Experience the Bridge of Joy Mural
Under the Tobin Bridge at the intersection of 5th Street in Charlestown
Installed to connect two parts of Charlestown divided by the Tobin Bridge—the mural will surprise, delight, and symbolically deepen connections within Charlestown by creating a visual bridge of joy.
This project is presented by Navy Yard Garden & Art, with generous support from community sponsors, civic partners and a grant by the George B. Henderson Foundation.
Meet the Artist: Maria Molteni
The mural is 51 feet long and inspired by Charlestown history.
The mural celebrates the beings who find home in Charlestown. Painted from left to right are examples of community cooperation: “herring ladders,” built to help migrating fish swim inland for breeding; diagrams for twisting rope, which recall the former Navy Yard Ropewalk factory’s labor history; native plant imagery referencing the nearby Peace Garden; and colorful houses with a chimney smoke motif perched atop sloping hills. These scenes are tied together and framed by a spiraling Flemish coil, usually formed as a single layer on a ship to keep extra rope or deck lines in order. Maria Molteni