By Amanda Hawkins, Programs Manager
A Monumental Kickoff at City Hall
On June 13th, DATMA launched Being Seen: Celebrating Pride in the SouthCoast — a monumental community-driven public art project — with the first installation at City Hall and an exhibition opening at Gallery X. Installing public art on a historic building like City Hall was no small feat. Without touching the building or disrupting its historic facade, our team engineered a system that both preserved the architecture and made a powerful visual statement in the heart of downtown New Bedford.
The response has been incredible. City Hall was our first stop in a multi-site, multi-city tour that will continue through Fall 2026. The installation sent a clear message: LGBTQIA+ stories belong on our most important civic buildings. Press from The Standard Times captured the significance of the work beautifully — read the full article here.
An Evening of Art, Poetry, and Pride at Gallery X
Following the outdoor unveiling, guests gathered at Gallery X for a vibrant night of art, poetry, and community connection. Being Seen has been a deeply collaborative process, launched in Fall 2024 with a creative cohort of UMass Dartmouth students and graduate students. Under the guidance of Visiting Creative Director Liz Collins, the team developed a modular sail design that could carry more than 100 community-made artworks across varied outdoor spaces.
Liz, a celebrated artist and educator known for her bold textile installations and queer advocacy, brought invaluable vision and care to the project.
During her artist talk, Liz shared reflections on the process, and a moment of gratitude:
“Because the design is so solid, no matter what you put on the sails, it’s still gonna look good. And that’s a really good idea and system—to create some kind of overriding design so that it succeeds no matter what. I feel the same way about salon-style hanging on the walls—no matter what the art is, it looks good on the wall because of the way it’s composed.”
“To come here two weeks ago and be in that gym space—the old UMass Dartmouth studios—very funky, interesting space… and to see all these pieces become real! I was very emotional. I didn’t have any expectations; I didn’t know what I was going to see. I had no idea. And then to see this explosion from so many people in this place and beyond—I see there’s a Fall River Pride over there—all these people, all of you, and everyone else who made these, really put their hearts, talents, materials, and work time into these pieces in an extraordinary way. I think everybody should give yourselves and each other a round of applause for that.”
Poetry and Performance
Poetry is a vital part of our annual Pride programs, and this year’s event featured performances curated by New Bedford’s own Poet Laureate, Sarah Jane Mulvey, and New Bedford-based artist and poet, Aneshia Savino, who brought warmth and joy to the stage. Read more about these poems and how they honor the work and participants of the exhibition.
Answering Our Ancestors: A Deeper Dive
Inside Gallery X, the accompanying indoor exhibition Answering Our Ancestors adds vital historical and personal context. The show honors influential LGBTQIA+ figures from the SouthCoast, including the late David B. Boyce (1949–2014), and features voices from our community today who are carrying their legacies forward.
Special thanks to Kate Frazer Rego for organizing this exhibition and leading such powerful tours to helping connect visitors to the deeper stories behind the artworks.
A Walk Through Pride
As the evening continued, we invited guests to join a walking tour through downtown to view the outdoor public art components. From Gallery X to City Hall, the walk symbolized the many hands and hearts involved in this work — including UMass Dartmouth design partners who helped ideate, fabricate, and install the sails from start to finish.
Sneak Peek: Mood-Vironment by Mona Ghandi
Guests were also treated to an exclusive preview of Moodvironment, the upcoming interactive light sculpture by architect and artist Mona Ghandi and her Morphogenesis Lab team. Although the full tech integration is still underway, her team traveled from Washington to introduce the project and explain how the sculpture will use facial recognition and color-changing lighting to reflect emotion and presence in real-time.
Looking Ahead: Where Being Seen Goes From Here
Being Seen is just getting started. This public art and exhibition project will continue to travel across the SouthCoast region through November 2026, expanding visibility and connection at each stop.
After its debut at City Hall and Gallery X in New Bedford, the installation will move to:
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UMass Dartmouth – Outdoor installation and on-campus programming (Late Summer 2025)
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Marion Art Center – Public art installation and indoor exhibition (Fall 2025)
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Fall River & Beyond– Additional stops to follow in 2026
Each venue offers new possibilities for site-specific presentation, storytelling, and community engagement. With each move, we’ll continue to honor the people and histories that shape our region’s LGBTQIA+ legacy while creating opportunities for new voices to be seen and heard.
We hope you’ll follow along as Being Seen grows and evolves — and join us at future events to celebrate Pride in all its forms.
With Gratitude
Thank you to every artist, community member, sponsor, and partner who made Being Seen possible. This project would not exist without your creativity, your trust, and your support. We look forward to traveling this exhibition across the SouthCoast and continuing to make space for stories that matter.
The Being Seen project is proudly supported by New Bedford, Massachusett’s Office of Tourism, EXPLORE NEW BEDFORD, a critical department for the arts & culture community. The artwork is also supported by the New Bedford Economic Development Council’s New Bedford Creative grant program called, Wicked Cool Places. Thank you to our generous supporters who believe in investing in the arts.