Monuments Reimagined

"What does a word like "belong" mean in a city, state or nation which increasingly discriminates between who is welcome and who is not?"

Katherine Megumi Shozawa


Presented by the artist collaborative Art In Between and featuring artwork by Katherine Megumi Shozawa, Monuments Reimagined invites you to participate in a conversation about art in public spaces.

Browse the exhibition online to see Shozawa’s piece — belong — then share your own ideas for new public art using the answer box below.
 

Monuments Reimagined & belong


Over the last year, engaged citizens and active protesters called for numerous monuments to be removed from public spaces, in Boston and around the world, because of their role in upholding the harmful systems of racism, colonialism, xenophobia, and white supremacy.

But what comes after the removal of these monuments and statues? Art In Between believes public art should contribute to the formation of a positive collective identity and dares us to reimagine the role of art in our communities.

Artwork Details

Katherine Megumi Shozawa

belong

2021

Neon tubing and plexiglass

40" L x 15" H


Shozawa’s piece, belong, sparks this conversation. As a word, belong challenges us to consider the question, "Who is welcome?" As a work of art, belong invites us to reflect on the past and present function of art in public spaces and to imagine a future in which public art invites all of us to belong.

Public Art Panel Discussion

Public art has the potential to make a community a more vibrant and welcoming place. Free and accessible to all, it also has the power to provoke debate about our shared cultural experience. As engaged citizens call for the removal of certain public monuments that evoke harmful systems, the conversation about the role of public art in our communities gains momentum.

This panel, including City of Boston Chief of Arts & Culture Kara Elliott-Ortega, Harvard Graduate School of Design professor Sara Zewde, and Cambridge-based artist Katherine Megumi Shozawa, came together for a discussion (moderated by Art in Between co-founder Brian Hone) focused on the future of public art and its potential to express our collective public values.

What Do You Think?


What kind of art would make your community more welcoming?

  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Celebrate the many cultures and ideas in our neighborhood."

    Kim, Brighton
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Be functional. House birds, attract pollinators, hold people, make music, serve a purpose beyond inspiring discussion."

    MG, Brighton
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Elicit an emotional response from its community members, feelings of curiosity and wonder, but also a strong sense of creativity and belonging."

    Ashley, Boston
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Bring people together! To make me smile! To make me think."

    Brian Hone
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Be colorful!"

    Max
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Start conversations."

    Antony, Allston
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Be colorful and brighten up the neighborhood and make it more welcoming."

    Jonathan, Allston
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Invite strangers to play music together."

    Anonymous
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Bring people together and use the natural landscape in creative ways."

    Leighton, Watertown
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Tell the authentic stories of people who live there today. I want to know the why they chose to join this community, and what they want to contribute."

    Anonymous
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Reflect my neighborhood's diversity and all we have to offer, culturally and artistically."

    Mary, Allston
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Pay tribute to modern day, living heroes, leaders and activists from a diverse array of perspectives and contributions."

    Anonymous, Boston
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Enhance my outdoor experience with beauty and/or make me think."

    Anonymous
  • I want public art in my community to...
     

    "Spark joy and make people think."

    Jenn, Manvel

Behind the Scenes

Go behind the scenes of the installation process for Monuments Reimagined, featuring Katherine Megumi Shozawa's piece belong.

Video and photo credit: Faizal Wescott
  • Monuments Reimagined Installation
  • Monuments Reimagined Installation
  • Monuments Reimagined Installation
  • Monuments Reimagined Installation
  • Monuments Reimagined Installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation
  • Monuments Reimagined installation

Meet the Artist

Katherine Megumi Shozawa

Katherine Megumi Shozawa is an interdisciplinary artist and educator whose socially engaged art practice begins with intimate examinations of stories and qualities of memory in marginalized communities in the U.S. and Canada, including her own. Spanning more than twenty years, her work is diverse in scope while linked by a common focus on the visual and cultural vitality of inclusive public space.

Katherine attended the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program and earned her MFA in Art Practice from the University of California, Berkeley and BA in American Studies from Yale University. She has received numerous grants and fellowships, including a recent Massachusetts Cultural Council LCC Artist Grant for the participatory public artwork The Vita Project.

Meet the Curators

Art In Between, an artist collaborative co-founded by Kelsey Hammond and Brian Hone,
facilitates access to art and ideas for the curious and creative.

Art in Between logo

Website          Instagram          Contact

Kelsey Hammond

Kelsey Hammond is a middle school art teacher in Lowell, MA who views creating, observing, and questioning art as a way to critically reflect on the world around us. Kelsey is a graduate from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Boston, MA) where she received her Masters of Arts in Teaching in art education. Kelsey brings a unique perspective to the arts through her undergraduate studies at Lesley University (Cambridge, MA) in Holistic Psychology and Art Therapy, and values an inclusive approach while making space for personal expression and creative problem solving.

Brian Hone

Brian Hone is an arts professional and designer based in Boston, MA who transforms museum and cultural spaces through interactivity, creativity, and collaboration. As founder of Brian Hone & Studio, and in his current role as Manager of Studio Projects with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, he works to make art more accessible to everyone. Prior to joining the Gardner in 2015, he began his career with the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, OH. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and a Bachelor of Science in art education from Miami University (Oxford, OH) and a Master of Liberal Arts in museum studies from Harvard University, Extension School (Cambridge, MA).

As an active participant and leader in the local arts ecosystem, Brian breaks down barriers to arts and culture within the city of Boston. In September 2020, he was appointed as a Commissioner to the Boston Art Commission. In this role, he works with the other Commissioners and staff within the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture to maintain the city's art collection and to commission new, transformative public art that enriches and enlivens the urban environment.

In his free time, Brian enjoys singing with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.