Dozens of artists and vendors will transform Sennott Park into a living museum when Arts in the Park returns to Cambridge on Saturday. This year’s theme: Women in the Arts.
The event, which runs from 1-5 p.m., will offer free food by Everybody Gotta Eat and James Lambert III and music by DJ Vyper.
“Arts in the Park is about more than showcasing art — it’s about creating opportunities for connection, visibility and arts advocacy,” said James Pierre, founder of the Adius Arts Initiative, a collective dedicated to building Black arts and culture.
Arts in the Park launched in 2010 to create a space for artists to showcase their talents and interact with locals. This is the first year the event will be at Sennott Park, a favorite of Pierre.
“I grew up right across the street from the park,” he said. “I thought it was important to do something within the neighborhood rather than take it to Central Square or another area that gets more foot traffic.”
Last year’s Art in the Park drew 2,000 attendees, and the Adius Arts Initiative hopes a larger venue this year will double that number. In previous years, the event has been held at Clement Morgan Park.
Pierre was inspired by his upbringing in Cambridge and work in youth advocacy to create Arts in the Park.
“I wanted to create an event that acted like an expo for anybody who had any interest in any arts, whether it be architecture, design and so forth,” Pierre said. “So I also wanted to create a platform that kind of celebrated local artists.”
The Adius Arts Initiative presents the event in collaboration with the Cambridge Department of Public Works, allowing vendors to reserve spots for free — uncommon among other events in the area.
The Adius Arts Initiative presents the event in collaboration with the Cambridge Department of Public Works, allowing vendors to reserve a vending spot for free, uncommon with other events in the Cambridge area. A one-day peddler/vendor license typically costs $10 per day, and a food truck costs between $30 and $50 dollars per day, depending on which neighborhood you’re in.
What to expect
The event will focus not only on traditional artists but on creators of all kinds.
“What’s really cool about Arts in the Park is how multidisciplinary it is,” said Ameenah Rashid, Adius Arts Initiative producer. “We turn the park into a museum with a DJ, vendors, and interactive stations.”
Arts in the Park aims to make art accessible and inclusive to anyone who visits.
“Art is for everyone, and it doesn’t matter if you are a fine artist or someone who wants to learn more about it — this is the event where you will get that range,” said Jameel Moore, operations volunteer for the Adius Arts Initiative and president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association.
Featured artists
Sophia Dubuisson, known as Phia, will exhibit portraits from her collection, “Echoes from home,” at Arts in the Park for the first time this year. Dubuisson hopes to share her cultural experience through her art.
“This exhibit really revolves around my experience as a Haitian American living in the United States with the current political environment,” Dubuisson said. “It’s a good time to highlight my culture and just stay positive.”
Her exhibit features portraits of family members, Haitian natives, and even herself. “It was a very personal series,” Dubuisson said.
Vadeline Jules-Freeman, an interdisciplinary artist and cultural storyteller, will return to Arts in the Park for a third year.
Jules-Freeman said she didn’t originally consider herself an “artist,” but when Pierre approached her about Arts in the Park, she was inspired to create something that would relate to the Cambridge community.
Her efforts culminated in her exhibit “Nan Salon An,” a model living room designed to celebrate Haitian immigrant identity, memory and community. The exhibit has been featured at the Red Sox Haitian Celebration as well as the Mattapan Health Center’s Let’s Talk About Sex event.
Jules-Freeman’s exhibit, built with furniture found on Facebook Marketplace and in thrift stores, has grown into an immersive experience that invites visitors to talk about the space and their experiences. People from Puerto Rico, Morocco and elsewhere approach her during the exhibition and share stories of traditional living rooms familiar to them and their families.
“It’s like we all have this familiarity and so many things in common that’s triggered by just seeing this living room,” Jules-Freeman said. “It’s really important to have a shared history.”
For this year’s women-focused event, she plans to incorporate notable immigrant women into Nan Salon An. “As a woman, as someone of Haitian descent, I decided to do something on notable Haitian women, starting from the Revolution to more contemporary,” Jules-Freeman said.
“Art gives us a sense of humanity,” she said.
More information about the event can be found here.
This story is part of a partnership between the Cambridge Day and the Boston University Department of Journalism’s Newsroom program.
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