THE CENTRAL SQUARE MURAL PROJECT CENTRAL SQUARE IS A CULTURAL DISTRICT, LOCATED IN CAMBRIDGE, MA.
WHAT IS THE CENTRAL SQUARE MURAL PROJECT? Central Square is the pulse of Cambridge and a neighborhood in flux: an eclectic, urban neighborhood where cultures mix, create, shop, and work. Day or night, the Square is a vibrant destination for dance, theater, music, and visual arts as well as global, ethnic, and innovative cuisines. This is why the state of Massachusetts designated Central Square as a Cultural District: while facing the gentrification that puts the neighborhood s own residents at risk, Central Square remains a vibrant urban enclave. The Central Square Mural Project pays homage to Central Square s Past, Present and Future, with support from the business community, property owners, residents and students. A partnership between the Central Square Business Association, MIT, Cambridge Arts Council, and New England Open Markets, the mural campaign will celebrate Central Square, the local creative economy, equity, inclusion, and social and environmental justice. Iconic and easily-spotted buildings are the canvases, including the Gas and Light building, the Barron building, the Green Street Garage, the old Block Buster Video Sign, a wall overlooking Lafayette Square and the Central Square Library to name a few. While many urban mural projects are executed by visiting artists with no experience in the host city, the Central Square Mural Project is different. While some of the selected artists involved are world-renowned, all of them are all native to or longstanding residents of the region. Central Square has long been part of their lives, their work, and their community.
MURAL LOCATIONS 355 MASS AVE. WILG BUILDING/ LAFAYETTE SQUARE 875 MAIN STREET GREEN STREET GARAGE OLD BLOCK BUSTER VIDEO SIGN BARRON BUILDING 589 MASS AVE. ESSEX & BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE 4 PLEASANT STREET GAS & LIGHT BUILDING MASS AVE & NORFOLK STREET CENTRAL SQUARE LIBRARY MASS AVE & TEMPLE STREET
CONFIRMED ARTISTS MARKA27 IMAGINE876 PAT FALCO PROBLAK CALEB NEELON KNGEE VISE SILVIA LOPEZ CHAVEZ PERCY FORTINI-WRIGHT PROBLAK
CHIEF CONSPIRATORS MICHAEL MONESTIME- CENTRAL SQUARE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, JASON WEEKS- CAMBRIDGE ARTS COUNCIL, CHRIS MASCI NEW ENGLAND OPEN MARKETS. ADVISORY BOARD CALEB NEELON - ARTIST CHRISTIAN ABELEE IDEO ERYN JOHNSON COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER KRISTEN KEEFE MIT RICHARD HARDING MASSASOIT ELKS LODGE MIKE DAVIS ARTIST PETER VALENTINE ARTIST BLANC AGENCY DESIGN & CURATORIAL TEAM OUR SPONSORS CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WEWORK STARRY CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MITIMCO CAMBRIDGE ARTS COUNCIL
PROJECTED TIMELINE JUNE 2018 Sponsors and artists confirmed JULY 2018 Kick off POP UP event & Block Buster video sign unveiling AUGUST 2018 Community outreach begins! Events, artist talks, classes, and more will take place to help encourage the community to engage with the art and artists. SEPT 2018 Website launches with artist statements, mural descriptions, map of locations, and events schedule, OCT 2018 WINTER 2018-19 Closing block party to Artists talks by all celebrate the mural artists included end of outdoor in festival, art shows viewing curated in collaboration season with the murals, kid-friendly events to get kids using creative outlets, VR installations incorporated at all mural sites to get people back outside! SPRING 2019 Ongoing walking tours of murals
PROJECT INSPIRATION AND HISTORY Central Square, Cambridge s traditional downtown, originated in the late 18th century as a new village within the town of Cambridge. The construction of the West Boston Bridge (now the Longfellow Bridge) in 1793 reduced the distance from Cambridge to Boston from 8 to 3 ½ miles, and opened the countryside between Harvard Square and the Charles River to development. The Longfellow Bridge reached the Cambridge shore near Kendall Square, but required a causeway to cross the salt marsh to Pelham s Island, at today s Lafayette Square. The first settlement in Cambridgeport was near the intersection of today s Main Street and Massachusetts Avenue and developed into the Central Square business and cultural district. After the Civil War, Cambridgeport became a residential suburb of Boston and a commercial and administrative center of the city of Cambridge. The industrial revolution of the late 19th century led to a surge of development of Central Square, and the area was compared to Detroit and Toledo as an emerging industrial powerhouse. The Cambridge Subway, completed in 1912 provided transportation to and from Cambridge. Central Square came to be known as a robust downtown between 1920 and 1950, when several large department stores, movie theaters, and dozens of small retailers served the needs of Cambridge and its visitors. After World War II, like many American downtowns, Central Square was influenced by post-war suburbanization. The early 1990 s brought renewed public investment in infrastructure and residential and commercial development. Today Central Square is a mix of new businesses including the Central Square Theater, Danger! Awesome, Flour Bakery and Mainely Burgers, and longstanding cornerstone businesses such as The Middle East, Miracle of Science, Pandemonium Books and Games, Improv Boston, IDEO, the Dance Complex and the Cantab Lounge all of which continue to add to Central Square s unique fabric.
