A newly completed 12-foot-tall mosaic panel has been installed on Court Street in Natick Center by local artist Carol Krentzman. “RISING UP” visually represents our collective emergence from whatever holds us back in our lives, taking us from darkness into light, moving us forward           from contraction into growth, expansion, acceptance, adaptation, and transformation. The dedication of the new public art mosaic will take place on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 2PM on Court Street. All are welcome to attend, rain or shine.

In the mosaic there are many colorful stems that twist and intersect as they head up towards the light. At the top of the stems are seventeen many-layered fused glass flowers. There are 12 flowers with hearts on their lower edge, which represent support for many different causes. The blue, green and red flower is for Police, Fire, & Military; the pink, blue and purple flower is for Babies & Children; the red, white & blue flower represents our USA Flag; the dark red flower is for Heart Health Awareness; the orange flower is Anti-Gun Violence; the blue and yellow flower is for Ukraine Solidarity; the white, black, red and brown flower is for Black Lives Matter; the turquoise and purple flower is for Opioid & Suicide Awareness; the green flower is for the Environment & Women’s Rights; the yellow, orange and red flower is for Climate Justice; the multi-colored rainbow flower is for Pride; and the pink flower represents Breast Cancer Awareness. 

Included in the new mosaic are the life cycles of five of our most seen local butterflies, all made from fused glass. At the bottom of the mosaic are the five eggs. A bit higher up are five fused glass caterpillars next to their names: Eastern Black Swallowtail, Variegated Fritillary, Clouded Sulphur, Monarch, and Tiger Swallowtail. Above the caterpillars you will find their five chrysalises. And at the very top are all five butterflies, transformed and flying off into the sky.

The fused green glass leaves attached to all the stems contain the names of generous donors, sponsors, volunteers, family, and friends who helped to make this new public art project possible. Special thanks to Middlesex Savings Bank, MutualOne Charitable Foundation, Natick Cultural Council, Friedman Family, Metrowest Subaru, Stonegate Real Estate, Leese Foundation, Greenberg Family, Tiles Plus More, Direct Associates, Stucchi Jewelers, Citizens Bank, Eastern Bank, Zogby Family, Kit Cunningham, Cosmos Family, Erickson Family, Fair & Yeager Insurance, Needham Bank, and all the other individual public art lovers who supported this mosaic.