As community members danced to music and shopped at the Ashmont Friday Market, steps away, families, friends, and kids in Crocs admired the new mosaic installed at the tables in Peabody Square.
Throughout August, dozens of community members visited The Local Hand, where sustainability-focused artist Liliana Marquez was leading the public art project.
“There were dozens of hands that were a part of this,” said Elle Marrone, the executive director of Greater Ashmont Main Street. “There are going to be young and older people in the community who will be able to walk by here and say that they have taken part in beautifying a permanent part of the neighborhood.”
The mosaic, made of recycled interior samples from Marquez’s studio, has a blue and white background with positive messages written in all colors of the rainbow. The centerpiece reads, “You belong here,” something Marquez really believes.
“This means a lot to me,” the artist said while looking at the project. “I love Dorchester because it brings the people together. This made me fall in love more with the community.”
She added: “You belong here. We belong here.”
–CASSIDY McNEELEY
