Mather School project: The plan for the Mather School property, showing location of proposed Green Space improvements (outlined in white at upper left).A new green space and permanent public art project is being considered for the Mather Elementary School on Meetinghouse Hill. The City of Boston’s Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust and the Boston Art Commission, working in collaboration with Boston Public School Department and the Mather School Parent Council, have put out a call for qualified artists to create a permanent installation along with landscape improvements.

The project is well timed, considering the important anniversary that the Mather School celebrated last year: 375 years (1639 – 2014) as the nation’s first tax-supported public school. The new green space is proposed for the northwest corner of the school property, near the intersection of Church Street and High Street. The green space will flank the granite staircase that provides access to the school from this direction. This is just about the only place on the school’s exterior that has not received a make-over recently. The freshly paved schoolyard connects the outdoor schoolroom with the playground and with the basketball courts – all new.

The site is generally used as a waiting area where parents pick up their children. The area is highly visible, very active and serves as an important bridge between the school and the surrounding neighborhood. The aim of the project is to transform the existing green space and its surroundings into a more welcoming, comfortable public site and functional school entrance.

Artists, designers or teams comprised of an artist and a landscape architect are invited to forward qualifications for the project. Eligibility preference will be given to local and regional applications.

For more, see the Boston Art Commission website. Or, click here to view the RFQ.