Let Our Rivers Flow
Art by Sally Dean Mello and Cathy McCarthy
After years of planning, three months of painting, and multiple community participant days, a mural, titled “Let Our Rivers Flow,” is finding its permanent home on the “green” at Hanover Crossing. Measuring 40 feet long and 10 feet high, the mural consists of a series of 10 weather-safe aluminum panels, which together create an elaborate depiction of the North River.
The collaborative art project was initiated by the North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA), who brought together a series of project partners, including Hanover Crossing, Mass Cultural Council, Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, Sign Design, as well as the artists who brought the idea to life. The design for the mural was conceptualized by South Shore artists Sally Dean Mello and Cathy McCarthy. Working together, Mello and McCarthy melded their artistic styles together to create a cohesive image representing the abundance of wildlife that call the river home. Butterflies and a great blue heron are pictured together with a kayaker, and last but certainly not least, a river herring (the image pictured above represents one small section of the mural).
In addition to being a beautiful piece of public art, the mural was created to bring awareness to the Third Herring Brook, a 5-miles tributary of the North River that forms the town border between Norwell and Hanover. The mural will be complemented by historical signage detailing the removal of the Peterson Pond Dam as part of the Third Herring Brook Restoration Project, as well as stone benches created by stone sculptor Chris Brennan, made from portions of the old mill grindstone that were salvaged from the site. A mural dedication ceremony will take place on June 15 at 11 a.m. on The Green at Hanover Crossing (outside JCrew Factory) 1775 Washington Street, Hanover. To learn more, visit nsrwa.org.
-Maria Allen