Local artist Rebeca Cotton Baez is hosting community art pop-up events at Osgood Park this summer.

Four dates remain for playground pop-up
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By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Rebeca Cotton Baez, a six-year Somerville resident and local nanny, has a plan to create connections and community in her area.

Starting last Sunday, Cotton Baez began hosting painted playground art pop-ups in Osgood Park near Prospect Hill. In these, participants will create art pieces with their families and get to know people from the community. With five different dates this summer, she hopes to create a sense of community and meet new neighbors.

“The purpose of it is mainly so that people in the community get to know each other,” Cotton Baez said. “I would like for people to be able to get to know people without having to spend a lot of money.”

According to her, these are not highly structured events, but an informal opportunity for people to get to know each other.

Moreover, sustainability also takes a front seat in the events, with sustainable materials being used throughout. “I have a lot of art supplies at my house, so I’m going to bring some of those. I’m trying to keep it as sustainable as possible with reusable things like recycled materials and things like that,” Cotton Baez said.

Cotton Baez connects the art pop-ups, family-oriented activities and community integration to her current job as a babysitter. “A lot of families are just looking for things to do and like getting to know each other and social support especially,” Cotton Baez said.

Temperatures in Somerville and surrounding areas reached record highs this past week with some places in the city reaching 98° on Sunday. But the heat won’t stop Cotton Baez. Instead, it allows for the art pop-up to adapt in different ways.

“It’s in the morning so hopefully it won’t be too hot yet, but there’s a water feature at that particular park. So, I am going to involve a lot of water in the materials that I bring,” Baez said. “I’m going to bring watercolors and chalk and things that you can use water for.”