CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — One skatepark in Cambridge is doing a 180 when it comes to graffiti.
The Lynch Family Skatepark has fully embraced the often illegal artform, welcoming its first-ever graffiti artist-in-residence for the summer.
The park is often covered in spray paint, but the artist in residence will lead additional graffiti projects to make it even more colorful.
“It’s super vibrant colors, you’ve got every contrasting color — greens and pinks and oranges and blacks and really intense graphic design,” said Taylor Leonard, program manager of community partnership with the Charles RIver Conservancy.
Local artist Lee Beard, who goes by SOEMS, will fill the role. Leonard said the park received more than 30 applicants for the position, who were sifted through by an advisory board.
SOEMS has been working in the art world for 17 years and often works on murals throughout Boston, according to the park.
SOEMS is also a part of AOA Supply, a Boston artist collective. The park is partnering with several other artists from the collective as part of the artist-in-residence program.
“AOA supply has contributed to shaping the area’s urban landscape with original public art installations, reinforcing the belief that art is an unifying force bringing people, cultures, and ideas together,” according to the Charles River Conservancy.
The park is hosting a launch party for the program on Saturday, where anyone is welcome to come and paint.
WBZ’s James Rojas (@JamesRojas.bsky.social) reports.
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