Visit the Mystic Lakes Dam and you will see the newly painted Mystic River watershed mural. Commissioned by the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and funded by the Medford Arts Council—a local commission supported by the MA Cultural Council and the City of Medford—the mural showcases the geographic range and wildlife of our local watershed. MyRWA eagerly brought on returning artist Yetti Frenkel to refresh the original painting.
“When the Mystic River Watershed Association commissioned me to paint a map of the watershed several years ago I was delighted, because I knew I could add some animals to the design—my favorite thing to paint,” noted lead artist Yetti Frenkel. “It had worn away almost entirely—and this this time around we were in blazing sun in the midst of a heat wave. It takes real dedication to sit on boiling asphalt all day!”
Although it nearly reached 100 degrees each day while painting, a team of MyRWA staff, interns, and volunteers met Yetti at the dam to prep and paint the site.
“I helped because I like to paint, and was so happy to be able to help restore a really cool piece of art. I like the mural because it’s important for people to understand how they fit into the larger picture of an ecosystem. The map in the mural is whimsical enough to be fun, yet accurate enough to show people what the Mystic River Watershed is, who some of the inhabitants of the watershed are (the animals), and how their place of recreation fits into the picture,” explained volunteer Julie Ing Stern.
“It was so rewarding to help paint the Mystic Lakes mural with an audience tiptoeing around. I love being involved with the Mystic River Watershed Association. Scientific and artistic Opportunities abound to learn and help educate the public about our important Watershed environment",” said Karen Buck who helped paint.
Community members are pleased to see the map return:
“I have been coming here for years, and this is a beautiful, beautiful restoration of the mural! It’s so fun to see the geography of the region laid out in these bright, vibrant colors, and wonderful animal pictures, too!” said Nancy Rosa, Medford resident.
“I feel so blessed to have this within a 10-minute walk from my house,” noted Mickey Harvey, Medford resident. “I’ve been coming here for the last 25 years with my children who are now in their 30’s—and they now bring their friends, and they love to come back here to tell the stories of the animals and the wildlife, and incredible growing-up they had in this wonderful area. The mural helps tell this story.”
Julie In Stern, volunteer, also noted, “over the three afternoons that I helped paint, so many people of all ages stopped to admire the work and tell us how happy it made them feel—and that’s the best part of the mural-it makes people happy! What could be better?!”
“We were cheered on by some dedicated fans, in particular a gentleman named Henry who came by everyday and showered us with praise and encouragement. We received lots of nice comments from passersby, and I look forward to returning each year as a fellow volunteer to keep the map in decent shape for visitors to the Mystic Lakes Dam,” said Yetti Frenkel.
We encourage you to stop by the Mystic Lakes Dam at 481 Mystic Valley Parkway (google maps: Medford Boat Club public entrance) to see the mural. Take a selfie with your favorite part of the mural (which body of water, river, or animal?) and use the hashtag #MysticMap to be featured on MyRWA’s social media.
Want to help refresh the mural in the spring? Contact MyRWA Outreach Manager Erica Wood at erica.wood@mysticriver.org to put your name on the list.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Medford Arts Council, a local commission that is supported by the Mass Cultural Council and the City of Medford.
