Brookline artists Olivia J. Kiers and Rosa Jiyoon Hyun have been selected to participate in Play Me, I’m Yours, Luke Jerram’s popular public art installation that will make a return visit to Boston this fall, courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston. From September 23 – October 10, 2016, Street Pianos Boston will feature sixty pianos, decorated by these artists and placed in public outdoor spaces in every Boston neighborhood and select Cambridge locations for the public to play and enjoy. Each piano will feature a simple invitation: “Play Me, I’m Yours.”
Artists of all backgrounds, artistic abilities and experience in different mediums were encouraged to apply through a public application process. The artists selected represent a variety of geographic locations, backgrounds, and mediums. Nineteen artists are returning to the program, having participated in Street Pianos Boston 2013. Forty-one of the artists are new to the project. The artists represent neighborhoods from across the city as well as Greater Boston.
Olivia J. Kiers works as an editor and writer for Art New England magazine. Currently, her work is more illustrative, exploring architecture and street-scapes. Previously, Kiers worked as a craftsman creating decorative woodcarving and ornamental design for pipe organs. Rosa Jiyoon Hyun is currently working as a full time User Interface Designer at the Society of Grownups in Brookline. She is also an illustrator and practices calligraphy on her own time.
“We are incredibly pleased with the response to our call for artists for Street Pianos Boston, said Gary Dunning, Celebrity Series President and Executive Director. “There has been great enthusiasm about being a part of the installation and sharing a vision for these pianos with the entire city. The process has resulted in a strong, diverse group of artists and we can’t wait to see what they create.”
Play Me, I’m Yours was created by UK artist Luke Jerram and has been touring internationally since 2008. Celebrity Series of Boston first produced the installation in Boston in 2013 when more than 500,000 people across the city engaged with Street Pianos Boston, sharing music and song in a citywide festival. More than 1,500 pianos have now been installed in 50 cities across the globe, from New York to London. The project has reached more than 10 million people worldwide, with each new city that commissions the work becoming part of a growing legacy.
In Boston, Play Me, I’m Yours is produced by the Celebrity Series of Boston, as part of Arts for All!, a community engagement initiative that reaches over 10,000 individuals annually through master classes with main stage artists in public schools and conservatories; hands-on, interactive workshops for youth led by a core group of Boston-area artists; free community concerts in Boston neighborhoods; free and discounted tickets to main stage performances; and large-scale, public participatory performance projects such as Street Pianos Boston.
To learn more about Play Me, I’m Yours, visit Street Piano Boston or follow the process on social media using hashtag #streetpianosboston.