Timeline
Building on Boston’s legacy of climate action, Eco-Rhythms is a bold commitment to engaging as many people and communities as can be reached in a sustained climate conversation at the threshold of a critical decade ahead.
This monumental project has been quietly in pre-planning since 2021, building momentum that allowed for a formal fundraising launch in Summer 2024. As the artwork enters production, it will provide a timely backdrop to several landmark moments in the region’s future. Once fully developed and installed, it will continue to cast its glow over the Mystic River nightly for years, carrying over into the start of a critical climate decade.
Timeline Detail
2021 Since our initial kick off meeting we have held a simple mission - a “ground up” artist and community driven initiative reaching the highest levels of power for partnership, collaboration, and impact while maintaining robust grassroots efforts. Understanding this project is a bit of a “unicorn” in that it is artist driven, not philanthropist or institution driven.
2022 Our initial efforts focused on high-level approval and buy-in and MassDOT approval to proceed. MASARY teams met with MassDOT representatives very early in our process and achieved initial support form former Governor Charlie Baker.
2023-2026 We held preliminary design and engineering review meetings with MassDOT District 6 and Executive Representatives, and two MassDOT representatives ultimately joined our Advisory Team
2023-2026 With a particular focus on the City of Chelsea, we have established strong ties with current and former City Managers, Chelsea City Councilors, non-profits in Chelsea (notably Roseann Bongiovanni of Greenroots), as well as the former Chief of Arts and Culture for Chelsea, Lourdes Alvarez - who now sits on our Advisory Team.
2021-2026 We have conducted over 200 one-on-one meetings with stakeholders, community members, regional officials, city councilors, non-profit leaders, environmentalists, activists, scientists, tradition-bearers, educators and more.
We have held countless meetings internally to develop this project, and convened for multiple project retreats to accelerate our design, communication assets, and to refine our thesis.
2025 Our Advisory Team was convened to help guide, advise and advocate for the project on multiple levels. The group meets in-person quarterly, and virtually monthly.
2026 We anticipate meetings with Transportation Secretary Eng, Mayor Wu, and Governor Healy.
Announcement of the project is planned for Climate Tech / Boston Climate Week in May.
We have engaged MA-based lighting supplier Color Kinetics as our lighting supplier, and they have affirmed their commitment to carbon-accounting and production of EPDs (Environmental Product Disclosures) for all materials they supply.
We are engaged with local and internationally-recognized lighting, electrical and structural engineers for preliminary design services and project presentation to MassDOT
We will launch our comprehensive carbon-audit program, and continue our partnerships and strategies towards realizing 100% of the project’s carbon costs to be offset through hyper-local programs.
2027 Procuring equipment and advancing our installation strategy in coordination with MassDOT.
Concurrently and ongoing we will work with our climate communications partners, area non-profit environmental groups and the Boston Public Library system to conduct touch-point workshops for all-ages exploring ecology through rhythm.
2027 / 2028 Eco-Rhythms is installed and activated. We plan to host concurrent launch parties, establishing a broad sense of regional connection to the piece. The artwork will be designed to be active for 10 years, with consistent maintenance and oversight throughout this period.
Throughout the installation period, and launching concurrent with illumination of the artwork, we will initiate our local carbon offset program, partnering with institutions such as The Boston Society of Architects, UMass Lowell, and various community development organizations. Funds raised to offset the carbon expenses of the artwork will be put to work in additive, trackable, quantifiable programs that impact area building projects.
2028-2038 Resources will be allocated for the ongoing communications and messaging, educational programming and touch-point exhibitions throughout the active period of the project. These will be models of the bridge, in depth exhibitions about the meeting of art, ecological rhythms and climate science. These exhibits can be shared at public libraries, the Museum of Science, the ICA, and more.
We anticipate publishing journal-quality papers on the project, specifically with regard to the strategies implemented towards the carbon-neutral achievements and methods.
~2038 - Finally, upon the project conclusion, our team and partners will de-install the artwork, and endeavor to responsibly reuse as much of the equipment as possible. This will mean donating or otherwise re-siting the lighting instruments and hardware to other projects, vocational programs, or various other public-art applications (the lighting instruments will be rated for life longer than 10 years use).
For elements that cannot be second-lived, all equipment will be dismantled and sorted into recyclable and landfill materials. This entire process will be documented and published such that other artists, architects, and civic entities can benefit from the research and experience of the project.