Artist chosen for Hyde Square project

The City has chosen Spanish artist Cristina Parreño Alonso to create a public art project as part of the Hyde Square reconstruction, according to a press release. A request for proposal was issued for the project last summer.

The Hyde Square reconstruction, which is expected to take place in the fall, is a phase of the Jamaica Plain/South/Hyde/Jackson Design Projects. The project will stretch along Centre Street from Jackson Square to Hyde Square to Monument Square, then down South Street to Forest Hills. The project is intended to make sidewalks and crosswalks more pedestrian-friendly, improve traffic flow and add green space. The planning for that project first started in 2009. It is unclear if the other phases will ever take place.

The Hyde Square renovation will include increased sidewalk widths, traffic and pedestrian safety improvements, new lighting, and landscaping.

“The Hyde Square public art project will offer the Jamaica Plain community a place to meet and socialize with their fellow neighbors,” said Mayor Martin Walsh, according to the press release. “We heard the community’s desire to have a gathering space for people in the neighborhood, and I look forward to completing this project and fulfilling that wish, while also supporting talented artists in this community.”

Alonso, who is a native of Spain, is an architect and teacher whose work involves blending the built form with the environment, according to the press release.

“The Hyde Square public art project is an important step in moving forward the Boston Creates Cultural Plan, which calls for opportunities to integrate arts, culture, and creativity into the public realm and urban environment,” said Julie Burros, chief of arts and culture for the City, according to the press release. “We look forward to seeing Cristina’s work come to fruition. It will be a critical asset to the proposed Latin Quarter Cultural District, located around Hyde Square.”

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