Boston Creates cover photo
Mayor Walsh took immediate steps to ensure that the arts thrive in Boston by creating a Cabinet-level Chief of Arts and Culture, a position held by Julie Burros. Walsh also set about increasing funding for the arts and launched “Boston Creates” – one of Alley Malcolm X
the most extensive community engagement plans for culture ever undertaken in the US. Boston Creates is a ten-year plan which
Boston: In Support of Art
strives to demonstrate, with leadership from
Expanding and Embracing Art and Culture in Boston
future for the Boston arts. The plan has several
the city, how private groups, organizations, and individuals can contribute to a flourishing components which include art integration into all aspects of civic life, to attract new artists to
Written by Lisa Mikulski
the city and help retain the local artists who live here, ensuring that all cultural traditions are respected, and to make the arts accessible
I HAVE A LOVE AFFAIR GOING ON WITH
to all. Boston Creates will reach its two-year
BOSTON and there are plenty of reasons
benchmark in June 2018. Julie Burros explains
why. It’s a city of great intellectual accom-
how it’s going so far. “While many of the goals set out in the
plishment, renowned universities, cozy pubs
plan are long-term and we recognize that
and restaurants, and of course the arts. In 2016, the City of Boston, under the
there is still much more work to be done,
leadership of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, took
we have already made several significant
a progressive approach to expanding
accomplishments in line with the plan. For
and embracing art and culture in Boston.
example, we are currently in the third round
Knowing that the arts were alive and well in
of the Boston Artists-in-Residence program,
the city, many Bostonians still believed that
last fall we celebrated the first-ever Artist Fellowship Awards in Boston by providing five
there was much more that could be done. A remarkable plan was developed. 18
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE
Mayors Mural crew immigrants
local artists with $10,000 each, and this year