MassArt to Present Inaugural Common Good Awards

Massachusetts College of Art and Design believes artists have the ability to shape communities for the better. And the country’s first and only publicly funded art and design college is celebrating their 150th anniversary in that spirit: by recognizing artists that make a difference in people’s everyday lives.

On Saturday, December 16, 2023, you can join MassArt for the Common Good Awards.

The college has long been interested in the intersection of art and everyday life and is excited for this opportunity to highlight, among others, the band Wilco, whose connection with the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts has resulted in the creation of the Solid Sound music festival and helped bring new economic vitality and tourism to the area.

Also being recognized:

• Western Avenue Studios, one of the world’s largest communities of artists, based right up the road in Lowell
• The Secret Society of Black Creatives, a local organization creating a pipeline for Black creators in New England
• Dr. Lisa Wong, a pediatrician, musician, and author who incorporates music into her practice

Two of the awards come with special distinction:

• The Distinguished Alumni Award goes to Dominican-born muralist and multidisciplinary artist, Silvia López Chavez, who channels joy through her art and employs it as a form of subversion. She creates murals in urban settings, taking into account the place’s identity and incorporating cultural elements to tie the artwork to the area.
• Joseph Zaremba will receive the Frances Euphemia Thompson Award for Excellence in Teaching. The recently retired Boston Public Schools teacher and  art director at Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester inspired a generation of young students to grow their artistic practice.

By selecting awardees from a wide range of disciplines and showcasing a taste of many different ways that art can influence and enhance civic life, MassArt hopes to give artists and nominators a taste for the kind of creative curiosity and innovation they’d like to honor in future iterations of the Common Good Awards. Each awardee will receive a custom-made artwork by Fiamma Glass, a Waltham-based studio run by MassArt alumni, Caterina Urrata and David Weintraub.

The Common Good Awards seek to disrupt the current conception of what recognition of great art can look like. Arts victories don’t have to be confined to exclusive galleries and prestigious art shows; artists are doing good work bringing connection and beauty to their communities, and they should be recognized for it.

Celebrate with MassArt on Saturday, December 16, at 11:30 AM. The awards will take place in the Design & Media Center at 621 Huntington Ave. in Boston. Get your tickets to Saturday’s awards ceremony now!