Gibson commissioned as Muralist for Next Dewey Square Mural

Special to the Regional Review

The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy announced the commission and upcoming installation of a new public artwork from world-renowned multidisciplinary artist Jeffrey Gibson for the mural at Dewey Square. The installation, entitled your spirit whispering in my ear (2024), is scheduled for completion in September 2024, and is a collaboration with MASS MoCA.

Gibson, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, is celebrated globally for his work which marries Native American imagery with contemporary art and culture.  MASS MoCA’s new, commissioned exhibition of Gibson’s work, POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT, opens November 3, 2024 in its signature Building 5 gallery.

Arriving on the heels of a celebrated debut representing the United States at the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale this past spring titled the space in which to place me, the mural continues Gibson’s exploration of historical sociopolitical movements, and how they connect with themes of identity and resistance. Widely regarded for his talent in sculpture, painting, printmaking, video, and performance, Gibson’s work has appeared in the Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Gallery of Canada, among other institutions

“It’s an honor to partner with the Greenway Conservancy on this opportunity that will transform an iconic piece of Boston with art that represents our resilient, joyful spirits and how we can pull strength from history,” said Gibson. “‘Your spirit whispering in my ear’ are words that I wrote earlier this year as I thought about the challenges that my ancestors, and others, have endured during their lifetimes and how they met those difficulties with faith, courage and strength. I am not only speaking to my ancestors but also to artists, past and present activists, the planet, the universe, and to all living things surrounding us.”

Gibson’s installation is the tenth in a rotating series of murals on the 76’x70’ Dewey Square canvas, an award-winning focal point in the Conservancy’s Public Art Program. The first by an Indigenous artist, your spirit whispering in my ear marks a bold and intentional continuation of the Conservancy’s program as it strives to reflect the rich identities, histories, and ecologies present throughout Boston while making contemporary art accessible and free to the public.

“Jeffrey’s reimagination and recontextualization of familiar objects and cultural touchstones through beaded elements, archival protest pins, text, and colorful geometries speak to the transformative power of creative expression in Boston’s public spaces,” said Audrey Lopez, Director and Curator of Public Art at The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. “In this collaboration with Jeffrey and MASS MoCA, we strive to continue centering diverse perspectives while connecting the local art ecosystem with an internationally renowned artist through a vibrant and culturally significant piece.”

The installation comes as part of the Conservancy’s Public Art Program, which seeks to build partnerships and exchange with local and national creatives, build new narratives of belonging in Boston’s public spaces for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, and strengthen the public’s contextual understanding of the land on The Greenway. The commission of Gibson for Dewey Square’s next mural represents the nonprofit’s recent push for Indigenous and Native-led art on The Greenway, which has included works by Erin Genia and the installation of Acknowledge + Listen: Undoing Colonial Design in Massachusetts. Rob “Problak” Gibbs’ Breathe Life Together, the current Dewey Square mural and first in the program’s history by a Boston artist, will be deinstalled at the end of August and preserved on The Greenway’s digital archive. The Conservancy looks forward to continuing its curatorial commitment to commissioning local artists from Greater Boston and Massachusetts for the Dewey Square Mural in the future.

“Jeffrey’s art inspires authentic expression, celebrates representation, and provokes reflection that transcends time and culture. As a champion of public art, partnering with Jeffrey and MASS MoCA is a tremendous opportunity to continue The Greenway’s legacy of unity by bridging communities, sparking conversation, and lifting up historically marginalized voices,” said Chris Cook, Executive Director of The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.

The project is made possible by MASS MoCA in partnership with the Conservancy’s Public Art Program. The partnership represents an intentional connectivity among the region’s arts ecosystem, seeking to empower diverse perspectives and welcome a broader public audience around purposeful art.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Rose Kennedy Greenway in support of Jeffrey Gibson through this new mural and our upcoming exhibition that will be in dialogue with each other across the state of Massachusetts,” said MASS MoCA’s Chief Curator Denise Markonish. ”Paying homage to the past, while signaling hope for the future, through the lens of queer and Indigenous creatives whose cultural narratives have been historically marginalized is central to Gibson’s work. The public will soon have two opportunities — in Boston and North Adams — to engage with and experience Gibson’s practice and ideas.”

For updates on the project, follow @greenwaypublicart on Instagram and visit rosekennedygreenway.org/art

Thank You to Our Supporters

Project support for your spirit whispering in my ear is provided by Bob and Doris Gordon.

Public Art on The Greenway is made possible with major support from the Barr Foundation, Goulston & Storrs, the Greenway Business Improvement District, the Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, Meet Boston, and the Wagner Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.

Special thanks to our collaborators The Dagny Boston, Marr Lifts, and Yotel and to our in-kind media sponsor WBUR.

Support for Jeffrey Gibson: POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT at MASS MoCA is provided by The Coby Foundation, Ltd., the National Endowment for the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation, and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

About Jeffrey Gibson (jeffreygibson.net)

Jeffrey Gibson (b. 1972, Colorado Springs, CO; lives and works in New York) grew up in major urban centers in the United States, Germany, Korea, and the U.K. A mid-career multidisciplinary artist, he is a citizen of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and half Cherokee, whose practice includes sculpture, painting, printmaking, video, and performance. Gibson earned his Master of Arts in painting at the Royal College of Art, London, in 1998 and his Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995. His work is in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian; National Gallery of Canada; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; the Museum of Modern Art; and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Gibson is a past TED Foundation Fellow and a Joan Mitchell Grant recipient. He is a recipient of the 2019 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. He is currently an artist-in-residence at Bard College and lives and works near Hudson, New York. This year, Gibson represented the United States at the 60th edition of La Biennale di Venezia. He is the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo presentation in the national pavilion.

About The Greenway and The Greenway Conservancy (rosekennedygreenway.org)

The Greenway is a contemporary public park in the heart of Boston. The Greenway welcomes millions of visitors annually to gather, play, unwind, and explore. The Greenway Conservancy is the non-profit responsible for the management and care of The Greenway. The majority of the public park’s annual budget is generously provided by private sources.

The Greenway Conservancy Public Art Program brings innovative and contemporary art to Boston through free, seasonal exhibitions that engage people in meaningful experiences, interactions, and dialogue with art, each other, and the most pressing issues of our time. Past Greenway exhibitions can be viewed on the Conservancy’s website.

About MASS MoCA (massmoca.org)

MASS MoCA is currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season under Director Kristy Edmunds, not only as the largest, multidisciplinary, contemporary art museum in North America, but also as a creative campus with a regional, national, and global impact. MASS MoCA is one of the world’s liveliest centers for making and enjoying today’s most evocative art, and is an indispensable home for artists who stretch toward what has yet to be created. From its beginnings as the major textile mill Arnold Print Works in the mid-19th century, to its days as the Sprague Electric Company in the mid-20th century, to its current iteration as a globally renowned contemporary art museum and fabrication center, the 24-acre MASS MoCA campus has a rich history of serving as an economic engine of the city of North Adams and the surrounding region. With vast galleries and a stunning variety of indoor and outdoor performing arts venues, MASS MoCA is able to embrace art in all forms. For more information visit www.massmoca.org or follow on Instagram at @massmoca.