A Brief History of the Cambridge Arts River Festival
The Cambridge Arts River Festival started in the early 1970s under the supervision of the Charles River Council. There were multiple motivations for initiating the planning efforts, including environmental initiatives that aimed to advocate increased care for the river, improve the quality of the water, and demonstrate potential uses. The festival was the brainchild of the newly formulated Cambridge Arts Council. Council members Pamela Worden, Paul Dietrich, and Lowry Burgess were attributed as the main creators. They were incentivized to create a city-sponsored “welcome to springtime” that would revamp the city through a celebratory vibe and to publicize their new community council. Preparations for the event were assisted by the self-styled Art Army led by Jeff Mauzy. A June 5, 1986 Cambridge Chronicle article quoted Mauzy saying, “Here is spring. The artist in everyone ought to blossom forth.”
Despite initial setbacks, the event was a massive success and it grew over the years. Its popularity instigated efforts to make it bigger and better, which reached a peak around 1983 when the festivities extended for over a week! Since its early days, the festival has offered a variety of activities. Previous events have included puppet shows, boat parades, temporary art, biking and hiking programs, and live performances. Especially popular were the People’s Sculpture Races that occurred in the 1980s, which combined art with STEAM. One year the festival even had skydivers land on the Hyatt-Regency Hotel lawn and another year had a mini Caribbean Festival and a Harvard Square Street Dance program. By the early 2000s new ideas changed up the entertainment, including Chalk on the Walk, poetry slams, and Rhythm and Rhyme performances.
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Vintage Cambridge Arts River Festival newsletter.
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Guide to Temporary Public Art at the Cambridge Arts River Festival.
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Guide to Temporary Public Art at the Cambridge Arts River Festival.
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Guide to Temporary Public Art at the Cambridge Arts River Festival.
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Guide to Temporary Public Art at the Cambridge Arts River Festival.
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Joan Brigham's 1995 installation "Light Raft" at Cambridge Arts River Festival.
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Temporary public art at Cambridge Arts River Festival, 1993.
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Temporary public art at Cambridge Arts River Festival, 1993.
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Temporary public art at Cambridge Arts River Festival, 1993.
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Clown at Cambridge Arts River Festival.
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Cambridge Arts River Festival program, 1997.
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Cambridge Arts River Festival program, 1997.
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Cambridge Arts River Festival program, 1997.
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Cambridge Arts River Festival program, 1997.
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Cambridge Arts River Festival program, 1997.
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Cambridge Arts River Festival program, 1997.
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View of Harvard and Charles River. (Dan Reiff photo)
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Weeks Footbridge over Charles River.
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Weeks Footbridge over Charles River.
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Old Riverside Boat Club.
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Old Riverside Boat Club.
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Postcard showing Charles River near the stadium.
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Aerial view of the Charles River, 1969.