Herring Ladder, Rope Walk, Peace Garden, Home. was commissioned by a local neighborhood nonprofit in Charlestown, MA called the Navy Yard, Garden, and Art with the goal of connecting two vibrant parts of Charlestown that are cut off from one another by a roaring, high traffic Tobin Bridge. This mural is part of the NYGA’s “Bridge of Joy” initiative to bring more love and life to a space that hasn’t been so welcoming to regular pedestrians.

Statement about the Work:

This work uses the rich historical and metaphorical language of nautical rope-work to bring parts of Charlestown into harmonious connection. For inspiration, Molteni considered the many communities, from past to the present day, who have called Charlestown home and persisted through its many changes- communities that include animal and plant life! While designing each piece, Molteni looked for examples of resilience cooperation. Stories about the man-made “herring ladders”, built to help migrating fish more easily swim and breed, show that humans and animals CAN help each other survive. The nearby peace garden + plants and flowers all about town, serve as inspiration for the beautiful practice of honoring living and passed ancestors. The historic Ropewalk building, where so much naval rope was stretched and twisted into form, reflects the important labor history that modern Charlestown is built upon. A cross section of braided and twisted nautical rope creates a diagram of circles on the left side, which are echoed on the right side, both framed by the ends of a spiraling “flemish coil”. The arrangement of houses, that spot sloping hills, celebrate the distinct land formations and array of colorful homes one sees when walking through the neighborhood. 

Special thanks to the Henderson Foundation for funding the project as well as the amazing team of local artists who painted the mural with Maria: Mariya Ortiz, Laura Ganci, Knora Connolly, and Evie Powers (some of whom are former students of Maria’s and recent Massart graduates!)