Street art in New Bedford is boundless. There are many different artists and many different styles. DATMA’s public art projects coexist alongside freehand spray-painted masterpieces and complex works designed with stencils. Our sculptures and installations also serve as backdrops for performing arts like poetry slams, rap battles, and, most recently, a snowball fight. We recognize the differences between what we do and these unconventional yet legitimate art forms, but whether it’s a tagged sidewalk or a bronze bust, there is a beautiful alignment in the impact that arts have on improving the quality of life in the public sphere.
DATMA spends months preparing for an artwork installation. Safely tucked behind closed doors, we allocate time for research, permitting, delays, and often failures, all to ensure we meet the deadline set for ourselves years in advance. What is extraordinary about street art is that an artist can only produce a final piece when the stars align and chaos intersects. All the while, street artists wait for their canvas to surface, listen to the crowds, and stroll the sidewalks. It’s only through the discernment and experience of the artist that one can identify when the time is right for their medium, and their artwork will have its moment. As a public art producer, we want to take a moment to discuss the different types of artists working on their craft in the public sphere. We want to hear about their vulnerabilities, their “aha” moments, or simply if we’re overthinking it all.
Join us for this discussion, titled “Celebrating Art in the Public Realm,” on March 7th at Play Arcade from 5pm-7pm. This is a ticketed event, with 100% of proceeds going towards our project budget for DATMA’s next sculpture, created by Lisbon street artist and environmentalist, Bordalo II, coming in June 2024.
Tickets are limited and can be purchased HERE.
The Panelists
Hendrick Hernandez-Resto, the moderator for the evening, is an interdisciplinary artist, creative specialist and founder of Sleepless In New England.
Brian Tillett, Graffiti artist: Brian is know to the internet as BB the Gun, is a New Bedford based multimedia artist. An overwhelming fixation on spray paint has dominated his work from stencils to large scale murals since the late 2000’s. He’s a menace.
Peter Pereira, Street photographer: In Peter’s hands, the camera captures more than what is in plain sight. The spirit of the scene imbues his photographs. His work reveals the despair, the faith, the futility, the hope, the defeat, the triumph that the mind’s eye understands to be the life force behind what the camera has frozen for all time.
Maia Livramento is a Cape Verdean/Native American visual and spoken word artist born, raised and residing in New Bedford, Ma. She specializes in performance poetry known as “Slam” and most recently served as a judge for NBAM Echoes of Expression Poetry Contest. Presently, She is a Team Leader and Program Director with the nonprofit organization 3rd Eye Youth Empowerment. She is a featured artist in Ethan de Aguiar’s short film “Love Letters for New Bedford”.
