News & Updates

Artist Selected for Holliston Mural Project

Artist Caoin O'Durgy creating a mural on the doors at Blair Square, Holliston.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the Town of Holliston are excited to announce that Caoin O’Durgy, a talented artist from Somerville, MA, has been selected to create a vibrant mural that will link Holliston Downtown with the Rail Trail.

This mural is part of MAPC’s Regional Trails Creative Placemaking Strategy, designed to enhance community engagement through public art. Funded by MAPC, the mural will be executed by Caoin and his team, The Good Boy Collective—a trans-led group celebrated for their collaborative spirit.

Caoin’s design will feature a historical pavilion, intertwining trails, and portals connecting different eras, complemented by dynamic 3D acrylic pieces. Additionally, Caoin has designed murals for two electric boxes: one depicting Holliston’s contemporary community and the other envisioning its future. His whimsical and inclusive style aims to captivate and engage all community members while encouraging exploration of downtown Holliston.

MAPC and the Town of Holliston look forward to the unveiling of this project in September 2024. Stay tuned for more details about the community celebration event. For more information, please contact Archana Menon, Arts and Culture Fellow, MAPC, at amenon@mapc.org.

Historic Preservation Meets Clean Energy: A Marblehead and Salem Walking Tour

Participants of the walking tour in front of the Moses Pickett House

Earlier this month, a walking tour of Marblehead and Salem was organized as part of the Marblehead Sustainable Heritage project, a collaboration between the Arts + Culture department and the Clean Energy department. The tour, which had 27 participants, was designed to offer firsthand insights into the architectural and historical features of the Historical Districts, which are crucial for developing sensitive and effective preservation guidelines. It also showcased key historic buildings, demonstrating both successful and challenging retrofitting practices.

Special thanks go to Logan Casey (Sustainability Coordinator, Marblehead), Thatcher Kezer (Town Manager, Marblehead), Patti Kelleher (Preservation Planner, Salem), Stacy Kilb (Sustainability Coordinator, Salem), Larry Sprang (Chair of Salem's Historic Commission), Milo Martinez (Salem Historic Commission), and Kelly Tyler-Lewis (Salem Historic Commission).

Resources and Opportunities

Applications are Open for Making it Public for

Municipalities 2025

Join the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and MAPC for an Information Session on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 to learn more about Making it Public for Municipalities.

Register today!

The goal of this workshop series is to train municipalities in the process of running a public art commission and to prepare local artists to successfully apply to calls for public art.

The 11-week program will begin in January 2025. The trainings will take place virtually on Tuesdays from 10:30 AM - 12:00 noon ET, January 28 - April 8, 2025. Participating municipalities will receive $15,000 in funds from NEFA to support the commissioning of temporary public art projects.

Applications will be accepted through September 30^th. 

External Opportunities

APA Arts and Planning Division Business Meeting and Open House

On Tuesday, September 3rd from 4:00-5:30 PM EDT, join us online for the Arts & Planning Division's Annual Business Meeting and engage with the Board as we move into a new year of projects and growth. This is your chance to weigh in on future APD programs, professional development opportunities and areas of focus. This conversation is open to all Arts & Planning Division Members using this link.

Meeting ID: 825 4942 1879

Passcode: 698167

Proposals Wanted: Mural Design and Area Activation in Lexington

The Town of Lexington is soliciting proposals for the design and execution of both a mural(s) on an exterior wall and activation plan on the respective surrounding area of a privately-owned building(s) in Lexington, Massachusetts. Please see the following link to access the documents https://lexingtonma.gov/bids.aspx?bidID=112. Separate Price and non-price proposals are due by 12:00 PM on Thursday, September 12, 2024 and must be delivered to the following address:

Town Office Building – Purchasing Office

1625 Massachusetts Ave

Lexington, MA 02420

Bid Postings • Mural Design, Fabrication, Installation and A (lexingtonma.gov)

Not If, But When: Navigating Climate Change and Protecting Cultural Assets in MA

Free Webinar, Thursday, October 3, 12 PM

Register Here

Historic collections and buildings are not immune to the impacts of climate change. Flooding, driving rain, high winds, and extreme temperatures are all increasingly threatening the Commonwealth’s fragile cultural and historic resources.

Join COSTEP MA (Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness Massachusetts) on Thursday, October 3, at 12 pm for a free webinar to learn more about how cultural institutions in Massachusetts can begin developing a climate action plan to protect their collections and the often historic buildings they are stored in. Presenters will highlight available resources, planning opportunities, and case studies. There will be time for questions at the end of the hour.

Featured presenters will be:

• Dee Boyle-Clapp, Director of the Arts Extension Service at UMass Amherst, will highlight some of the work being done through her pilot project, Culture for Climate Action, which includes trainings for arts and culture organizations in partnership with State Arts Agencies, and direct work with three Massachusetts-based arts organizations and UMass Clean Energy Extension, to transform energy use and serve as a climate leader in their communities.
• Ben Lewis, Geospatial Technology Manager at Harvard University’s Center for Geographic Analysis
• Ben Haavik, Team Leader of Property Care for Historic New England, will showcase their Climate Action Plan highlighting aspects of the process that were based on existing or free resources.

Looking to connect with like-minded practitioners across the country?

MAPC's Arts and Culture Department delivers technical assistance in emerging practice areas including cultural planning, creative placemaking, creative community development, arts and cultural data collection and analysis, and cultural policy. 

We help cities and towns with policies, programs, and staffing that help arts and cultural assets grow and thrive by providing technical assistance with the full range of arts and culture planning issues – community development, economic development, public health, and the built and natural environment. The department's services include municipal and regional planning work, research projects, and the delivery of trainings that build planner expertise in arts, culture, and creativity.