The Boston Public Library’s current citywide programming initiative is called Building Boston (www.bpl.org/buildingboston).
December 12, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Building Boston is a celebration of public spaces – the architectural and cultural cornerstones that make Boston the city it is. Along with examining parks, sports arenas, libraries, and transportation centers, Building Boston explores stories of the creators, constructors, caretakers, and ever-changing group of users who call these spaces their own.
Building Boston includes programs, lectures, special tours, and five unique exhibitions at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.
The exhibitions, which are free to all, include:
Boston Sports Temples showcases Boston’s beloved sports venues – most notably the Boston Garden, Fenway Park, Braves Field, and Suffolk Downs – and their unique roles in the daily lives and hearts of New Englanders. Open through May 31, 2013, in the Johnson Lobby.
An Elevated View: the Orange Line features 65 photographs from a 1985 project that documented Boston’s elevated rail system prior to its 1987 dismantling. Open through January 19, 2013, in the Wiggin Gallery.
Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America’s Great Public Spaces highlights the work of Rafael Guastavino, a Spanish immigrant, innovative builder, and visionary designer known for a distinct structural tile vaulting technique. Open through February 24, 2013, in the Changing Exhibits Gallery.
Boston in the Gilded Age: Mapping Public Places documents Boston’s changing geography, evolving street pattern, and emerging park system during the late 1860s to the late 1890s. Open through March 17, 2013, in the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center.
The People’s Own: Construction of the McKim Building features historic photographs of the BPL’s McKim Building, which was designed by Charles Follen McKim of the architectural firm McKim, Meade, and White. The building opened in February 1895. Open through January 31, 2013, in the Rare Books Lobby.
The Rare Books Lobby is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wiggin Gallery is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m. All other exhibition spaces are open Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Copies of the Building Boston brochure are available at all BPL locations and are available for download via www.bpl.org/buildingboston.
About the BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-five branches, a literacy center, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in America, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit www.bpl.org.
Contact:
BPL Communications Office
news (at) bpl (dot) org
