LYNN — A new public art piece will be installed at the Mt. Vernon Street Plaza this fall, and the city is asking the community for input on what the project should be.
Last July, almost four dozen artists and artist teams submitted applications for this art project. The finalists were finally announced last week by the Downtown Lynn Cultural District and Lynn Public Arts Commission.
Finalists were selected through a new community-centered model for municipal public art procurement. In addition to the proposed art pieces, applicants created detailed plans for building partnerships and engaging with Lynn artists, organizations and residents as the artwork is created and installed.
The finalists are presenting their concepts for a signature public art piece on Thursday, June 24 at 5 p.m. during a Zoom meeting for the “Lynnstallation.” After the meeting, community members will have until mid-July to vote on the presented concepts.
The finalists and their proposed artwork include Yetti Frenkel: “Star-Fish“; Fitzhugh Karol: “Jumbo T-Jax“; Beth Nybeck: “The In Between”; Orlosky Studio: “Laces of Lynn”; and The Urban Conga: “Periscope.”
The new public art will be installed by the Commuter Rail station entrance at Mt. Vernon and Exchange streets.
“The goal of this project is to install artwork that reflects the spirit of Lynn, brings people to the Downtown Lynn Cultural District and turns the plaza into a gathering space,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “The voices of the Lynn community are central to this process, so we hope to see a lot of people give feedback on the five options.”
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department is leading the engagement and selection process for the piece. It will mark the gateway to the Downtown Lynn Cultural District, which is one of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s officially-designated cultural districts.
“The prospect of an art piece marking this Lynn gateway inspires hope,” said Jennifer Erickson, MAPC director of arts and culture. “As the city and its residents resume safe gatherings in public spaces, we are excited to see that arts and cultural experiences like this ‘Lynnstallation’ will enliven the space and bring much-needed beauty and joy.”
The team coordinating the project — which was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic — has worked with local artists, residents and nonprofits, and held focus groups to get a sense of what community members want to see.
To read more about the selected artists’ concepts and view each artist’s full submission, visit https://lynnincommon.com/lynnstallation.
