Even before Lauren Comando’s work was chosen to be part of FenceArt — a Newton outdoor art initiative marking its 10th anniversary in 2025 — she was a fan of the program.
“I … have always thought [FenceArt was] a really great, accessible public art display showcasing the diversity of artists and their visions,” she said. “It is seen by so many who would otherwise not be aware of all the creativity in Newton.”
Fellow city resident Dena Bach, who is now creating art full-time after working as a bookkeeper, also enjoys seeing FenceArt’s large, vinyl banners that feature an impressive variety of work on display.
“It gives me a chance to stop and take a little time when I’m busy running errands, to really look and pay attention to how differently other artists perceive the world around them,” said Bach.
Her collage, Cold Spring Dogs, and Comando’s piece, A Delicate Dance, are two of the 20 works that were recently announced as part of the 2024-2025 round of FenceArt. All original work has been printed onto weatherproof, vinyl banners on display in four locations throughout the city:
- Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street
- Watertown Street at Bridge Street (next to Colletti-Magni Park)
- Parish of the Good Shepherd, 1671 Beacon Street
- Newton Cemetery & Arboretum, Beacon Street fence, facing Cold Spring Park entrance
History of FenceArt
Years ago, an unofficial “little rotating outdoor gallery” sprang up on the train bridge next to the Newton Highlands MBTA stop on Walnut Street.
“That was the seed to me – the idea of rotating work,” said resident Ellen Fisher, who was inspired by the independent bridge project to create FenceArt and bring more creativity to the city. An artist herself, Fisher has been running the program since 2015. Originally organized under Newton Community Pride, as of 2023, the New Art Center took over responsibility for the project.
Every year, jurors who are fellow artists choose the 20 creators whose work will be featured on the banners, which rotate through four locations across the city.
Fisher said the outdoor project shows that you do not have to go to a gallery to see high-quality art. She said that when FenceArt volunteers move the banners from location to location every couple of months, “We get a lot of positive feedback when we’re out there.”
After the year is up and it’s time to choose the next 20 participants, Fisher said the banners are presented to the artists themselves.
Asked why she thinks FenceArt has remained popular for the last decade, Fisher thought back to a comment made by a juror about the show: “We are putting good art in the way of people as they’re going about town.”
See all of the 2024-2025 series of FenceArt works online.
The program is supported in part by grants from the Newton Cultural Council (a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency), Newton Community Pride, and the Mass Cultural Council.
