Piano Art Honors Boy Who Drowned
As dozens of artists paint pianos, which will be placed in public spaces around region, one keyboard will honor a boy who lost his life this summer.
Lou Lim of Medford is dedicating his piano to Grant Brown, a 6-year-old from Somerville who died in a swimming accident. Grant attended the New Covenant School in Arlington.
Lim, close family friends with the Browns, is designing a piano based on what Grant loved, including superhero toys and Legos.
This piano is among 75 that will be part of “Play Me, I’m Yours” — an art installation that Luke Jerram installed in 37 cities worldwide.
In honor of the Celebrity Series of Boston’s 75th anniversary, Street Pianos is coming Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline on Sept. 27 through Oct. 14.
Lim, a trained expressive therapist, uses the arts to help people. He says he draws his inspiration from his Christian faith.
Celebrity Series will install 75 pianos throughout the Boston and Cambridge area to commemorate the anniversary season, bearing the simple instruction, “Play Me, I’m Yours.” Located in public spaces throughout Boston and Cambridge, the pianos are available for any member of the public to play and enjoy.
Dozens of local partner organizations such as the City of Boston, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Arts Academy, Harvard Office of the Arts and the Prudential Center will host pianos for the public to enjoy. A wide range of local artists and community-based organizations will decorate the pianos, and the Celebrity Series will schedule several solo or ensemble performances.
Reaching more than two million people worldwide, more than 700 pianos have now been installed in cities across the globe, from New York to Sydney.
Opportunities remain to donate, host, play or keep a festival piano. To learn more, visit celebrityseries.org or streetpianosboston.com. Exact locations and a map of the pianos will be announced by mid-September.
The 75th Season Kickoff Party to celebrate Street Pianos Boston takes place on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the Galleria at 10 St. James Avenue with an evening of food, drinks, and celebration, in partnership with Opus Affair and sponsored by Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse.
Sponsoring the pianos’ installation are Jann E. Leeming and Arthur D. Little and Eleanor and Frank Pao.