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PRESS RELEASE
New England Aquarium participates in Downtown Boston’s WINTERACTIVE public art experience
Free, walkable, public outdoor event runs through March 30
LINK TO DROPBOX PHOTOS OF NATURE’S SOLACE ON AQUARIUM PLAZA
BOSTON, MASS. (Jan. 17, 2025) – The New England Aquarium is part of the popular public art experience WINTERACTIVE this year by hosting “Nature’s Solace,” a light installation that symbolizes the balance between the spirit and nature. WINTERACTIVE, which drew 650,000 visitors to Boston last year, began Jan. 15 and runs through March 30, welcoming visitors 24/7 to view public art works at 17 locations across the city’s Downtown business district.
“We are thrilled to be part of WINTERACTIVE this year,” said the Aquarium’s Director of Community Engagement Luz Arregoces. “Year-round, we are working to raise the accessibility of Boston’s waterfront from our Central Wharf location as part of our ocean conservation work. If the public feels welcome, engaged, and connected to the ocean here, we believe they will be better educated about climate change, sea level rise, and other issues affecting our coastal environment.”
Fittingly, the Aquarium is hosting “Nature’s Solace” by artist Mike Geiger on its front plaza. Lit up at night, the artwork’s design aims to capture the essence of multiple forest guardians with three layers of lushly growing greenery inside the structure, serving as a reminder of the human connection to earth and its caretakers all times of year.
WINTERACTIVE was inspired by the festive winter events in Quebec, Canada and was named “Best Public Art Exhibition” in Boston by both Boston Magazine and Time Out Boston last year. Boston Design Week also honored the Downtown Boston Alliance, which brought the event to the city last year.
“In bringing WINTERACTIVE back in 2025, expanding into broader local partnerships with organizations like the New England Aquarium was important because, like the Downtown Boston Alliance, they believe in the power of art to draw people together,” said Downtown Business Alliance President Michael Nichols. “We’re thrilled to see how WINTERACTIVE continues to captivate residents and visitors alike while driving meaningful activity in the heart of Boston.”
WINTERACTIVE is just one way that organizations and businesses are looking to give an economic and cultural boost to Boston in the heart of winter. Arregoces toured Toronto last fall as part of a delegation interested in learning, in part, how Canadians have successfully spurred winter tourism, visitorship, and community engagement with winter activities.
“It was so inspiring to see how civic, hospitality, and government officials worked together to generate enthusiasm for recreational and cultural activities, such as public art and outdoor performances, in spite of the winter weather,” Arregoces said. “We look forward to doing the same in Boston, and WINTERACTIVE is a fun way to encourage it.”
For more information about WINTERACTIVE, visit winteractive.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Diana Brown McCloy – diana@teakmedia.com; 978-697-9414
Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org