North Square RFP Available for Public Space Art Project

By Phil Orlandella

Renovations to North Square have taken another step in the right direction as a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a public art project in the area that includes the Paul Revere House and the Rachel Revere Park. The area also includes a church, several restaurants and businesses.

Public Works Department (DPW) has already held several public meetings with residents and will mostly conduct another one once the RFPs have been submitted.

The North Square project does not involve the Rachel Revere Park project which is part of a Boston Parks Department endeavor.

 Public Works Department, Boston Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture are inviting artists to submit their proposals for the North End public arts project by January 4, 2017 and the successful applicant will be made public in February 2017. Artists from the North End are encouraged to apply.

“Boston Creates, the City’s Cultural Plan calls for public art that embraces a neighborhood’s identity and adds to a strong sense of place,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh said in a press release.

He added, “Incorporating art into public works projects like this helps to showcase the incredible creativity that exists in our city.”

Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina who vigorously supported both the North Square and Rachel Revere Park renovation projects said, “It’s great to see these projects moving forward and the Rachel Park project already underway.”

He noted, “It appears the North Square project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2017 and the park should be completed at the same time.”

North Square has always been a center of community life and has become a neighborhood tourism destination for its place in American History as well as its contemporary Italian culture, according to the city.

Settled in the early 1600s the North End is one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods and North Square has always been the center of community life.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of City of Boston representatives and local arts professionals representing the neighborhood.

Many residents are pleased that the city has begun the potential art project on the square and to see the Rachel Revere Park project underway.

The Mayor’s Office of Art and Culture (MOAC) mission is to support artists, the culture sector and to promote access to the arts for all.

The Boston Creates Cultural Plan is a ten-year endeavor for supporting arts and culture in the city.

The Boston Arts Commission is an independent board of arts leaders charged with the care and custody of all artwork on the city’s property.