BOSTON – Friday, January 27, 2017 - Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that Cristina Parreño Alonso has been selected to create a public art project in Hyde Square following an open call for artists through a Request for Proposal. The artist will work with the Hyde Square community to refine the design and further develop the initial proposal. The public art project will be implemented in conjunction with the reconstruction of Hyde Square at the intersection of Centre Street, Perkins Street, and Day Street in Fall 2017.
This public art project is part of a larger effort by the Public Works Department (PWD) to reconstruct and enhance the intersection of Centre Street, Perkins Street, and Day Street, collectively known as Hyde Square. Enhancements will include increased sidewalk widths, traffic and pedestrian safety improvements, new lighting, and landscaping. A major goal of this project is to create a sense of place and enhance the public realm with artwork, which is what this request for proposal sought to accomplish.
"The Hyde Square Public Art Project will offer the Jamaica Plain community a place to meet and socialize with their fellow neighbors," said Mayor Walsh. “We heard the community’s desire to have a gathering space for people in the neighborhood, and I look forward to completing this project and fulfilling that wish, while also supporting talented artists in this community.”
Alonso, originally from Spain, has been working as an architect and teacher for the past 15 years. Her work revolves around connecting the built form with the existing environment, while taking into account the culture and needs of users, as well as the non-conventional use of materials that encourages user engagement. Alonso’s recent work, “Tectonics of Transparencies,” explores the qualities of glass as a translucent and transparent material as well as its use as a structural element. Alonso earned a degree in Architecture from Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid.
"The Hyde Square public art project is an important step in moving forward the Boston Creates Cultural Plan, which calls for opportunities to integrate arts, culture, and creativity into the public realm and urban environment," said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston. “We look forward to seeing Cristina’s work come to fruition. It will be a critical asset to the proposed Latin Quarter Cultural District, located around Hyde Square..”
The Public Works Department (PWD), the Boston Art Commission (BAC) within the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Hyde Square Task Force, and the Hyde Jackson Square Main Street have all collaborated on the Hyde Square public art project in Jamaica Plain.
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