Heritage State Park Sculpture Program

During a two-week intensive summer public art program, local high school students, under the direction of artists Jeremy Barnett and Jason Maracani, designed and constructed an expansive sculpture that meanders through the architecture and landscape of Lawrence Heritage State Park.

The program participants visited the site, learned about its history as a boarding house for the city's mills, and considered the urban park's usage as a site for recreation, leisure, and community events.

The young people were inspired by the vines and trees growing throughout the park and wanted to create more areas for shade, with forms that would invite people in and encourage movement throughout the space.

High school students applied to Essex Art Center's program through a competitive process and received a stipend for their active participation.

The teaching artists said, "The students enthusiastically jumped into the new art medium and collaboratively designed a piece that is true to their collective aesthetic. They drove the creative process throughout. We couldn't be more impressed with their creative drive."

Over the past year, Essex Art Center has expanded its paid opportunities for teens, making its programming more accessible to those who may have to choose between working a job and participating in an art program.