The June issue of The Fenway News features an insightful overview of the MMOC’s April 26th Annual Meeting at the MFA. Reporter Leslie Pond notes that the event’s “key throughline” was “democracy in dirt.” The meeting was a toast to “the Project’s achievements and the people involved, in particular the volunteers who constitute the MMOC, as the committee is known; partners at federal, state, and municipal agencies; and community activists.”
The article also describes the MMOC’s role as “the eyes and ears on the ground” for the complex Restoration Project—intended to manage flood risk and restore part of the Muddy River that was poorly maintained and, in part, paved over. The theme of the evening, “Public Oversight Reimagined,” refers to the extraordinary model of public partnership that catalyzed and continues to guide the work.
Following her recap of the evening’s speakers and program, Ms. Pond concludes, “The juxtaposition of the MMOC’s annual meeting and its backdrop of 17th-century paintings in the MFA’s Koch Gallery of European Art offered attendees an opportunities to reflect on the hope that the restoration and care of the Muddy River will be at least as enduring as the paintings.”
Photo: Annielly Camargo