DID YOU KNOW?

In the 1800’s Dorchester was home to large estates which produced the finest fruits and vegetables of the day; the Clapp’s Favorite Pear, the Downer Cherry and President Wilder Strawberry.   That connection to the land is maintained today as many residents still grow traditional foods and young people transform vacant lots into urban farms.  The artworks were created to preserve and celebrate this history.

QUOTE

“The best public art – no matter in a piazza in Rome or a new Dorchester landmark – celebrates who we are, where have come from, and where we might go.”

Laura Baring-Gould, Artist, 2007

THE ARTWORK:

The 12’ bronze sculpture of the Dorchester Clapp Pear and ten accompanying artworks celebrate community experience and public history. Created by artist Laura Baring-Gould, the artwork has become a remarkable local landmark that renews a sense of place and honors the enduring humanity of Dorchester.

The Clapp’s Favorite Pear sculpture celebrates the history of Dorchester as fertile agricultural land, when the area near Edward Everett Square was part of a 300-acre estate and orchard where the Clapp’s Favorite Pear was first grown in the 1880’s. Known for it’s sturdy skin and sweet interior, the pear serves as a metaphor for the people of Dorchester. Five quotes circle the base of the pear sculpture and describe the stewardship that characterizes this community over time.

The ten smaller artworks (Dorchester Voices/Dorchester History) reflect the lives of those who have passed though this important intersection. Each work juxtaposes experiences of different residences over time as two or three different personal quotes circle a sculptural still-life to reflect common stories from different epochs around the same theme. Designed to engage people through intimate touch and the exciting transformation of common materials into bronze, the artwork draws poetic comparison so local residents and visitors alike can understand and appreciate Dorchester’s unique history.