Boston Flora

Tag: LaRissa Rogers

  • Wednesday, August 15, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, & Saturday, August 17, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Going to Ground

    This coming August marks the installation of artist LaRissa Rogers’ “Going to Ground” – a site specific sculpture on The Rose Kennedy Greenway exploring the life of Zipporah Potter Atkins, the first-known Black woman to own a home in Boston in 1670. Potter Atkins’ home rested on land now cared for by The Greenway in the North End, which was brought to light by Dr. Vivian Johnson, Professor Emerita of Boston University, after 6 years of archival research.

    Throughout the month of August, The Conservancy will be offering a series of events to engage with this piece: On Thursday, August 15th, from 5-8pm, and Saturday, August 17th, from 2-5pm, The Greenway is hosting two adobe brick-making workshops with artist LaRissa Rogers. Come get your hands in the soil, and help us craft adobe bricks which will be used in the activation of the public sculpture. On Thursday, August 22nd, from 4-7pm, drop by The Greenway during a durational performance by artists LaRissa Rogers (@larissa_rogers) and Zalika Azim (@26thletter) working together with collaborators – including their moms, aunts, sisters, and several Boston-based artists – to lay adobe soil bricks on-site for the foundation of the sculpture. On Saturday, August 24th, from 4pm-7pm, join us for a communal meal and party produced by SIDE Presents (@sidepresents) honoring Dr. Vivian Johnson and celebrating the installation of the sculpture.

  • Through October, 2025 – Going to Ground, 2024

    Going to Ground is an upcoming site-specific project on the Rose Kennedy Greenway by artist LaRissa Rogers that responds to and invites viewers to engage with the history of Zipporah Potter Atkins. In 1670, Potter Atkins became the first Black woman to own a home in Boston, which she kept for almost thirty years until selling it in 1799. Potter Atkins’ home rested on land now cared for by The Greenway at Cross and Hanover Streets in the North End. This history was brought to light in 2010 by Dr. Vivian Johnson, Professor Emerita of Boston University, after 6 years of archival research.

    For Part 1 of this project, Rogers is hosting an Open Call for Soil – an open invitation to Boston’s communities to gather and contribute soil from spaces meaningful to them. The artist will then use the collected soil to build Part 2 of this project, a sculpture honoring Zipporah Potter Atkins.

    The final sculptural artwork – Part 2 of this project– will open on The Greenway in August 2024 via a performance and community picnic. Throughout the project’s lifetime, collaborating artists Jackie Amézquita and Zalika Azim will activate the sculpture with performances and interventions. 

    For details on how to contribute soil, visit https://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/larissarogers