This is Your Plaza
Earlier this past spring, the City of Framingham and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) issued a public call for artists to create a creative placemaking project in historic Nevins Hall. I was thrilled when my proposal was selected, and This Is Your Plaza / Esta es tu Plaza / Esta é a sua praça / यह आपका चौक है was born.
From the beginning, I wanted to create more than an event. I wanted to create an experience, a welcoming public space where people could connect, share stories, make things, play, eat, listen, and simply enjoy being together.
Over two months, I worked to transform Nevins Hall into a temporary civic and cultural gathering space. An important part of that process was reaching people directly, including door-to-door outreach within the Latino and Brazilian communities. I wanted to make sure the invitation truly reached the people of Framingham.
Then the doors opened.
Over two days, more than 900 people came through Nevins Hall, many from South Side Framingham. The space came alive with music from around the world, food trucks, games, art-making, storytelling, and conversation.
There was something for everyone: Conversation Café tables where people could share stories and ideas, Lotería Mexicana and dominoes, collage and origami activities, giant coloring stations, and colorful collage towers where visitors could leave their thoughts and visions for the future of arts and culture in Framingham.
People sat together at shared tables. Strangers became game partners. Families created art together. Children and adults added their own pieces to the larger installations. The room became something that was constantly changing, shaped by the people who walked through the doors.
One of my favorite things was seeing how naturally people connected. You could come for the food, play a game, make something, listen to music, share a story, or simply sit and talk with someone new.
That, to me, is the power of public art and creative placemaking.
This project was never just about transforming a room. It was about creating a space where people could see themselves, their cultures, and their community reflected and celebrated.
The stories, ideas, and artwork shared during the weekend will help inform Framingham’s Arts and Culture Vision Plan and the future of Nevins Hall.
www.mapc.org/resource-library/framinghamartsculturevisionplan
