Art To Line Upper Falls Park Again; Funds Needed First

NEWON, MA — Make way for an art-filled rail trail. Next month the second annual Greenway Arts program will bring sculptures and conceptual art to the 1-mile trail that runs parallel to Needham Street in Newton. Ahead of opening day, organizers are trying to raise enough money to make sure the artists are paid.

Built on an abandoned railroad bed that once served the industrial mills in the area, The Upper Falls Greenway is a park, opened in 2016, along an abandoned railroad bed and extends to a scenic overlook of the Charles River.

Last year, the opening and subsequent outside art installation on the Upper Falls Greenway proved to be a popular one, according to organizers from the N2 Innovation District and Studios Without Walls. This year, the plan is to add about five more sculptures and artistic events in an effort to make the area a gathering point this summer.

This year’s exhibit, "Reverberations," will begin on June 13 with an opening event and feature upwards of 20 sculptures and conceptual art pieces.

But first, the group is hoping to raise $14,000, $2,000 more than it did last year, in an online campaign to cover the costs of paying the artists, installing and maintaining the art, as well as promoting the exhibit. Since the launch last month, the've raised nearly $5,000. Last year, about six big organizations and some 22 private donors helped pay for the installation.

If it works this year, N2 officials hope to broaden the program.

“An innovation district relies on the happy accidents that happen when people come together. That’s why programs involving the arts are so important. They bring people together in a very natural way,” said N2 District Director Chuck Tanowitz in a statement. “We’re looking at this as a pilot program which will start this year and, we hope, can extend into additional arts programs throughout the N-Squared area.”

The N2 Innovation District is a 500-acre area along I-95 and the Charles River in Needham home to concepts like the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, travel, media, and pharmaceuticals, and include notable brands such as Big Belly Solar, TripAdvisor, Karyopharm, Shark Ninja, Turbine, CyberArk, Verastem.

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Check out this video of last year's event:

Last year on Patch:

Sculpture Exhibit To Open With A Party On Newton Greenway

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).