Art on the Road: Boston

Boston and Ireland have deep ties that date back centuries. The term Irish-American and Boston will always be interwoven since so many Irish immigrants chose the city to start a new life in. Today over thirty million Americans can trace their roots back to the Emerald Isle. In fact, the total population of modern day Ireland is only one sixth that of the number of Americans with Irish roots.

It’s no wonder then, that there is a vibrant Irish art scene in Boston and one of the best places to see Irish and Irish American art is the Aisling Gallery. I was treated to some warm Irish hospitality and beautiful art upon my arrival at the gallery. Most of the art that I saw was of bucolic scenes in Ireland or New England that give a sense of what it must be like to be there amongst the rolling hills and rustic villages. I’ve long been fascinated by Ireland and the Irish; they have a tragic history and from that tragedy have developed an inner strength that can best be described as national character. Now that I have crossed Boston off my list of places to visit, I am bumping up Ireland way to the top of that list.

Time flies on these quick trips and it flies even faster when some of that time spent with friends. In Boston I was fortunate to be able to meet up with some fellow travel bloggers for dinner, to discuss some of the cool places that I should visit on my second day in Boston. Kate (Adventurous Kate) and Randy & Beth (Beer & Beans) write two of the most popular travel blogs in the world and it was a pleasure to get a chance to spend some quality time with some really great people. It didn’t take long to get a long list of great places to photograph from these seasoned travellers. We met at the eclectic Cuchi Cuchi restaurant in Cambridge where they serve an incredible mix of ethnic dishes from all over the world with their own delicious twist. The staff is all dressed up in various costumes and the decor is so unique that I think you should go see it for yourself. Good food, crazy decor, an incredible cocktail list, and wonderful company… The perfect way to end my first day in Boston.

 

After a good breakfast and several cups of coffee to to start the day, I headed out on the road in search of public art and some cool locations that in a glance will make one think of Boston. Thanks to advice from Randy, Beth, and Kate, as well as my Twitter followers I had a good idea where I was going. I started the day exploring the deCordova Sculpture Park just outside of Boston and was even treated to a fun display of giant bubble art. There were several fascinated young children in the park being entertained by a man who was creating these amazing bubbles of all shapes and sizes. As you can see in the photo, the kids were enthralled and I had a huge grin on my face as I observed them having the time of their life chasing and popping the soapy orbs as they floated by. I kind of felt like a kid myself for a brief time, as I too got lost in the moment. To me these huge bubbles are temporary or momentary art and I think the children would agree.

 

Moving on into the city, I stopped a few times along the way to photograph some stunning murals, then finally arrived at the more somber and sobering statue dedicated to the memory of the Irish Famine from the mid 1800s. The hours of the day were melting away and I wanted to be sure to get to one special place to capture another incredible New England summer sunset. There is no better place to do just that than the Massachusetts State House. Once again the sky was filled with a variety of clouds that were perfect for capturing the shades orange and yellow as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

 One more shot to go! That seems to be a phrase I use a lot when I’m on the road on a photo shoot. I never want the days to end, but they must. The best way to feel a sense of finality to a day for me is to pick one last “hero” location to photograph. In this case I chose the Ray and Maria Stata Center that was designed for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by world famous Canadian architect Frank Gehry. Architecture for me is such a wonderful form of art and the blend of form and function makes it perhaps the most challenging of art forms. Gehry is one of the best of all time and his buildings are masterpieces as I’m sure you’ll agree. This building in particular came alive at night with the mixture of artificial illumination that cast different shades of colour on the various surfaces of the building.

The night ended when an MIT student stopped to chat with me and tried to take a photo of the building herself. She was having trouble getting a nice shot and I took a moment to lend a hand by helping her adjust the camera to the proper settings. To see the expression on her face go from disappointed to happy within a few minutes made my day. What a nice way to end the first leg of Art on the Road.

On the flight home I was treated to a nice view of the city from my window seat and had my own happy look on my face as I could now look forward to the next stops on my list.

 

Thanks Boston and see you soon Seattle and New York City!

 

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