Natalie Williams
March 11, 2025
Please join us in welcoming new Triennial Board member Natalie Williams. Natalie’s decades of experience working in the nonprofit sector and convictions about the transformative qualities of public art put her in good company at the Triennial. We are so grateful for Natalie’s participation and wholeheartedly agree with her that public art brings a fresh perspective to any neighborhood.
What are you most excited about bringing to Boston Public Art Triennial by serving on the Board?
After decades of professional work in the not-for-profit art space specializing in governance, stewardship, and board relations, both at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and as an independent consultant, it is a privilege to serve on the board of a bold, young, dynamic organization working to infuse Boston’s residents and visitors with encounters with art.
Why are you passionate about public art? What do you see as its impact on communities?
Public art provides a catalyst for dialogue and civic engagement. If you believe in the power of art to broaden the mind and nourish the soul, as most people reading this likely believe, public art becomes imperative to deliver that to those who might be uncomfortable or unable to experience art in traditional institutional environments.
Successful public art serves not only the broader public by engaging denizens and visitors with works of art but also enhances local communities by engaging residents and showcasing these communities.
What is a public art installation that stood out to you in the last year?
The High Line in New York always offers interesting artistic encounters blended into a lush landscape looming over the teeming street life below. The Spur in particular is a unique art platform set against the New York skyline above the bustle of 10th Avenue. Although Simone Leigh’s Brick House (2019) may have been my favorite, Iván Argote’s newly installed Dinosaur provides a humorous take on the city’s arguably worst inhabitants . . . pigeons.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Despite the often-transient nature of public art at rotating exhibition sites, there are installations that have stayed with me for years as important markers of the possibility for people from all walks of life to come together in an intense shared experience. The euphoria brought to New York’s Central Park by Christo and Jean-Claude’s The Gates (now 20 years ago!) was one such remarkable experience. Similarly, Fujiko Nakaya’s Fog x FLO throughout Boston’s Emerald Necklace was a way for people to connect to and experience parts of the city in totally new ways.