This exhibition was the third project of ICA/Vita Brevis, the ICA’s program of temporary public art. Artists’ works were installed and performed throughout The Emerald Necklace, Boston’s system of nine parks and green-ways designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.
Olmsted designed a linked system of parks to create common ground and recreational space for all Bostonians, and to preserve a rustic environment as a haven from the congestion and stress of 19th century urban life. Artists created temporary works of art that examined and responded to Olmsted’s legacy and to the rich issues of urban design and open space.
Presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art in partnership with The Boston Parks and Recreation Department, Art on the Emerald Necklace married the beauty and access of urban parks with the power of contemporary art which built and deepened our understanding of public life, public space, and creativity. Participating artists were: James Boorstein; Ann Carlson; Ellen Driscoll; Barnaby Evans; Sheila Kennedy and Franco Violich; Cornelia Parker; and Nari Ward. Michael Van Valkenburg, a landscape architect, created a photo essay for the catalogue of this exhibition which was published in 2001.