SOMERVILLE ARTS COUNCIL LAUNCHES PUBLIC ART MAP WITH INTERACTIVE ART EVENT 10/5

SOMERVILLE – The City of Somerville, Somerville Arts Council and Shape Up Somerville announce a new innovative art project, Art in Action: A Walk to Explore and Create Public Art. The walk will begin at 10 a.m. Foss Park on Saturday, October 5th, continuing to locations throughout Somerville to explore the local arts scene and projects, culminating at 11:30 a.m. along Broadway where an unpainted switchbox will serve as a blank canvas for Art in Action. Artist Emily Bhargava of Connection Lab will distribute art materials and guide participants in creating a collaborative work of public art.

The event marks the launch of the city’s interactive Art Map (www.somervilleartscouncil.org/artmap), a platform for Somerville residents to share and view information about the public art across Somerville. During the event, art lovers will have the opportunity to engage in a walking tour featuring talks by local artists and collaborate on the creation of a new piece of public art.

“We are proud to have one of the most diverse, funky arts scenes in the nation - Somerville is second only to New York City in the number of artists per capita – and through this new interactive map community members will be able to learn so much more about what Somerville has to offer,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “Furthermore, launching the map in cooperation with Shape Up Somerville to create an active tour of the City promotes so much of the ideals we believe in in Somerville: creating an exceptional place to live, work, play, raise a family and be active.”

Art in Action will kick off at 10 a.m. on October 5^th by the Latta Brothers Memorial Pool in Foss Park at the corner of Broadway and McGrath Highway, where David Fichter will tell the creation story of the Foss Park Pool Mural and discuss his international career as a muralist. Next, art lovers will immerse themselves in the local art landscape by proceeding eastwards on Broadway, where local artists have taken the Switchbox Project and run with it. The switchbox stroll will feature work by Lisa Graf and Elisa Hamilton. The tour will also make stops at the recently-renovated Chuckie Harris Park and the East Somerville library’s mural.

Art in Action is free and open to the public. We encourage anyone who wants to learn about or engage in the local art scene to join the event.  Kids and strollers welcome.  Rain or Shine!

For more information, visit www.somervilleartscouncil.org.