Public Arts & Culture
See what's happening in the arts in Watertown!
Resources for artists and arts lovers.
Three governing bodies:
- Public Arts & Culture Committee
The Public Arts & Culture Committee (PACC) develops public art opportunities and policy. The PACC meets every 4th Monday of the month at 6 PM virtually or in the 3rd Floor Conference Room in the Watertown Administration Building. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.- Public Arts Master Plan (PDF)
- Resolution to Establish a Public Arts and Culture Committee (PDF)
- PACC Handbook (PDF) Mission, values, and meeting guidelines.
- Watertown Cultural Council
The Watertown Cultural Council (WCC) provides funding for community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The WCC meets the second Wednesday of the month at 6 PM. The WCC is one of 355 Local Cultural Council programs statewide funded in large part through the Massachusetts Cultural Council. - Watertown Cultural District
The Watertown Cultural District (WCD) represents state recognition of cultural vitality in the city, which supports economic development through the arts. The WCD calendar highlights events and arts activities throughout the year and hosts an arts directory. The WCD partnership meets the 2nd Monday of every other month at 4 PM. All cultural organizations, businesses, and artists living or working in Watertown are invited to join the WCD Partnership.
Public Arts Opportunities
Edible Plants 2027 - Apply by August 9, 2026: Food Application (Artist Application coming in November)
As the Edible Plants project moves into its third iteration, it will expand from visual and literary art into culinary art. Restaurants, caterers, and other food service providers in Watertown, MA are invited to participate by developing or reviving a recipe that includes one or more of the plants listed below. Then visual artists will be invited to illustrate the recipes for the Edible Plants Cookbook which will be distributed throughout the city. Participating food service providers are invited to showcase the original recipe artwork by hanging the exhibit of ten 18x24” artworks at their establishment or to host an Edible Plants event at their location between the dates of April 12 - June 30, 2027.- WaterTunes - Submit your favorite music through July 2026!
Tell us about music that is special to you—your favorite song, a song that evokes a memory, or a piece of music with meaning for you. We're collecting songs through July 2026 that will be included in a "Watertown Playlist." Hear a selection of the tunes at a community party on August 26, 2026! - 100 Years of Arshile Gorky - See the exhibition at the Armenian Museum of America through April 2026!
See the mural "Passage" on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway below Grove Street. This project commemorates the life and work of Arshile Gorky. - Open for Business - Public art installations in Coolidge Square for two years!
Public art installations by Masary Studios and Elaine Buckholtz are in Coolidge Square during the Mount Auburn Street Reconstruction. - Community Sculpture Walk - See four new sculptures!
The Community Sculpture Walk follows the Community Path, from the Thaxter Street parking lot behind the library to Howard Street. Sculptures are selected annually through an open call to artists and on view for two years.
Public Arts & Culture Bulletin:
The Watertown Cultural District puts out a periodic email newsletter that contains upcoming exhibits, events, calls for art, and grant deadlines. Subscribe and learn more.