'Together' by Mz. Icar
We commissioned Mz. Icar to create an exterior mural at The Engagement Center in Newmarket Square.
The mural was installed in November 2021.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
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1 City Hall Square
Room 802Boston, MA 02201-2029
'Together' mural by Mz. Icar.
Project Details
The City of Boston commissioned the anonymous art collective Mz. Icar to create this mural as part of the third round of the Transformative Public Art Program. The Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture allocated more than $1 million toward murals at 10 sites across nine neighborhoods as part of the program. The total budget for this project was $75,000. The mural is located on the exterior of The Engagement Center in Newmarket Square. On this project, Mz. Icar collaborated with the:
The Engagement Center opened in August 2017 and moved into a new building at 26 Atkinson Street in December 2021. It's a welcoming, low-threshold daytime space for individuals navigating homelessness and substance use to:
- access resources
- engage in recovery, behavioral health, and homeless services, and
- receive nursing care and medical support.
Participants receive daily nursing care, including medication management, from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. They can also receive medical care, connect with a behavioral health provider, and start substance use disorder treatment.
The mural Together is a colorful love letter that serves as a reminder that we are connected, valuable, and on a journey.
Together is a combination of acrylic paint and vinyl wrap. It measures 63 feet wide x 15.75 feet high on the front wall (the side that reads "Together"), and 14 feet wide x 15.75 feet high on the wall facing the parking lot.
We had the privilege and honor to meet with the staff and guests of the Engagement Center, hear their stories, hopes for the future, and learn about how this future is coming to fruition. The concept of meeting people where they are at is a strong example of radical love. We attempted to channel into this piece via the creation and engagement portion of this project. For the engagement component, we met with both staff and guests and posed the question, "How would you like to feel upon entering the Engagement Center?" Within the responses, there was a strong focus on the community, togetherness, and relief. We decided to use the words 'together' and 'relief' to create a colorful beacon that embodies those feelings in a buoyant manner.
- Mz. Icar
Meet the Artists
Meet the Artists
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Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 802Boston, MA 02201-2029
