UtilityArt in South Boston

Massport’s UtilityArt Program is part of a broader effort to enhance the South Boston Waterfront. Massport commissioned five Massachusetts-based artists to turn six ordinary utility boxes on its property into unique works of public art. Transforming standard utility boxes into unique art pieces introduces color and interest into one of the Boston’s fastest growing neighborhoods and showcases a few of the region’s many talented artists.

Massport asked artists to create works around the theme “Our Waterfront; Past, Present, and Future”, paying homage to the South Boston Waterfront’s rich maritime history and the dynamic transformation that has occurred over the past twenty years. The UtilityArt Program is the first of Massport’s public art efforts in the neighborhood with more to come! Read on to learn more about the artists and their works.

Box 1: "Side by Side" - Eli Portman (expand)

Side by Side

The piece vividly contrasts scenes from the South Boston waterfront’s industrial past with today’s vibrant community and nightlife. It’s a side-by-side comparison of how Bostonians have and will use the space and environment around them in an almost impressionistic style.

About the Artist

Eli Portman was born and raised in the Greater Boston area. He graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a bachelor’s degree in studio art in the spring of 2014.

Portman specializes in detailed ink illustrations and watercolor landscapes. He has had art featured all over the Greater Boston area, including at galleries, shops, libraries, universities and more!

Portman also teaches art classes and workshops to children and adults of all ages. He is a member of the Copley Society of Art, and a published illustrator and popular muralist. He has painted and drawn custom work for business and individuals all over the area. When not creating artwork, Portman enjoys taking research and reference photographs of the city and its surroundings for future artwork.

Learn More

www.eliportman.com
Instagram: @eli.portman

Box 2: "Kaleidoscope" - Jim Connelly (expand)

Kaleidoscope

Much like a kaleidoscope, the piece provides a colorful reflection of the South Boston waterfront’s transformation--from symbols of the seafood industry, to historic landmarks, to the iconic restaurants and buildings that have shaped the community throughout the years.

About the Artist

Jim Connelly grew up surrounded by people who encouraged his creativity. His passion for all things art began from a book he drew about a pencil named Henry and its journey as it grew smaller.

Connelly has had a successful and rewarding career in graphic design spanning three decades. His creative professional path motivated him to pursue painting, and he has worked on a myriad of techniques using pencil, watercolors, oils, and stained glass.

“I like to capture those often-overlooked elements in our daily routines. In the right light, or angle, those somewhat mundane cityscapes–from building facades to vintage signs–come to life for me and I feel moved to capture those perspectives and share them,” he said. “When I see that same sense of intrigue and delight in a person’s reaction to my art, as when I first experience the subject myself, it’s at those moments when I feel the most fulfilled and rewarded.”

Connelly’s work has been showcased in juried shows in Massachusetts and New York. He has been an active painter and member of the Copley Society of Art.

Learn More

https://www.jimconnellypaintings.com/
Instagram: @jimconnellypaintings

Box 3: "Pathway to our Future" - Cynthia White (expand)

Pathway to our Future

The piece is a nod to the past and future of Boston using abstract patterns that hint at the waterways, the sky, the streets, and the Boston Harbor islands. The bright nautical colors and coastal shapes, with accents of electric hues, evoke the movement of people, goods and ideas through the South Boston waterfront.

About the Artist

Cynthia White is a Boston-based artist currently painting mostly abstract, colorful pieces that seek to convey the energy and movement that she sees in her day-to-day life.

Raised on the Maine coast, White has been an artist most of her life, inspired by her mother and grandmother who were painters. She has more than 100 paintings in private collections as well as several etched prints and photographs. She is also the founder and president of Ceatro Group, a Boston-based consulting and research firm.

She has been fortunate to also live in Ghana, West Africa for a few years and travel to other global and domestic regions. Seeing so many different places and meeting so many people are a big part of the stories told in her abstract work.

White’s work has changed, and continues to change across her life – portraits, landscapes, prints, photos, sculptures, paintings – but the one thing that remains consistent in her work is her commitment to the exploration of color and tone.

Learn More

www.cynthiawhiteart.com
Instagram: @cynthiawhiteart

Box 4: "Waves" - Jim Connelly (expand)

Waves

Playfully colored waves connect the old and new aspects of the South Boston waterfront, from the tall ships that first came to Boston to the new vibrant technology center in the neighborhood. The piece also features seafood, symbolizing an industry that has attracted workers and visitors to the neighborhood.

About the Artist

Jim Connelly grew up surrounded by people who encouraged his creativity. His passion for all things art began from a book he drew about a pencil named Henry and its journey as it grew smaller.

Connelly’s work has been showcased in juried shows in Massachusetts and New York. He has been an active painter and member of the Copley Society of Art.

Learn More

https://www.jimconnellypaintings.com/
Instagram: @jimconnellypaintings

Box 5: "Red Sails" - Molly Scannell (expand)

Red Sails

The piece is a visual collage of the sea, air and vibrant sails—a representation of the colorful artistry on display throughout the South Boston waterfront.

About the Artist

Molly Scannell is an artist and creative director living and working outside of Boston.

She has experience developing innovative and visually-engaging designs for clients in retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, non-profit, among others. Her work in mixed-media collages has been shown in galleries around the world. She’s been featured in multiple publications, including the book, Making the Cut Vol. 1: The World’s Best Collage Artists.

“I specialize in collage, both digital & analog. Though I love drawing as well. I like reinventing the invented, if you will,” she said in an interview with “Boston Voyager. “I crave it. Something moves me and I follow it, down whatever path it takes me.”

A competitive rower, Scannell has energy that knows no bounds. As a mother of three amazing kids, she spends her free time sketching the animals at the natural history museum, among other arts and crafts.

Learn More

http://www.mollyscannell.com/
Instagram: @a_collage

Box 6: "Humpbacks" - Sophy Tuttle (expand)

Humpbacks

The artwork celebrates the humpback whale, a native species that spends its summers feeding at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, just off the coast of Boston. Through this piece, Sophy Tuttle wants to remind people of the beauty of these marine mammals, thanks to conservation efforts.

About the Artist

Sophy Tuttle is a visual artist born in Colchester, England and currently residing in Medford, Massachusetts. She received her BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design in 2008 and her MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from the University of Hartford Art School in 2019.

Influenced by artists such as Swoon, Walton Ford, Mark Dion, and Alexis Rockman, Tuttle uses visual storytelling to reimagine the future, resituate our position in the web of life, and create new narratives that explore regenerative, resilient culture-building among all forms of life.

Tuttle works on a variety of scales and mural painting is an important, socially-engaged part of her practice. She began painting walls after a residency in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2013, where she learned from local activists and artists. Her indoor and outdoor murals can now be seen from Massachusetts to Colombia.

Often brightly-colored and dynamic, her walls depict many of the same environmental themes as her studio work. These murals are a way to begin conversations within the community about environmental issues.

Learn More

http://www.sophytuttle.com/
Instagram: @sophytuttle

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