I Spy...A Guide to Public Art in the Greater Merrimack Valley

The Greater Merrimack Valley has a thriving arts and cultural community. Outstanding examples of art can be found throughout the region's gardens, parks, public buildings and outdoor public spaces. Many buildings and other structures are works of art in themselves.

Below are a few of the many works of public art that can be found throughout the Merrimack Valley. For more information visit www.merrimackvalley.org. See how many treasures you can spy!

The Jack Kerouac Commemorative Park, Lowell

Beat author Jack Kerouac set several of his novels his hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts, his most renowned work, On the Road, becoming the "Bible" of the Beat Generation movement. He is honored in Lowell with a sculptured plaza containing eight granite columns inscribed with his writings at the intersection of Bridge and French Streets, Lowell, MA.


Lexington's Minuteman Statue

Located at the far edge of Lexington Battle Green, the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War, the Minuteman Statue depicts Captain John Parker, leader of the Lexington Minutemen. It was created by noted sculptor Henry Hudson Kitson and bequeathed by Francis B. Hayes. Lexington Center, Battle Green.


Concord's Minuteman Statue

In 1875, Concord artist, Daniel Chester French, won a contest to create a monument for the 100th anniversary of the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Inscribed on the pedestal is the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1837 Concord Hymn, "Shot heard 'round the world." French later went on to create other famous works of art, including the seated Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Old North Bridge, Concord.


Wamesit Indian, Tewksbury

This sculptural rendition of a Wamesit Indian, created by Mico Kaufman, stands on top of a 9-foot high rock and recognizes the indigenous inhabitants of this region. Scores of Native Americans from many tribes attended the unveiling of this statue in 1989. Next to TD Waffle Restaurant. 283 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA.


Homage to Women, Lowell

Although this sculpture by Mico Kaufman was inspired by the "mill girls" of the Industrial Revolution, it easily identifies with the struggles and aspirations of working women everywhere. The figures represent women of different races and celebrate the contributions made by women throughout time. Intersection of Market and Palmers Streets, Lowell, MA.


DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln

The DeCordova Sculpture Park, encompassing 35 acres of woodlands and open spaces, is the largest park of its kind in New England. The Sculpture Park provides a constantly changing exhibition of large-scale, outdoor, contemporary American sculpture for 125,000 visitors each year. The Sculpture Park is open to the public every day from dawn to dusk, and contains approximately 75 artworks at any given time. 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA.


Lowell Cemetery Statues

Lowell Cemetery was chosen for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in May of 1998. Over the years, local citizens memorialized their dead with elaborate carvings of stone, and the grounds became home to an important collection of cemetery art. Lowell Cemetery memorials were created both by local artists and internationally known sculptors. One of the cemetery's most famous works is the lion sculpture created as the headstone of Dr. James C Ayer. 77 Knapp Avenue, Lowell, MA.


Tewksbury 9/11 Statue

Dedicated on September 11, 2005, this statue will forever honor all those who fell on that September morning. Tewksbury Public Library at the intersection of Main and Chandler Streets.


The Worker

This sculpture by brothers Ivan and Elliott Schwartz is dedicated to the workers, mostly immigrants, who built the canal system that powered Lowell's mills, lending the city the nickname "The Venice of America". Mack Plaza, Shattuck Street, Lowell, MA.

Pawtucket Prism

Created by Michio Ihara, this twenty-foot high sculpture captures the essence of flowing water using sunlight and sound. The design forces water to flow through steel tubes, moving the sculpture's forty pyramid-shaped cubes. Pawtucket is a Native American word meaning "falling water". Located at the meeting point of the Pawtucket Canal & the Concord River, behind the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center.


Tree Stumps Public Art

Located on Luce Street in Lowell, several tree stumps have been transformed by local artists into neighborhood public art. A collaborative project with support from the City Manager's Office, and funded by the Lowell Cultural Council, the exhibit was managed by Lowell artists Jay Hungate and Glenn Szegedy.


Gropius House, Lincoln

Walter Gropius, founder of the German design school known as Bauhaus, was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. He designed this house as his family home in 1938, when he came to teach at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. The home combines the traditional elements of New England architecture with innovative materials rarely used in domestic settings. In keeping with Bauhaus philosophy, every aspect of the house and its surrounding landscape was planned for maximum efficiency and simplicity of design. The house contains a collection of furniture designed by Marcel Breuer and fabricated in the Bauhaus workshops. With all the family possessions still in place, the house has an immediacy rarely found in house museums. Located at 68 Baker Bridge Road, Lincoln. Fee. www.historicnewengland.org











 

Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau
40 French Street, Second Floor     Lowell, MA 01852     (978) 459-6150