Brookline Art Makes Community (BAMC)

  1. Project Summary
  2. Steering Committee
  3. Agendas & Minutes
  4. Meeting Recordings

Project Summary:

  • This initiative aims to support the addition of public art and placemaking activations in Brookline’s commercial areas.
  • Public art and placemaking installations are valuable tools for enhancing commercial area identity and attracting customer foot traffic needed to aid local businesses’ COVID recovery.
  • In April 2022, Brookline’s Select Board allocated $225,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to fund public art and place making activations in Brookline’s commercial areas.
  • The need for more visual vibrancy in Brookline’s commercial areas to create a richer in-person sensory experience, as well as make Brookline’s main streets more photogenic (i.e. “Instagrammable”), was identified as a priority in the Town’s Rapid Recovery Plan.
  • An excerpt of the Rapid Recovery Plan’s “Art in Found Places” project, which was the basis for this initiative, is linked here for reference.
  • In addition to the photo examples included in the Rapid Recovery Plan excerpt, some additional examples of potential commercial area public art or placemaking installations include murals, sculptures, decorative protective jersey barriers for outdoor seating areas, lighting installations, sidewalk art, outdoor performance spaces, and “artlets” (i.e. public art-oriented parklets).

2022 Recap:

  • September 2022: Steering Committee first convened.
  • End of September: The new public art initiative was renamed Brookline Art Makes Community (BAMC) and a logo and website were created as well.
  • October 2022: In preparation of new public art installations, BAMC created a Public Art Directory and Map of existing public artwork in Brookline’s commercial areas.
  • November 2022: A Community Engagement Event was held at the Beacon Street Art Gallery in Coolidge Corner for the Brookline community to learn more about this new public art initiative, while contributing input on preferred types of public art, as well as potential locations for public art installations.
  • December 2022: An online Public Art Interests Survey was conducted to seek additional input from the extended Brookline community on preferred types of public art, as well as potential site locations for public art installations.

Want to help?

If you would like to help us in our efforts to simultaneously support the recovery of Brookline’s local small businesses, commercial areas, and arts and culture community, then please consider submitting a public artwork from one of Brookline's commercial areas for our inventory below. Your contributions are greatly appreciated!

View submitted public artwork as of October 12, 2022

or

View the Brookline Commercial Areas Public Art Map

Commercial Areas Public Art Inventory Form

  2. *Please submit only one piece of public artwork at a time*

  4. Type of public art (i.e. murals, sculptures, decorative protective jersey barriers for outdoor seating areas, lighting installations, sidewalk art, outdoor performance spaces, and “artlets” (i.e. public art-oriented parklets)

  8. Please select the commercial area where this public artwork is located

  12. Please type the name of the public artwork (if applicable)

  14. Please type the artist name (if applicable)

  16. Please include any known details about the history of the artwork, including its date of creation, installation, and restoration (if applicable) and any other historical details.

  18. Please enter the physical address of where the public artwork is located. If there is not a physical address, please describe the location as specifically as possible

  20. Please upload an image of the public artwork. If there is more than one photo, please submit others using the file uploads below.

  27. Please list any other relevant or interesting info about this public artwork

  29. Please type your name here

  31. Please type your email address here

  33. Thank you for your submission!
    34. Leave This Blank:

  36. This field is not part of the form submission.

Current Commercial Area Public Artwork