By Maria Yulikova
If you find yourself near the Malden Center MBTA station, look at the glass wall of the tall apartment building facing Commercial Street. A new art installation uses individual light tubes to hold segments of a single photograph. Together, they form a picture of a city street with a tram and several men standing alongside the tracks, dressed in early 20th-century clothing. The full image appears only from certain angles.
The installation is called “Connector.” The artist is Clint Baclawski, a Malden resident who describes himself as “a contemporary artist working with photography, technology, light and space.”
“Connector” reflects those techniques, but it also adds time as a dimension: the early 20th-century cityscape with a tram, shown in motion, represents the idea of connecting places, points in history and the people who lived in them. Baclawski purposefully chose to use time and history, reflecting Malden’s motto, “Strong Past, Proud Future.”
“I’ve been living in Malden for 14 years, so I am well aware of the city’s slogan, which I used in the installation’s text description,” Baclawski said.
The photo itself was a departure for Baclawski, who typically uses his own images for his artwork. In this case, he used an historical photograph he found on the Malden Public Library’s website seven years earlier. The library had announced the release of old city photographs from a Historic New England collection. Baclawski came across this one titled “Broadway.” Its description said it showed the elevated trolley in Malden but Baclawski found that none of those trolleys operated here. The closest was in Revere and were widely used around Boston in the early 20th century.
“Connector” is one of six art objects placed around downtown Malden this summer and early fall. The others, all murals, are:
- “Bloom Here” by Malden resident Priyanka Manicka Vasagam, located under the Pleasant Street bridge at Malden Center Station;
- “Hearth of Malden” by Malden resident Nicolas Orellana, located under the Centre Street bridge at Malden Center Station;
- “Game Night” by Madeline Deiters, located on Exchange Street highlighting the Malden Gaming District;
- An untitled mural by Mystic River Watershed Association’s artist-in-residence Andres Duarte, located at the Malden Senior Center/Teen Center building, and
- “The Next Adventure,” created by the Street Theory Collective artist-in-residence Michael Talbot for Boda Borg and located on its Pleasant Street building.
It’s worth noticing how much large murals can transform even dull, shadowed places like the concrete walls under bridges. While the Boda Borg mural and the one on Exchange Street have revitalized the look and feel of Malden’s central streets, “Bloom Here” and “Hearth of Malden” transformed a gloomy underpass into a uniquely decorated space that makes drivers turn their heads. Vasagam’s bright red and green leaves, set against a sunny background, turn the under-bridge passage into a well-lit green street.
Zachery LeMel, the city’s Deputy Director for Business and Economic Development, led this project. Calls for artists were sent out in March for the various spaces available, with details on themes, selection criteria and process.
“We had a decent amount of submissions,” LeMel said, explaining that the scoring and selection criteria was developed under the supervision of New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). “Our Mayor and administration were also very supportive. This helped us a lot.”
The art was funded through a mix of state and nonprofit grants and local business support. Two murals at the MBTA station and Baclawski’s light installation came through a state earmark secured by State Rep. Steve Ultrino. The Exchange Street mural was funded by the NEFA and Boda Borg. The Senior/Teen Center mural was funded by the Mystic River Watershed Association. The Boda Borg mural was funded and managed by Boda Borg and the artist.
The installations grew out of Malden’s Public Art Strategy, a plan developed with the consulting firm Innes Associates following focus groups with local business owners and community members. The strategy maps existing public art, identifies sites for future work and outlines ideas for transforming them. It’s part of a broader city effort to make downtown more welcoming and draw foot traffic — the same goal behind Malden’s recent designation under MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, a three-year program that launched July 1 and includes art integration among its economic development goals.
For Sandy Felder, president of Creative Malden, the value is bigger than foot traffic.
“We are emerging as an art city, an outdoor gallery,” said Felder. “This art is free and accessible to everybody now, and this is good for local artists and their visibility. Moreover, beautiful artwork reflects community life; it helps us to take pride in our community.”
Above gallery, images of “Bloom Here” by located under the Centre St. bridge, featuring images that characterize the city. (Photos: Kim Brookes)
So next time you pass through downtown Malden, look around. Whichever street you’re on, you’ll likely see an interesting art object, mural or painted switch box.
And on October 3, join a walking art tour to see all six new works. Led by Creative Malden, in collaboration with the City of Malden, the artists themselves will talk about their pieces. The tour will culminate in a celebration at a local Malden restaurant. The event is a chance to celebrate the artwork, artists and collaborators in this downtown beautification project. The 4:30 p.m. tour is sold out but there are still some spots left in the 4:00 p.m. tour.
Corrections Note: The original version of this article had the mural images of “Bloom Here” and “Heart of Malden” swapped. We apologize for the error.
Beautiful!