mit realtalk boston public signs

Realtalk@Boston Public Signs reimagines everyday street infrastructure, street signs, using the stories, conversations, and wishes of Boston residents. Drawing from MIT's Center for Constructive Communication's Real Talk@Boston collection, this colorful placemaking installation transforms utilitarian objects into platforms for community voices.

Street signage is foundational to how we navigate a city. By reworking it with care and intention, this project inserts human stories into the urban landscape, honoring the people who move through it each day. The signs spatialize community conversations about accessibility, food security, bodily freedom, and neighborhood connection allowing these perspectives to take up physical space that influences our daily experience.

In a city that often lacks energizing color and visual storytelling, these signs serve as visual glimmers: small moments that cue our nervous system to feel safe, seen, and connected. They function as both public art and political intervention, demonstrating that public space can be shaped by the people who live here, not just by institutions.

This work bridges my practice as an artist and clinical social worker, integrating the importance of listening to stories with dignity and care along with with participatory placemaking.

Supported by: MIT Center for Constructive Communication