LYNN — The 70th anniversary salute to Lynn City Hall begins Tuesday night, with a celebration that includes the unveiling of “city hALL,” a four-floor art exhibit that dives into the roots of the community.
The free event starts at 5 p.m. in City Hall’s Veterans’ Memorial Lobby. Mayor Thomas McGee and invited guests will briefly address the crowd, then Lynn’s Michelle Guzman of Lynn Walking Shoe Tours will guide attendees through the historic building. For those who prefer self-guided tours, maps will be available. The event winds down at 7 p.m.
City Hall, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was dedicated on Sept. 7, 1949.
An opening reception of Lynn City Hall’s new Community Gallery in Hearing Room 302 begins at 6 p.m. A photographic exhibit by the Lynn Shutter Society has been set up in the gallery space.
Each floor will have a specific focus. The foyer, a living memorial to the city’s fallen veterans, has been renovated and Raw Art Works students have installed a 12-foot-long interactive exhibit that conveys a message of growth and nurturing. The lower level first floor will highlight community via works that show what makes and has made the city what it is today. The second floor will have a maritime theme. History, including a wall display featuring every mayor since the city was incorporated in 1850, will dominate the third floor. Industry and innovation will be the subject of art on the fourth floor.
Most of the art has been created by Lynn residents of all ages.
Free parking will be available in the city’s Andrew Street lot, in the Lynn District Courthouse lot and at metered on-street spots near City Hall.
Carolyn Cole, of the Community Development department and director of the Downtown Lynn Cultural District, said everyone is invited to join the celebration. “In the 1940s, Mayor Albert Cole proposed that City Hall be a people’s building, a civic center representing every resident of the city. This exhibit is inspiring and engaging. It’s about a community.
“And it shows you don’t have to come to City Hall just to pay a parking ticket.”
