Mayor Dominick Pangallo and the City of Salem Public Art Commission are excited to announce a variety of unique art installations and experiences coming to Salem this spring! Visitors can see exciting new sculpture installations, walk inside a giant working pinhole camera, and explore immigrant stories through art with Salem’s new public artist in residence Julia Csekö!
To be seen from 15 Aprilth 2024 – April 10th 2025 along the Leslie’s Retreat Walking Path, the city welcomes five new sculptures as part of its 4th annual rotating sculpture garden. Works on display include: David Adilman & Thomas Bergers Burdened man; Josie Dellenbaugh Balancing act – expectations; Joseph Grays The portal; Philip Marshall’s Orange bathroom; and David Skoras Think tank.
During the school holiday week in April, Salem artists and residents Patricia Scialo welcomes visitors to her pinhole camera exhibition in the Old Town Hall. Learn how the first cameras were built (circa 1820), delve into the world of early photography and explore the exciting intersection between art and science! This interactive experience will include a walk-in camera, craft lessons on how to build your own pinhole camera and much more! Free and fun for all ages! Join us at the Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Sq. Monday 15 Aprilth from 12 – 14:00; Tues., Wed. and Thurs., 16 Aprilth – 18th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and Friday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
From there you can go to Artists’ Row, 24 New Derby St., to see David Jaramillo’s new permanent art installation Our Lady of Contemplation. Formed from a tree struck by lightning and about 3.35 meters high, Our Lady of Contemplation is a beacon of hope and inspiration. “The Lady is a reflection of the Native American spirit, bringing forth both past and present, reflecting the sun bringing forth the universe around you… Our Lady of Reflection brings inspiration into all Cultures of Salem. Those who visit learn about America and the diversity of cultures that call this place home,” says Jaramillo when asked about his work.
In May, Artists’ Row will also welcome Julia Csekö as Salem’s 2024 Public Artist in Residence (PAiR) on Artists’ Row. Csekö will hold regular open studio hours from May to December at Artists’ Row, 24 New Derby St, Salem MA and present her participatory public art installation, Crossing borders – experiences and dreams of immigrantsbetween June and September 2024. The PAiR studio on Artists’ Row will serve as a gathering place for the community to share and celebrate immigrant stories. In addition, Csekö will organize storytelling events and family-friendly workshops during her residency.
Crossing borders features over 2,000 colorful ribbons with the phrase “YOU ARE WELCOME HERE” in twelve languages commonly spoken by immigrants in the Greater Boston area. The work is inspired by the Brazilian custom of tying ribbons with wishes around the fence of the historic Senhor do Bonfim Church in Salvador, Bahia. The project uses innovative QR codes and a mailbox to encourage public engagement and sharing immigration stories. It includes an augmented reality feature that connects participants with organizations working to support immigrant and refugee rights. The residency will conclude with an exhibition at Old Town Hall in January 2025. Follow Julia on Instagram @SalemPAiR to see what she’s up to and learn more!
In the artist’s words:
“The Salem Public Artist Residency provides space, time, and funding to develop a new body of work by connecting elements of my personal story with the stories of the numerous immigrant groups in the Greater Boston area. The residency studio, located on vibrant Artist Row, will be used as a space that welcomes the general public to participate in storytelling and sharing of immigrant experiences. This residency is a unique opportunity to create public participatory art that stimulates conversations about destigmatizing immigrant groups in North America. I look forward to experimenting with materials and ideas connected to my Brazilian culture, such as the colorful ribbons featured in the public installation Transcending Borders. Come by, pick up a ribbon, and tell a story.”
About the artist, Julia Csekö
Csekö was born in Colorado to Brazilian parents who went into self-imposed exile during Brazil’s military dictatorship, and grew up in Rio, Brazil. She holds an MFA from SMFA at Tufts and a BFA from the Federal University of Rio, UFRJ. In 24′, Csekö is a SMFA @ Tufts Traveling Fellow, AiR at Boston Center for the Arts, and a public artist in residency with the City of Salem. In 23′, Csekö’s work has been acquired by the permanent collection of Tufts Art Galleries and she has been a Collective Futures Tufts Art Galleries Warhol Foundation Fellow, JArts Be The Change Award recipient, Randolph and Newton LCC Fellow, and Somerville LCC Ambassador. In 22′, Cseko has been a Somerville LCC Fellow, CTV MassCreative Fellow, and Community Curator at the Somerville Museum. She has also been invited as AIR to Sculpture Space in upstate New York. She has also exhibited public murals commissioned by Downtown Boston BID and Stonybrook Neighborhood Association. In 2018, Csekö was invited as AiR to A4A MassMoCA.
Her passion for organizing dates back to her BFA studies at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), when Csekö participated in negotiations demanding an increase in funding for arts and culture from 0.3 to 1% of Brazil’s state budget. She was also a member of a committee that held discussions with representatives of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture.
All projects are supported and funded by the City of Salem’s Arts and Culture Program in cooperation with the Salem Public Art Commission.
