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November 16, 2023

Art on the Move: Fusing Community Creativity with Public Transport

The City of Lynn, MA, situated north of Boston, and the Lynn Public Art Commission (LPAC) collaborated with the BostonBRT initiative and TransitMatters to launch a creative new endeavor: Art on the Move.

BostonBRT is a program managed by ITDP US that aims to bring quality BRT service to residents in the Boston metro region.

This is an innovative initiative to transform seven selected bus shelters across the city into vibrant spaces of artistic expression to foster more community engagement and make public transit a destination in and of itself. From swirls of colors, shapes, and symbols, the shelter art represents how the artists see Lynn and how people navigate it to celebrate the themes of movement and journey. Each stop features the work of one of seven artists from across the region selected by a panel led by the City and LPAC, following a call to artists for designs. 

The project aims to spark curiosity, build community pride, and ease bus, bike, and pedestrian mobility by integrating artistic elements into people’s daily commutes. With TransitMatters, the bus stops were also transformed into Mobility Hubs with bike racks, wayfinding signage, and maps that make it easy for people to discover, locate, and access T stations, bus routes, and local landmarks and public spaces like parks, grocery stores, and more. The idea of Mobility Hubs hinges on a future where integrated modes and transit networks offer convenient access and coordinated transfers. Such an enhanced transit experience has great potential to increase ridership and encourage more multi-modal, connected trips. 

View some of the inspiring transformations below, access the press photos here via Ad Hoc Industries, and follow ITDP’s US program on X (Twitter) for the latest updates.

Union Square @ Exchange Street

Artist: Ruth Henry, a Boston-based artist who layers color, texture, and poetry into intricate reflections of conflict and possibility. 
Artist: Sunil Gulab, a New England-based artist living in Lynn who has been making art for over 35 years.

Market Square @ Western Avenue

Artist: Howie Green, a Boston-based artist featured in over 100 murals globally.

Western Avenue @ Washington Street

Artist: Grhimm (Ferlay Jean Baptiste), a street artist who was raised in the city of Worcester. Grhimm transforms spaces with colors and playful themes while using traditional painting and graphic design.

Western Avenue @ Breed Square

Artist: Jah’Nyah Spencer, from Los Angeles, now a Boston-based illustrator and muralist living in Lynn.

Market Square @ Western Avenue 

Artist: Whitney Burdge, a transportation planner and artist whose art is inspired by infographics, data, world travels, and juxtapositions of color and culture.

Franklin Street @ North Common

Artist: Trinidad Martinez, a Boston-based artist from Venezuela who lives in Lynn and whose career began as a muralist, works in mixed-media art incorporating elements to reflect the themes of nature and energy. 

Learn more about the initiative and the artists here.

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