- Announcements
–Opening Celebration of the Devens Mural at Willard Field, OCTOBER 8th at 4pm
The Devens Enterprise Commission, MassDevelopment, and Artist Shara Osgood are Celebrating the completion of the “Intersections of Communities and Cultures” Devens mural.
The ribbon cutting event will take place on Tuesday, October 8th at 4pm on
Willard Field near the corner of Antietam St. and Sherman Ave. All ages are welcome, and refreshments will be served.
– Devens' Mural Paint Party in the News
Check out an article from the Harvard Press featuring the August 7th Community Paint Part
here.
- Project Overview
– The Goals:
The Intersections of Communities and Cultures Mural on pavement at Willard Field strives to advance and support public art and utilize it as a tool for placemaking;
to activate an underutilized recreational area; to attract visitors to notice the space and reflect on Devens' cultural and community identity and engage with the art and the space;
and to bring joy, color, beauty, a sense of belonging, and hope.
– The Site:
The mural is being painted on a intersection of paths within the Willard Field Complex of Devens adjacent to the Sherman Avenue pedestrian area (former entrance to Devens),
near the junction of Antietam St. and Sherman Ave. Click here to view map.
Parking may occur at the Devens Playground / UNACC (29 Antietam St.) lot or along Antietam Street
– The Artist:
Shara Osgood Artist Statement
Shara Osgood, the artist selected by the volunteer Review Committee for the Devens Intersections of Communities and
Cultures Mural is from Fitchburg and has been creating murals in regional communities for three years. Her "Reaching Towards Change" Mural on a pedestrian walkway in Fitchburg most resembles
the work she has been hired to paint at Devens' Willard Field. Shara says, "Murals are the people's art. I have been invited into spaces to transform them into memorable backdrops for people's lives.
My work is designed to uplift and reflect a community's best self, back to them, bring hope in dark times, and amplify the message& values of that community."
The Review Committee especially appreciated Shara's emphasis on community involvement, her artistic experience and portfolio, and the proposal to host a paint party
allowing the community to participate in the mural creation. Instagram: @sharaosgoodart
This project is generously funded by New England Foundation for the Arts and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's (MAPC) Arts & Culture Department, through the Making It
Public for Municipalities 2023 Award Cohort which included training and funding to facilitate a temporary public art project.
- Project History