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Media Advisory
Springfield Mural Festival to Honor Legacy of Late Artist, Educator, and UMass Amherst Afro-American Studies Professor Nelson Stevens
Ribbon Cuttings to Celebrate Recreation of Two Original Murals by Stevens
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 24
TIME: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
WHAT: Nelson Stevens Commemoration and Mural Ribbon Cuttings
celebrating the recreation of two murals designed by the late artist and educator
WHERE: Wall of Black Music, 1 Montrose St., Springfield, Mass.
Tribute to Black Women mural, 38 Catherine St., Springfield, Mass.
Mason Square Library, 765 State St., Springfield, Mass.
CONTACT: Crystal Maldonado, crystalmaldo@umass.edu
John Bracey, jhbracey@afroam.umass.edu
Fresh Paint Springfield, the first-ever downtown mural festival, returns this year with the Nelson Stevens Commemoration and Mural Ribbon Cuttings on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 1-3 p.m., at two locations: the Tribute to Black Women mural, 38 Catherine St., in Springfield, Massachusetts; and the Wall of Black Music mural, 1 Montrose St., Springfield, Massachusetts.
A garden reception featuring a talk by John H. Bracey Jr., professor of Afro-American studies at UMass Amherst since 1972 and a founder of the campus’s W.E.B. Du Bois Afro-American Studies Department, will follow at Mason Square Library, 765 State St., Springfield, Massachusetts.
The event will honor the legacy of Nelson Stevens, a prominent artist and UMass Amherst professor who died in July 2022. To celebrate his memory, two of Stevens’ original murals — Tribute to Black Women and Wall of Black Music — have been recreated by Common Wealth Murals and are now available for public view.
Stevens spent more than 30 years teaching in the UMass Amherst Art Department and W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, working alongside Bracey, a prominent scholar of Black history and the Black arts movement.
“Nelson Stevens was a great artist and teacher, and greater friend. A best buddy for nearly six decades,” says Bracey. “His works will belong to the ages.”
Stevens was also a member of the AfriCOBRA art alliance, which directed the creation of over 30 murals in Springfield. Throughout his life, Stevens was celebrated for his focus on African American culture, particularly jazz. His signature style applies bold color, unexpected lines and tributes to historical and contemporary iconic figures.
He earned a BFA from Ohio University and his MFA degree from Kent State University. In addition to his numerous accolades, on June 12, 2021, Stevens was honored by the Springfield City Council and state representatives when they declared it Nelson Stevens Day in the city of Springfield.
His work may be found in many private and public collections including the Smithsonian, Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City and the Chicago Institute of Art.
Fresh Paint Springfield first took place in June 2019 and transformed 10 large exterior walls into art throughout the city. The annual event is produced by Common Wealth Murals, which also manages a Community Muralist Institute and individual mural installations intended to meaningfully engage and uplift communities.
To learn more, please visit freshpaintspringfield.com.