Urban Culture Institute
  • Home
  • Projects
    • Worcester
    • Howes Park
    • Coppens Square Park
    • Codman Square Park
    • Gourdin Park
    • Kulturpark Berlin
    • TEMPOart
    • Ringer Park
    • Mather School Green Space
    • MBTA Red Line Wollaston Station
    • MBTA Silver Line Extension
    • Boston Children's Hospital
    • HarborArts Boston
    • Social Muscle Club
    • Memphis Art Walk
    • To Extremes
    • Art in Architecture Study
    • BSA Placemaking Network >
      • 2019 Placemaking Seminars
      • 2018 Placemaking Seminars
      • 2017 Placemaking Seminar Series
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2016
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2015
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2012
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2011
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2010
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2009
      • Placemaking Seminar Series 2008
  • Blog
  • Publications
  • Team
  • Fellowships
  • Maps
    • Fenway-Kenmore
    • Fort Point-Seaport
  • Exhibitions
  • Contact

Civil Rights Era Public Art Project in Gertrude Howes Park

Civil Rights Era Public Art Project in Gertrude Howes Park

Project Summary
The new Civil Rights Era public art tribute is located in the Gertrude Howes Park of Roxbury's Dudley Square neighborhood, a community of active residents and advocates of civil rights for generations. Our tribute is envisioned to result in the installation of an abstract work of art dedicated to the movement rather than a representation dedicated to individual persons or events. This tribute to the Civil Rights Era honors the many individuals who have contributed to improving living conditions and social equity for all since the beginning, intended as an affirmation of the struggle and celebration of citizen participation and ownership.

​The location of Gertrude Howes Playground in the Moreland Street Historic District has deep meaning to the residents of the surrounding Roxbury neighborhood. The Rev. Michael Hayes, the first African-American member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, was pastor at near-by Twelfth Baptist Church from 1964 to 2004. As a young minister, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King preached at the Church’s prior location on Shawmut Avenue in Roxbury. In later years, Dr. King stayed in the neighborhood on travels to Boston. Reverend James Reeb, killed in Alabama in 1965, preached there and Malcolm X grew up in the area. Many other local activists from the African-American, Caribbean and other ethnic communities ​fought for a betterment of lives, general conditions and society during their lifetimes. The Civil Rights Ear public art tribute project is intended to recognize these efforts.
​
Site Description
Gertrude Howes Park, located at 68 Moreland Street, is nestled in the heart of the Moreland Street Historic District of Roxbury. Established in 1930, the Park is energized by a diverse neighborhood community and by the revitalization of Dudley Square. Howes Playground provides 1.8 acres of passive and active areas with a children’s playground, sprinkler plaza, gazebo, benches, and picnic tables. Formerly contained within the Weld Estate in the mid-1800s, the park is the only large open land in the area that is still intact. The center of the park highlights a display of original Roxbury puddingstone outcroppings that were once surrounded by apple and pear orchards, farmlands, and pastures. 
 
The designated site for the Civil Rights Era public art project in Howes Park is the neighborhood's central greenspace. The park offers a rich array of outdoor events and activities for children, youth and adults, including summer festivals, a playground and a popular spray fountain, yoga and fitness classes, music, picnics and more.
 
The park was “named for former teacher, child lover and leader in school garden work, who made playground possible.” (Tribute Paid Late Gertrude Howes at Dedication of New Playground. Boston Globe, May 27, 1932). During World War II she established a Victory Garden at the Hemenway School, which provided fresh vegetables for school lunches. Many of her students later served in the military. Ms. Howes lived at 104 Winthrop Street.

Summary of General Criteria for the Civil Rights Era Public Art Project
• Celebrate the Civil Rights Era of Roxbury and Boston with an innovative
​  public art installation and/or landscape design
• Sought is intimacy, warmth and neighborly self-worth
• Create new space to gather and socialize, knitting neighborhoods together
• Serve as a community service project, as well as an educational destination
• Design will offer a sense of place
• Appropriateness for the site, including scale and safety
• Low maintenance, permanent materials
• Apply sustainable design methods and principles.
• Adhere to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines as appropriate
​

Project Goals
  • Civil Rights Tribute honors all within the neighborhood and in the entire City of Boston.
  • Civil Rights Tribute will be valued in the neighborhood, the entire City of Boston and beyond.
  • Engage neighbors through neighborhood associations, local newspaper ads, and social media. Outreach to historical society, fraternal groups and others.
  • Encourage future programming and activities, e.g. oral history talks with local residents, lectures, tours, festivals, etc. to educate neighbors about civil rights.
  • Recall the area’s past and honor the experiences of Roxbury’s residents.​ ​

​Project Partners
The project is a collaborative effort of artist team Doug Kornfeld and Destiny Palmer in partnership with the Selection Committee and the community, the City of Boston's Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust, the Boston Parks Department and the Boston Art Commission. The Urban Culture Institute is facilitating the project.


Schematic Design Proposal Process
An open competition resulted in 91 entries. Four artists from New England and the New York region, Vinnie Bagwell, Douglas Kornfeld, Destiny Palmer, and 
Antoinette Schultze, developed initial schematic proposals. Following a committee invitation, Doug Kornfeld joined forces with Destiny Palmer and formed a collaborative team. Following the presentation of the initial proposal to the Browne Fund, additional funding was made available to develop a collaborative design in partnership with the community, the Parks Department and the Boston Art Commission. 

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Saturday, January 25, 2020  10-11:30 a.m. | Presentation of Revised Proposal
Roxbury Boys and Girls Club, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury MA
Team artists Doug Kornfeld and Destiny Palmer presented their revised proposal based on feedback by the Art Selection Committee, City agencies and the community. ​Free and open to the public. 
Download the flyer.
​
November 20 – December 1, 2019
Public Comment Period – Invitation to comment
Feedback collected on the preliminary public art proposal by team artists Doug Kornfeld and Destiny Palmer.
Download the preliminary design proposal 1911 Howes Park CRT design
By 12/1, please email your comments to christina.lanzl@urbancultureinstitute.org.

Saturday, November 16, 2019  9:30-11:30 a.m. Public Art Proposal Presentation
Roxbury Boys and Girls Club, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury
The Gertrude Howes Park Civil Rights Era Public Art presentation of the proposal jointly developed by team artists Doug Kornfeld and Destiny Palmer.
Download the flyer.
​
Saturday, July 13, 2019  9:30-11 a.m. | Building a Vision with the Artists
Roxbury Boys and Girls Club, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury

The Gertrude Howes Park Civil Rights Movement Public Art Committee invited the public to attend a meeting and to express ideas and suggestions for a new vision to design a tribute dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement. The meeting included an overview of the process to date, brainstorming with team artists Doug Kornfeld and Destiny Palmer, and an open discussion.
Download the flyer.

Saturday, March 3, 2018  11 a.m. | Presentation of Revised Proposal
Roxbury Boys and Girls Club, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury MA
Based on feedback, Doug Kornfeld and team artist Destiny Palmer presented a revised proposal.
Download the flyer.

Saturday, September 9  2-8 p.m. | Proposal Exhibit & Invitation to Comment
Information table including invitation to comment on the four finalist proposals at the 5th Annual Big Head Festival
Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, 300 Walnut Ave, Roxbury
Download the flyer.

August 1 – September 16, 2017
Public Comment Period – Invitation to comment
Feedback on the initial concepts by four finalist artists. Proposal review resulted in an invitation to further develop one initial proposal during design development. Comments gathered by the Urban Culture Institute were shared with the Art Selection Committee for consideration.

Saturday, July 29, 2017  10:30 a.m. | Proposal Presentations
Roxbury Boys and Girls Club, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury MA
Four artists presented public art proposals celebrating Civil Rights. 
Download the flyer.

Saturday, June 17, 2017  11:00 a.m. | Creative Dialogue with Finalist Artists
Howes Park walk-through at 68 Moreland Street, Roxbury MA
Civil Rights Tribute Site walk followed by Creative Lunch Roundtable, 12:30 p.m. 
Roxbury Boys and Girls Club, 115 Warren Street, Roxbury
Finalists listened and talked about ideas for an abstract sculpture.
Download the flyer.


Budget 
The project is anticipated to be funded in part by the Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund, a public charitable trust administered by the City of Boston Trust Office. The total anticipated all-inclusive budget for design, fabrication and installation is $250,000. The Civil Rights Era Public Art Committee is committed to raising funds for the project. Finalists received a $2,500 honorarium each for initial concept development and presentations.

Background Documentation
  • Certificate of Appreciation for the Friends of Gertrude Howes Park conferred by the Boston Parks & Recreation Department in May 2018
  • Download the full RFQ with additional documentation, including a selection of relevant civil rights events and a bibliography 
  • Facebook page with park activities

How to Get Involved
The Civil Rights Tribute Committee is seeking volunteers to get involved and to assist with fundraising.
 
​Contact

For additional information please email Christina Lanzl.
Proudly powered by Weebly