Boston Flora

Tag: Emerson College

  • From the Archives: Plastic Grass, Beer Cans, and White Elms

    One of the joys of reading through The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s archived correspondence is finding the things we used to complain about, which today would be unthinkable, thanks to the vigilance of the Back Bay Architectural Commission, and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s Architecture Committee.  For instance, did you know that the front yard of 33 Marlborough Street  used to be covered in plastic grass?  In the words of Sally Gallaudet, “it actually smells and what is underneath is an experience.” Dr. William MacDonald wrote Front Yard Guidelines which finally, on page 26, admitted everyone might not be able to plant a garden, or “just won’t, all right! At least rake your front plot, collect the beer cans, and be proud … ” Sally Swift wrote to the Superintendent of Maintenance at Emerson College congratulating him on the work done to repair an “extraordinary act of vandalism” which seems to have badly damaged an elm tree, which was also painted white during the incident.   We are fortunate that today, only the occasional beer can remains an issue.

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  • Tuesdays, May 5 – May 26, 12:00 noon – Preservation is U

    A special midday tour series will take place every Tuesday, May 5 – May 26 at noon, as part of the City of Boston’s 2015 Preservation Month.  Long celebrated as the Athens of America, Boston is home to more than 2 dozen colleges, universities, and professional schools.  Not surprisingly, these institutions number among their campuses many architecturally significant properties.  Often converted for academic use rather than originally planned for that purpose, these buildings run the aesthetic gamut from Gothic to Art Deco, and include distinguished works by architects both famous and obscure.

    But what makes these properties so attractive to institutions?  With vacant city land always at a premium and new construction hardly a bargain, colleges recognize that the superior design, materials and workmanship of historic structures make them ideal candidates for adaptive reuse.  Smart university administrators understand that whether converted to classrooms or offices, residence halls or performance spaces, old buildings have many decades of useful life ahead of them.  And they have learned that they can ask for no more enthusiastic partners in this effort than our historic commissions and the resourceful professionals who staff them.

    Concentrated in central Boston, the historic buildings now owned by Boston University, Emerson College, Northeastern University and Suffolk University reflect a common appreciation for the city’s built heritage: both as the vessel of a storied past, and as a vehicle to an exciting future.  We’ll be exploring many of the best examples in a month-long series of lunch hour walks we’re calling Preservation is U. Please join the Boston Landmarks Commission each Tuesday in May for an informal graduate course in this familiar but seldom-considered aspect of Boston’s architectural record.

    May 5 – Downtown Boston.  Elizabeth Stifel, Boston Landmarks Commission Staff Architect. Contact elizabeth.stifel@boston.gov today to reserve a place.

    May 12 – Beacon Hill.  Erin Doherty, Beacon Hill Architectural Commission Staff, and Joe Bagley, City Archaeologist. Contact erin.doherty@boston.gov before May 8 to reserve a place.

    May 19 – South End. Meghan Hanrahan Richard, South End Landmark District Commission Staff.  Contact meghan.hanrahan@boston.gov before May 15 to reserve a place.

    May 26 – Bay State Road. William Young, Director of Design Review. Contact william.young@boston.gov before May 22 to reserve a space.

  • Saturday, May 21 – Saturday, June 4 – Susurrus

    The Public Garden is annually the host to countless cultural events. This year beginning on May 21, the park is will be the setting of Susurrus: a play without actors and without a stage. The production is part radio play, part recital, part lesson in bird dissection, and part stroll in the park. Susurrus (pronounced sus-YOO-rus and referring to the rustling sound of wind in trees), is written and directed by David Leddy, a Scottish playwright known for his experimental works. In this installment of his, participants follow a map around the Public Garden as they listen to the piece on headphones; the different elements meld location and sound to create a theater experience in which there are no actors and only one member in the audience: you.

    The dates of the production include: May 21, May 22, May 26, June 2, June 3, June 4, and June 5. Times will vary, with groups of four admitted every 15 minutes. The piece includes about a mile of walking on paved pathways. Headphone pickup will be on Boylston Steet between Charles and Tremont.

    Tickets are on sale now at the Emerson College Arts Box Office located at 559 Washington Street. For more information, call (617) 824-8000 or e-mail tickets@artsemerson.org.