Ninety-six square feet of Old Revere
September 30, 2009
High school students in The Art Institute of Boston’s pre-college program have resurrected a bit of the iconic Revere Beach, creating and hanging a new mural depicting summer fun in the Revere of old.
Old Revere Beach
A roller coaster - now gone - and sidewalk patrons are depicted in the mural, which fades from black and white to color and modern high-rises to depict a half-century of transformation of one of greater Boston’s most recognized beaches.
“It’s meant to promote a dialogue around what the city used to be and what it could be,” said Percy Fortini-Wright, whose students in an AIB Mural Painting class conceptualized and created the mural. “It’s kind of open-ended.”
“I was seeking to teach my students fundamental mural drawing techniques, like proportion and perspective,” Fortini-Wright, who earned his B.F.A. and M.F.A. at AIB, said. “To make their project come to life, I wanted a building and a city that would benefit from mounting the student’s work. We found the art community in Revere to be very receptive.”
Revere Beach was founded in 1896 as the nation’s first public beach. The mural’s history picks up in the 1950s and continues to the present day.
Old Revere Beach
The 8 feet by 12 feet mural, titled Old Revere Beach, is a gift to the City of Revere from AIB students and United Front, a Revere artist community whose gallery building at 318 Squire Road the mural hangs on.
Revere Mayor Thomas Ambrosino will accept the mural at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled for 1 p.m. this Saturday.
Anthony De Marco, a member of United Front, proposed Revere for the mural and recommended the location.
“We are constantly looking for buildings to dress with mural art work,” DeMarco said. “It’s a win-win prospect for the city, the artists and property owners.”