Arts

As a boy growing up in Malden, renowned artist Frank Stella remembers passing his time at the Malden Public Library and playing outside with friends along what is now the Northern Strand Bike Trail. Stella, who was born in 1936, left Malden for New York City in 1958 after graduating from Oberlin College and never returned, making his mark on the art world with his abstract paintings, sculpture, and geometric designs. His work has shown widely throughout the world, including the Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art in New York City. On March 18, 2014, Stella returned to the area to accept an award from WalkBoston for the Walkability Initiative propelled by Malden resident Sharon Santillo in collaboration with Mayor Gary Christenson. Stella’s artwork is incorporated in the wayfaring signs that promote walking in Malden. WalkBoston, which awarded the trio (Santillo, Christenson, and Stella) with the organization’s “Golden Shoe” award, noted that Malden’s walking initiative was the first to combine walkability with art. Santillo, herself an artist, was inspired by the work of Stella and […]