SALEM — In celebration of spring, the City of Salem and the Salem Public Art Commission have launched Art Spring, a city-wide, pop-up art initiative to help lift the spirits of the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is our hope that with a little bit of whimsy and a little bit of color will help bring us together as a sign of new beginnings, even though we must stay apart,” said Julie Barry, Salem Senior Planner for Arts and Culture. “This is also our way to help support local artists and businesses in these tough times.”
Barry said the idea for Art Spring began when Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll approached Barry, saying she was looking for ways to uplift the community through art.
“After that, we started reaching out to other artists and everything fell into place,” said Barry. “It really is a series of partnerships between various artists and businesses and so far it’s off to a great start. The plan is to roll out Art Spring in phases, adding new projects over the next couple of months so that people can always have something new to look forward to.”
“Chalk Art Saturdays,” a weekly program that enlists the services of four local artists, was the first program to make its debut. Artists will create up to eight themed-chalk murals located on well-traveled paths throughout the city, the locations of which will be kept secret until completion. A new piece will be unveiled every Saturday in May and June.
The first piece, entitled “Gratitude for Mothers: Love Your Mothers,” was created by North Shore artist Maia Mattson and unveiled May 9 in celebration of Mothers’ Day. Saturday, Salem’s Anna Dugan, of Anna Did a Thing, will unveil the second piece of the collection, entitled “Gratitude for Essential Workers: A Heartfelt Thank You!” The location can be found on the commission’s website, https://www.salem.com/public-art-commission/pages/art-spring.
Residents are encouraged to show their community spirit and create their own chalk masterpieces in front of their homes and share on social media, using the hashtags, #SalemPublicArt, #ChalkArtSaturdays and #SalemTogether.
Chalk Art Saturdays was developed in collaboration with Studioful Design, a Salem-based company. Local artists Tia Cole and Keshia de Leon will also be designing chalk art creations for the project.
“Our goal is to have a new chalk art piece in every ward through the end of June,” said Barry. “There will be a variety of styles of works with specific themes and we are inviting the community to make their own creations as well.”
Thursday, the city announced the official launch of Art Spring’s latest offering, the No Evil Project’s “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, BREATHE NO EVIL” initiative, the brainchild of Worcester photographer Troy B. Thompson.
BREATHE NO EVIL’s mission is to help Salem residents who are having trouble adjusting to having to wear protective face coverings. People are being asked to visit the project’s website at www.breathenoevil.org/salem) and upload selfies of themselves wearing their masks with a three-word phrase or words that best describes who they are. Participants are also encouraged to share good deeds or how they are helping others during the pandemic. The selfies will then be assembled into posters which will be displayed in mini-exhibits scattered across the city.
“Face coverings shouldn’t be feared as they represent a wide variety of people coming together for the common good, standing strong, and protecting each other with a simple act even if it’s uncomfortable,” said Thompson. “Face coverings slow the spread of COVID-19 but for many they’re unusual to see or wear, and for some they can perpetuate stereotypes. It’s all about people sharing silly images to normalize things and make it fun even though it’s a serious time.”
The city is also offering art walking tours. People can download printable PDF tour maps from the commission’s website and stroll at their own leisure to view art boxes, murals and historical monuments throughout the city.
The popular Salem Arts Festival, scheduled for June 5-7 is the latest COVID-19 casualty, having been recently canceled. But Barry said the festival’s “Mural Slam,” located on Artists’ Row at 24 Derby St. near the Old Town Hall and Derby Square, will nonetheless be held.
“We are extremely hopeful about this,” said Barry. “We had already commissioned 10 or so artists to create these murals and the plan is for them to create them on their own.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
