At the Intersection of
Art and Nature Curating the museum of the Massachusetts landscape BY MEREDITH CUTLER
Conserving special places in Massachusetts for generations ahead. Fostering appreciation of the natural landscape. Increasing public use of historic houses, gardens, beaches, and parks. All in a day’s work for The Trustees which, as its 125th Anniversary approached, knew something bigger—something bolder—must be done to mark this milestone.
Two years later, that vision has come into fruition with the bold Art & the Landscape initiative. Launched in August with two temporary, site-specific outdoor art installations at The Old Manse in Concord and World’s End in Hingham, Art & the Landscape realizes a golden opportunity for engaging new audiences through powerful, interactive experiences while creating fresh dialogue around some of the Trustees’ most recognized properties. “The idea of outdoor art in Trustees places had been percolating for some time,” reflects Trustees President and CEO Barbara J. Erickson. “We had been talking to experts in the field and began thinking through how you
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actually do something that speaks to the stories of these places while keeping their integrity—but also allows for something new.” After a competitive selection process, The Trustees engaged independent curator Pedro Alonzo to pair artists with sites for the two-year initiative. Best known for his work involving street artists within the urban landscape, Alonzo’s public art sensations in the Commonwealth alone include a controversial mural by Brazilian duo Os Gêmeos for the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and an 86-foot high, figurative pasting by French artist JR on the windows of 200 Clarendon Street (the former John Hancock Tower) in Boston’s Back Bay.