Community Partners Unite for Bridge of Joy

This summer, something joyful is coming to Charlestown, and it starts with community.

Navy Yard Garden & Art, Inc., with support from a coalition of local partners, is proud to introduce Bridge of Joy, a large-scale public art installation arriving in August 2025.

Earlier this year, Navy Yard Garden & Art assembled a Coalition of Community Partners to shape the vision for the installation. In January, the coalition reviewed and ranked four artist proposals. Their thoughtful input led to the selection of internationally renowned artists Gillie and Marc, known for their joyful and whimsical animal sculptures.

Here’s just a bit of what coalition members had to say during the selection process:

“It’s show-stopping.”
“Our kids deserve nice things.”
“It inspires imagination — every angle sparks something new.”
“We all need some whimsy and fun these days."

Coalition members participating in the Bridge of Joy programming brainstorm at the Charlestown Branch Library.

Thanks to a Neighborhood Downtown Activation Grant from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, three of Gillie and Marc’s bronze sculptures will be installed near and beneath the Tobin Bridge and in the Navy Yard. The project aims to transform an underused pedestrian zone into a space of joy, connection, and public creativity.

The coalition shaping this work includes:

• Charlestown Turn It Around

• Artists Group of Charlestown

• National Park Service

• Charlestown Trauma Response Team

• Harvard Kent School

• MGH Institute of Health Professions

These partners also gathered this spring to brainstorm programming ideas that will launch with the August 7 Grand Opening and continue into 2027.

We’ll be revealing more about the sculptures themselves — including their names and locations — in the coming weeks.

For now, just know that something big and whimsical is on its way.

Stay tuned.