Artist Freedom Baird cultivates her ROOM TO GROW along the Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington, MA

ARLINGTON, Mass. - Aug. 1, 2019 - PRLog -- "The Minuteman Bikeway is an ideal place to spend time in the world of green growing things and to consider issues of environmental health and sustainability," explains Arlington Public Art's first Artist-in-Residence, Freedom Baird, "as well as how humans and nature interact. I'm inviting people to visit and talk with me about how human habitat and nature intertwine, literally!" Baird has created ROOM TO GROW, an intimate outdoor room composed of salvaged furniture and growing plants; the third ingredient is conversation. Baird's practice centers on exchanging ideas, sharing experiences and exploring values with the public through casual conversation. ROOM TO GROW will evolve through the season until it is dismantled on September 29, 2019.
www.freedomBaird.org, www.facebook.com/freedom.baird.5

The residency is part of PATHWAYS: PUBLIC ART ON THE MINUTEMAN BIKEWAY, and joins work by three other exceptional Boston-area artists that explore nature in a suburban setting shaped by a two hundred years of human development. PATHWAYS was developed by Arlington Public Art, a committee of the Arlington Commission for Art and Culture, with multiple goals. Sited on New England's most heavily used bikeway, PATHWAYS installations reach a large and diverse audience. PATHWAYS focuses on a specific section of the Bikeway in order to strengthen the new Arlington's Cultural District, a designation town activists sought to support the fragile ecosystem of independent small storefront businesses in Arlington Center and Capitol Square, where storefront turnover rates and vacancies are high. And finally, organizers sought to commission art that would celebrate the survival of nature in the town – an essential part of its current character – and promote values of environmental stewardship.

In this context, Baird has created ROOM TO GROW to prompt people to think about their use of resources. The artist will be present – dressed in farmers overalls – on six Sundays in August and September for dialogue and conversations with neighbors, passers-by and visitors about a range of issues that are the focus of her work and relevant to the Town. On September 8 and 22, Baird will also be joined by local activists who will share their expertise and Arlington perspective as "conversation partners." For schedule details and further background visit:
artsarlington.org/public-art-2/pathways-art-on-the-minuteman-bikeway/, www.artsarlington.org/, (http://artsarlington.org/) www.facebook.com/artsarlingtonMA/