Somerville Artist Paints Mural In JP

Boston MA

18 May, 2022

7:07 PM

Description

By LINDA PINKOW, Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism May 18, 2022 As part of a long-term plan to uplift and celebrate the Stonybrook community in Jamaica Plain, Somerville-based artist Julia Csekö has created a new mural on an exterior wall of the Extra Space Storage facility at 141 McBride St. in Jamaica Plain. Csekö's mural, created in collaboration with Eddie Maisonet, was one of two winning proposals, which were selected out of a pool of over 30 applicants by a jury of seven art professionals and Jamaica Plain community representatives. The murals were funded through a community benefit agreement for a new mixed-use development that was built on a nearby property. Csekö was born in Colorado and grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2010, she moved to Boston to pursue an MFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. In 2022 she was the recipient of a Create the Vote MassCreative Fellowship, a Somerville Arts Council Project Grant, and the Somerville Museum Community Curator grant. In 2021, Csekö was an Artist in Residence at the Umbrella Center for the Arts, and received a Somerville Arts Council Fellowship. She was also an Emerson College 2020 Visiting Artist. The public is invited to celebrate the murals' completion with the artists, Stonybrook neighbors, and elected officials, this Saturday, May 21 from noon to 2 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, May 22), at DCR's Southwest Corridor Park. The event will include artist talks, live music, and refreshments. Check out the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association website for all the details. The Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (BINJ) is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) charity that supports the development and production of independent news in Massachusetts. We work with professional journalists to cover a wide range of issues and syndicate our reporting to community outlets statewide. Check us out at binjonline.org!