
The City incorporated the community’s desires into a Call to Artists in May 2018. Through a competitive proposal process, local artist Joe Wardwell was selected to interview by an Artist Selection Committee made up of arts professionals, many from Roxbury. The Art Commission awarded him for the project.
In thinking about how to approach the Roxbury Branch project, Joe Wardwell set out with some key goals for the design:
- think about the neighborhood and surrounding community of the library
- collaborate and engage with other artists and members of the community, and
- respond to the architecture and feel of the redesigned library.
The redesigned space and a desire to include more work from local poets like Nakia Hill in the piece led Joe to propose an expansion of the project. His project now extends across the two side panels adjacent to the central clerestory wall.
The artwork is a combination of landscape, text, and abstraction combined through a layering process. The bottom layer will be a blend of colors with stenciled landscapes on top. Each image will be iconic viewpoints around the Roxbury neighborhood.
The second layer is an abstract layer. It responds to the architectural elements of both the original and redesigned branch. A color spectrum of gradient throughout the piece will mirror the gradient across the back of the library stacks. The wood diagonal baffles throughout the ceiling show up in the abstract design. The vertical columns of the space are also reflected in the vertical “bands” in the design.
The third layer is a layer of text. For this part of the project, Joe collaborated with poet, former City of Boston artist-in-residence (Boston AIR), and 826 Boston’s Writing Room Director Nakia Hill and the Youth Literary Advisory Board (YLAB). The collaboration will include:
- an excerpt of Nakia Hill’s poem "A Nubian Notion" in the large text of the artwork
- poems about Roxbury by Asiyah Herrera and other youth writers in the smaller text of the artwork
- a silkscreen portfolio for the Boston Public Library, 826 Boston, and the contributing writers, and
- the cover for a book published by the YLAB writers.
“Pride wrapped around us like an emerald necklace
High upon a Mission Hill projecting a bright beam of light
clinging to the essence of our communities”
-excerpt from A Nubian Notion by Nakia Hill
Project partners
826 Boston
The nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization is dedicated to empowering traditionally underserved students ages 6-18.
Youth Literary Advisory Board
Youth Literary Advisory Board is a student-driven program. It is a collective providing students support to discover their artistic voice.
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 802Boston, MA 02201-2029
-
More public art at the Roxbury Branch:
