PUBLIC ART FOR SPACIAL JUSTICE
Our Faces: Immigrant Inheritance in East Somerville
In March 2025, we were awarded the Public Art for Spatial Justice grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). As part of the project, we held our first community engagement event during Carnaval on June 1st.
COMING UP!
Join us for the second installment of the Faces of East Project: Open the Box on Thursday, November 7th, from 5–8 PM at the Taco Loco mural (48 Broadway)!
Enjoy an evening filled with lights, music, live painting, and plenty of art as we celebrate creativity and community in East Somerville.
Don’t miss this vibrant event — come experience the art come to life!
Community Engagement
(July 1st, Carnaval 2025)
During Carnaval 2025, a custom-built wooden box offered a unique interactive art experience for the East Somerville community. Before entering, participants received materials to respond to the prompt: “What’s the future of East Somerville?” They then stepped inside the box to add their creation to one of its walls.
Inside, lights and mirrors created an immersive environment where community members could interact, with the final mirror serving as a symbolic message: “We are the future of East Somerville.” From this activity, we were able to gather valuable media — videos, photos — but most importantly, ideas and creative pieces that reflect the community’s vision for the future.
The turnout was incredible, with many residents engaging with lead artist Andrés Duarte in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Outside, another artist painted a live mural on one of the exterior walls while music played, adding to the festive atmosphere.
The Faces of East project is supported by the New England Foundation For the Art's Public Art for Spatial Justice program, with funding from the Barr Foundation and the fund for the Arts at NEFA.