THE VALUE OF PARTNERSHIP AS THE CENTRAL SQUARE MURAL PROJECT GROWS AND EXPANDS, THE MERCHANDISE AND BRAND NOTORIETY WILL DO THE SAME. PARTNERING WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, THE BRAND WILL OFFER ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR MERCHANDISING AND CONTINUED COLLABORATION. HERE ARE JUST A FEW WAYS WE PLAN ON EXPANDING THE BRAND DURING OUR FIRST YEAR: MERCHANDISE CONCERT SERIES POP UP SHOP DOCUMENTARY PHOTO BOOK VR APP EXPERIENCE
THE VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY In an effort to make a long-term impact on our community, we will partner with schools that celebrate the arts as an attempt to provide resources for our community s youth. We will host lectures, panel discussions, art shows, music events, and more. Students will discuss changing societal concepts regarding contemporary public street art while exploring a variety of artistic concepts, including basic design, color theory, and symbolism. Additional elements that will naturally come from these workshops include self-expression, and cultural awareness, as well as respect for community and nature. Through these activations, we will encourage cultural growth in our community that will reach far beyond the Central Square Mural Project.
BLUE PACKAGE: $10,000 TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP, YOU WILL RECIEVE: RECOGNITION ON ALL OF CSMP POSTERS & VIDEOS RECOGNITION ON ALL PRESS MATERIALS SPEAKING OPPORTUNITY AT OUR CLOSING CEREMONY ON-SITE APPEARANCE AND PRODUCT SAMPLING YOUR LOGO ON LIFT BANNERS YOUR BRAND INTEGRATED INTO SELECT EXPERIENCES ACKNOWLEDGMENT ON CSMP WEBSITE AS A 2018 SPONSOR 15 SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS POST-FESTIVAL PRIVATE MURAL TOUR
YELLOW PACKAGE: $7,500 TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP, YOU WILL RECIEVE: RECOGNITION ON ALL RESURFACED POSTERS & VIDEOS RECOGNITION ON ALL PRESS MATERIALS SPEAKING OPPORTUNITY AT OUR CLOSING CEREMONY ON-SITE APPEARANCE AND PRODUCT SAMPLING YOUR LOGO ON LIFT BANNERS YOUR BRAND INTEGRATED INTO SELECT EXPERIENCES ACKNOWLEDGMENT ON CSMP WEBSITE AS A 2018 SPONSOR 10 SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS
RED PACKAGE: $5,000 TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP, YOU WILL RECIEVE: RECOGNITION ON ALL CSMP POSTERS & VIDEOS RECOGNITION ON ALL PRESS MATERIALS ON-SITE APPEARANCE AND PRODUCT SAMPLING YOUR LOGO ON LIFT BANNERS YOUR BRAND INTEGRATED INTO SELECT EXPERIENCES ACKNOWLEDGMENT ON CSMP WEBSITE AS A 2018 SPONSOR 5 SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS
GREY PACKAGE: $2,500 TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP, YOU WILL RECIEVE: RECOGNITION ON ALL CSMP POSTERS & VIDEOS RECOGNITION ON ALL PRESS MATERIALS ON-SITE APPEARANCE ACKNOWLEDGMENT ON CSMP WEBSITE AS A 2018 SPONSOR 2 SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS