Art Project Puts the Freedom Trail on Trial

Jamaica Plain’s Urbano Project, the innovative Brewery-based organization that provides free, socially engaged art education to teens, recently held a reception for their latest challenging exhibition entitled “"  

The event was the culmination of a semester-long endeavor of temporary public art installations undertaken by the group’s young artists, who were assisted in their efforts with conceptual and technical guidance by professional lead artist Neil Horsky and assistant Amber Frame. 

The show documents what Urbano’s director and founder Stella Stella Aguirre McGregor called “artistic interventions” to illustrate a theme of disobedience that took place on two recent weekends with paintings, sculptures and performances at sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail.

“Teen artists questioned the assumptions, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and impartiality of public presentations of the city’s history,” states Urbano’s description of “The Freedom Trail on Trial.”

Young artist Frame’s contribution, for example, is a professionally printed pamphlet called “The Native American History Trail” that was distributed at tourist information centers on Boston Common and at Faneuil Hall. When opened, the purported map and tour guide to honor the city’s
original inhabitants is blank, signifying the absence of any such commemorations.

15-year old Austin Icke's "The Hydra" draws parallels between the death of a colonial teen named Christopher Cider during a protest in the mid-1700’s and the recent injury by police of a war veteran at Occupy Oakland. The Veterans for Peace Flag used in the sculpture, which was displayed downtown on Washington Street, was donated by Carlos Arredondo, whose own son was tragically killed in Iraq and for whom JP's . 

""Burden"by Yar Gaye and Tucker Gaye represents the repetition of history.  Composed of black, red and blue rocks, the sculpture, which was exhibited on Salem Street in the North End symbolizes the Salem witch hunts, the McCarthy era and the persecution of Muslims in post 9/11 America.

“Untitled" by Boston Arts Academy student Max Diers was installed across from the State House at "The Founders Memorial” on Boston Common. The low-relief sculpture celebrates the 300th anniversary of the city’s establishment and depicts colonial figures William Blackstone and John Winthrop as a group of Shawmut Indians look on.  “Wish we knew this was the beginning of genocide,” read one of Dier’s paper attachments to the sculpture.

“People still celebrate Columbus Day,” said the aspiring guerrilla artist.

Horsky's "Party Shoes" was shown at Old City Hall Plaza where two existing sculptures of a donkey and elephant signify the Democratic and Republic parties.  The arc of shoes he created symbolizes opposition to both of the established political parties.

During the “interventions,” as the accompanying video documents, Urbano students and Horksy faced conflicts with police, park rangers and the Boston Business Bureau but no arrests were made.

“We rethought memorials,” said Horsky, and “tested the ideal of freedom of speech with positive, creative, thought-provoking and non-destructive” works.”

“” was on display at The Urbano Project (617-983-1007) at 29 Germania Street through Dec. 14. The exhibition is scheduled to return after New Year’s.The gallery’s hours are generally from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. but visitors are advised to call first.