Mark Borenstein Quoted in Worcester Business Journal’s “The formerly named POW! WOW! Worcester is skipping its 2022 street art festival, as its volunteers regroup and eye a smaller future”
POW! WOW! Worcester has put up murals around the city for the public to interact with since 2016; however, a new name and a shifted platform are at the forefront of the future plan. The newly named Worcester Walls plans to use 2022 to figure out how to maintain its 200 murals, including finding the funding necessary for the less glitzy aspect of public art. There will be no summer festival as in past years.
Mark Borenstein joined the POW! WOW! committee in 2017 because the organization needed help with legal affairs. He spoke with the Worcester Business Journal about the upcoming changes.
For future years, Mark said more discrete projects are the way to go. Worcester Walls shouldn’t simply continue with an annual, large festival simply because it always has. Smaller, targeted art events could have a greater impact for specific communities and are easier to achieve in a post-COVID world.
“Worcester is morphing before our very eyes, so it’s nice to have Worcester Walls as a tool to activate unutilized areas in the city,” said Mark.
POW! WOW! used to rely on other nonprofits for fundraising, but Borenstein helped POW! WOW! form its own nonprofit organization. The Worcester Historical Museum serves as a fiscal sponsor.
“The emphasis on public arts is crucial to the ongoing vitality of the city. We don’t want to lose that,” said Mark. “That’s all part of the discussion about future reorganization.”
Continue reading “The formerly named POW! WOW! Worcester is skipping its 2022 street art festival, as its volunteers regroup and eye a smaller future” on the Worcester Business Journal website (subscription required).
Categorized: News
Tagged In: Nonprofits, public art, street art, Worcester Walls
