Painted Moss

Idea:

Collect moss and blend it with a culture like buttermilk. This paste can be used just like paint and be applied to brick to create a beautiful plant-based works of art.

Benefit:

Buildings south of Market in downtown would see more foot traffic to see free public art work.

Location:

Downtown / JAM, OldIdea.

Painting Electrical Boxes

Idea:

Hire artists to paint grey and beige electrical boxes at curbside with colorful, amazing images. Materials needed: paint, drop cloths. Hold an exhibit with ideas, choose the best, pay artists for time and materials. Maybe make the boxes direct visitors to Lowell sites.

Benefit:

Beautification. Beautify our cityscape. Add visual interest, plus it’s a way for artists to show their work in a nontraditional setting. We could hold a tour of the boxes when the project is completed. Makes Lowell look like the artistic place it is.

Location:

Citywide, OldIdea.

Painting History

Idea:

Repaint all the old billboards in downtown. Brighten up the history instead of watching it fade away. 🙁 If restoring a billboard proves too expensive or complex for DIY Lowell, create an event or an exhibit to draw attention to the billboards and their importance to downtown’s character.

Benefit:

It would bring it alive!!!!! An event or exhibit could create more interest or knowledge about restoring these historical advertisements.

Location:

Downtown / JAM, OldIdea.

Painting Public Trash Bins

Idea:

Groups and individuals can sign up to paint one of the green metal trashcans that are used in Lowell’s public parks. Artists (new or pros) would be encouraged to feature environmental, Lowell pride, and/or cultural components in the designs. Funds would cover cleaning the bins to start and then supplies for artists. Each bin could [Read more…]

Benefit:

Public art makes people happy! Some people ignore the green trash cans and feel fine putting their trash on the ground. If their attention is caught by a cute or impressive design, they might think twice and throw the trash in the bin. Any artists involved (and everyone they tell [Read more…]

Location:

Citywide, OldIdea.

Painting Welcome Mural on Rt 110

Idea:

Painting of the concrete structure directly across from the entrance to the sewer treatment plant on Rt. 110: “Welcome to Lowell.” This could use a Vinyl printed mural like St. Leonard’s Peace Garden in Boston or another technique.

Benefit:

It would be a complement to the welcome sign on the other side of the city and make a drab concrete wall bright and welcoming.

Location:

Centralville, OldIdea.

Park Musicians to Set a Mood

Idea:

Hire a musician to set a relaxing mood with synthesizer, guitar, or other musicians in parks – maybe Lucy Larcom, Mack Plaza, or other downtown parks. Could also be Cambodian or other music from the many cultures of Lowell. Look for soothing melodies. Musician could be hired to play once a week for a month [Read more…]

Benefit:

People would feel more comfortable downtown and it would create atmosphere. It may draw more people downtown. Musician could collect donations for local organizations, but would not have to worry about working for tips.

Location:

Acre, Downtown / JAM, OldIdea.

Park Fitness Equipment Expansion

Idea:

To build more outdoor fitness exercise equipment at parks. There is some at Sheehy Memorial Park.

Benefit:

During the pandemic, it was difficult for many people to continue their fitness routines because many gyms closed. With the recent news of the delta variant, I assume that some people will still be hesitant to go to the gyms but want to continue their fitness journey. Outdoor fitness exercise [Read more…]

Location:

Citywide, OldIdea.

Participate in worldwide PARK(ing) Day Event September 16, 2017

Idea:

PARK(ing) Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into temporary public places and “parklets.” The event organizers have free manuals and guidance documents for procuring permits in addition to many other resources. Because this is organized, it would be relatively easy for Lowell [Read more…]

Benefit:

It would allow team(s) to collaboratively re-imagine downtown parking spaces as something more! Past examples in other cities have included tables and chairs, yoga spaces, bike racks, lawn games, chess tables, shaded benches, among others.

Location:

Downtown / JAM, OldIdea.

Pedestrian Ferry across the Merrimack River from Sheehy Park to Rynne Beach.

Idea:

Implement a small-scale, weekend-and-special-events-only ferry across the Merrimack River in order to provide better pedestrian access to the Vandenberg Esplanade and Sampas Pavillion via Pawtucket Street.

Benefit:

The Vandenberg Esplanade is one of Lowell's finest open access public spaces, but the stretch of green between the Sampas Pavillion and the Rourke Bridge is sectioned off by the Mighty Merrimack on one side and Pawtucket Blvd on the other. This makes it arguably the least accessible part of [Read more…]

Location:

Citywide, OldIdea.