Natick's ArtWalk Features Sculpture On Substance Use Awareness

NATICK, MA - The Natick Center Cultural District’s annual Natick ArtWalk, one of the town's biggest summer events, is taking place on Thursday from 5- 7:30 p.m.

In addition to showcasing a variety of different artists' work throughout downtown Natick, a local community organization saw the event as an opportunity to make the community aware of the opioid crisis through a sculpture by a Westwood artist that is touring the country.

The Natick 180 Coalition, the community’s resource for addiction education, prevention, and recovery, announced that The Opioid Spoon Project will be one of the featured pieces at the Natick ArtWalk and will be displayed next to Natick Town Hall. The Opioid Spoon Project is a sculpture which draws public attention to the opioid epidemic and opens up the conversation about addiction.

"Perdue Spoon," created by Massachusetts artist Domenic Esposito, who was raised in Boston and Italy, is constructed from heavy gauge steel. It weighs 800 pounds and measures 10.5 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall. The bowl of the spoon has a burnt metal patina.

According to an interview on WVCB-TV's "Chronicle," he said he created the spoon as a way of coping with his brother's struggles with addiction. Since then, he has traveled the country to display the artwork and raise public awareness of the issue.

The Opioid Spoon Project is “a nationally recognized artist- and activist-driven initiative that is committed to informing and educating the public about this unfolding [opioid epidemic] tragedy," according to a website on the project. It encourages audiences who view the sculpture to learn about the role that pharmaceutical companies and other corporations have played in fueling the opioid epidemic.

Learn more about the Natick ArtWalk on the Natick Center Cultural District’s webpage.