Boston Common Art Installation

$377,500 – FUNDED

Open now on Boston Common, “What Do We Have in Common?” will engage all who use the park in a dialogue about what we hold in common, how commons practices can contribute to creating a more equitable future, and how we use and care for this invaluable place together. Commissioned by the Friends and curated by non-profit art curator Now + There, nationally renowned artist Janet Zweig’s work will bring activity to all areas of the park and invite interaction with the artwork.

Key Facts:

• The exhibit will be in place for one month, beginning in mid-September.
• The primary piece of this installation is a large, double-sided cabinet with approximately 200 hinged doors.
• Behind each door is a blue box with a unique question about ownership (e.g. “Who owns these trees?’). Boxes will be removed by Guides throughout each day of the installation.
• The Guides, who are reflective of the diversity of Boston, will engage passersby in conversations about the questions, identify what they personally have in common, and answer questions about the project.
• At the end of every day, the boxes are installed throughout the park, and a poem emerges. These boxes will glow at night once out of the cabinet, expanding the art throughout the park.
• To reflect the cultural diversity of those that use the Common, 34 of the 200 boxes will be in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole and 50% of the Guides will self-identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color.

Your donation today supports the curation and production of “What Do We Have in Common?”