A symphony of sound and color takes over the streets of Newton as the Artful Pianos installation returns for the summer.

Seven hand-painted pianos are scattered throughout the town, transforming parks and other public spaces into art galleries and stages for spontaneous performances.

“When you walk through the villages of Newton and you see these pianos out, there are all kinds of people playing them,” said Lisa Rucinski, program manager of the Newton Cultural Development Center, which organizes Artful Pianos. Coming from a musical family, Rucinski said she understands that music can bring people together, and she takes pride in maintaining this Newton tradition. 

The seven pianos, each painted by a different artist and given a name, are all across town through Labor Day:

• “Embrace Everything,” by Ashley Jin, is along the Upper Falls Greenway.
• “The Harvest,” by Columba Kenner, sits outside the Auburndale Library.
• “In Full Bloom,” by Jenn Dua, is in Farlow Park.
• “Somebody Come & Play,” by DaNice Marshall, is in Austin Street Plaza. 
• “Find Zen Within,” by Gary “Zen” Chen, sits outside City Hall.
• “Koi Notes,” by Raquel Fornasaro, livens up Newton Centre Green.
• “Forget-Me-Not,” by Michael Talbot in Officer English Park, Newton Highlands. 

Now in its eighth year, the Artful Pianos 2025 installation invites residents to sit down, play and take part in interactive art.

Luca Dalzell and Ethan Lan play a painted piano, titled “Koi Notes” by Raquel Fornasaro, located in Newton Centre, while a passerby stops to listen. Photo by Miu Tung Rong

But these pianos aren’t just for music lovers or aspiring performers.

“People who give their pianos away for this project love to see their old pianos put to use,” Rucinski said. “Meeting the artists, seeing the focus, painstaking detail, and how much they love and get attached to their pianos–it’s just a win-win.” 

Raquel Fornasaro, a longtime Newton resident and artist, painted the only grand piano in this year’s collection–the rest are uprights. Her piano, titled “Koi Notes,” is adorned with lily pads and koi fish, paying tribute to Crystal Lake, a picturesque 33-acre natural pond in the heart of Newton.

Fornasaro said her vision was to bring “calmness to the busyness” of Newton Centre with her serene depiction of the lake near her house. Crystal Lake, she said, is “the place where my kids usually go whenever it gets warm. For me, it [has] extra memories of having young kids there.”

The process of creating the piano installation begins months in advance with help from a team of movers, artists and volunteers.

It begins with donors looking to part with their old pianos. Greg Livingston, who tunes all of the pianos, evaluates the instruments before they are selected to be in the exhibit.  

In Farlow Park, Michael Lonzana plays a painted piano titled “In Full Bloom,” painted by Jenn Duan. Photo by Anny Zheng Wu

Once enough pianos are identified, Griffin Piano Moving transports them to the Newton Bath House at Crystal Lake, a makeshift art studio where the painters work.

Piano Pals, a group of local volunteers, care for the pianos all summer. They monitor the weather and rush in with tarps whenever rain threatens. Every morning, volunteers like Garrett Van Siclen head to their designated locations to unveil the pianos and return every evening to protect them from the morning dew.

“If they aren’t getting wrapped and they aren’t being protected from the moisture of the rain, they’re quickly not going to be able to be played anymore,” Van Siclen said. 

Van Siclen said he enjoys hearing melodies drift through Newton’s neighborhoods–whether it’s a child playing his first notes, an artist bringing her vision to life, or people pausing from their commutes home to listen.

Van Siclen has witnessed the magic this installation has brought to Newton over the past three summers.

“Last year,” he said, “there was a couple, and they would come up here every night and play the piano.”

This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.