Expressing Boston

The Boston Foundation is dedicated to building and sustaining a vital, prosperous city and region where justice and opportunity are extended to everyone. ExpressingBoston is a special initiative that seeks to advance this mission by collaborating with residents of Boston’s vibrant communities to lift up and portray our rich and diverse histories, traditions, identities and cultural resources.

Imagine waiting at your usual bus stop when a group of Japanese Taiko drummers suddenly manifests, unified by a dynamic rhythm that resounds throughout the station and reaches those passing by.  Or coming across a flash mob dance party with tropical music emanating from a sound system that originated in Colombia as you walk through your neighborhood.  In the words of the Knight Foundation, which supports arts and culture throughout the nation, “For those brief moments, people going along in their everyday lives are part of a shared, communal experience that makes their community a more vibrant place to live.”

We hope that these expressions of Boston will encourage those who experience them to expand the traditional definitions of what qualifies as art—who can create it, how it can be made, where it can be exhibited, and how audiences can engage with it.  In the process, we seek to encourage an open dialogue about audience engagement and participation that connects with numerous varied cultural traditions and reveals the astounding vibrancy of our city.

Visit the Expressing Boston website to view video of the flash mobs.