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Postcards from Allston

Visit the Crossings Gallery to see the artwork in-person from June 2–September 9


Created by the documentarian Edward Boches and featuring the rich visual texture of this diverse neighborhood to document the change that's underway, Postcards From Allston invites you to participate in a conversation about your hopes, dreams, and concerns for this community.

Enjoy Boches' photography then share your own vision for Allston on a blank postcard in the gallery or via the answer box below.
 

 

Postcards from Allston, created by photographer Edward Boches in partnership with Allston Village Main Streets, is a project celebrating the color, character, and creativity of Allston, while also documenting the change that's underway. Through a combination of photographs, public art installations, social media, voices from the community, and fundraising for the arts, the initiative hopes to inspire community and conversation and make art more accessible to all.

Printing by Digital Silver Imaging

 

Artist Statement

"Allston remains one of Boston's most authentic neighborhoods. A combination of small businesses, bodegas, and ethnic restaurants, its storefronts alone convey "melting pot." Its population of white, Asian, Hispanic, and Black residents makes it more diverse than many of its bordering towns. And its relative affordability, in one of the country's most expensive cities, has made it a magnet for a young creative community—musicians, dancers, and, of course, the street artists whose murals populate walls and electrical boxes throughout the neighborhood.

However, Allston is in the midst of a burst of development. And with that comes new challenges. As hundreds of new, high-end apartment units and condos near completion, the question becomes,
'How much will this neighborhood change?'"

— Edward Boches

What Do You Think?

My wish for the future of Allston is...

  • "That it stays as weird and wonderful as it has always been."

    Anonymous

  • "More green space and places to be outdoors."

    Anonymous

  • "Affordable housing, more small/local businesses (as opposed to chains), and more green space for locals."

    Dave E.

  • "That all Allston-Brighton residents feel welcome and included on the Harvard campus."

    Maile T.

  • "To have an inclusive community."

    Anonymous

  • "For it to stay as affordable as possible."

    Anonymous, Boston

  • "I wish that it's clean!"

    Teresa (age 7)

  • "To stay as eclectic and creative as possible!"

    Abigail, Allston

  • "More dog parks!"

    Anonymous

  • "A welcoming, diverse, and inclusive neighborhood."

    Ben F., Allston

  • "More greenspace and opportunities for the community to come together and share ideas."

    David, Boston

  • "For it to continue to grow."

    Anonymous

  • "Keep Allston affordable for all. We need artists and musicians to be able to afford to live here."

    Anonymous

  • "My wish for Allston's future, as a neighborhood and community, is to see quality and affordable housing to those in need. The vibrant, unique culture of Allston is because of its diverse, eclectic people."

    Anonymous

  • "Colorful Pride community."

    Anonymous

  • "That this neighborhood can somehow remain authentic."

    Anonymous

  • "Live music in every bar, club, and restaurant."

    Anonymous

  • "I wish that it's all beautiful!"

    Begona (age 6)

  • "That I can still show my kids where their dad lived when he survived Grad School at Harvard!"

    Anonymous

  • "That it doesn't become the Seaport."

    Anonymous

  • "More music venues—and more music!"

    Anonymous

  • "For its heart and soul to remain true, in spite of gentrification."

    Anonymous

  • "Please continue to create art in public spaces."

    Anonymous

  • "Growth and vibrancy while keeping community and generations of families who have lived here."

    Anonymous

  • "The continuation of funding for the public library programs. As a 21-year-old, I've found community in the classes and creative initiatives in this branch. Grateful for the library, parks, trees, and fellow creators."

    Anonymous

  • "My wish for Allston is for it to be vibrant, welcoming, and eclectic while striving to be more sustainable."

    Anonymous

  • "I wish to be taken to chocolate land!"

    Ronin (age 6)

  • "I wish to be an Olympic swimmer!"

    Ivy (age 9)

Shop


Purchase Your Own Postcards from Allston!

Postcards can be purchased online here or in packs of 25 in person at the Harvard Ed Portal. They’re perfect for mailing, gift giving, or even framing.

All proceeds support local arts initiatives.

Meet the Artist

Edward Boches

Edward Boches is a Boston and Cape Cod-based street and documentary photographer.

His work has shown in museums and galleries that include the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester; the Bronx Documentary Center in New York City; the Cambridge Association for the Arts; the Plymouth Center for the Arts; the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont; the Providence Center for the Photographic Arts; and in Boston at both the Bromfield Gallery and Panopticon Gallery.

Boches' work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Zeke Magazine, and The Provincetown Independent, where he is a regular contributor.

Interested in the ways in which ordinary people live, work, play, struggle, and take action, he frequently donates his photography to causes and organizations he believes in. In 2021 and 2022, he received multiple grants for public art installations for his community based project Postcards from Allston, which raises money for local arts initiatives.