Exploring Common Threads

October 24, 2024
• A muralist stitches Needham’s past with its present in a new art piece.

Tucked between a parking lot and main thoroughfare sits a small, blank alleyway. But a regional artist is transforming the space into more than just a pass-through.

Artist Mia Cross is behind “Tight Knit,” a mural honoring Needham’s natural and historical elements in a colorful display off of Chapel Street. The mural, located near 91 Chapel St., weaves together the town’s roots in the knitting industry with the wildlife who also reside here.

Cross, who is based on the East Coast, delved into the journals of Timothy Otis Fuller, a local naturalist who tracked and illustrated yellow palm warblers in his journals. The birds appear in Cross’ mural, who use strands from a knitted scarf to build their nest. A woman at the opposite end of the piece knits that very scarf, which Cross said is an homage to Needham’s old knitting mills and the women behind them.

In her prior work, Cross received commissions to paint more abstract murals but feels closely connected to figures and living beings. In Needham, she’s breathing new life — in many ways — into the once blank wall.

“It’s safer for people to get big colors,” Cross said, “so I was super excited to explore more of my figurative expressions.”

The Needham Council for Arts and Culture selected Cross and two other artists as finalists for the project, bringing the final decision to the town via an online poll. Council members, alongside stakeholders, made their own recommendation, easily reaching the same consensus around Cross’ piece. Cross began painting last week and is set to complete the mural Friday.

When NCAC Co-Chair Heather Simmons recently stopped by the mural, she admired Cross’ ability to utilize a narrow space but “consider its flow with the fabric,” she said. The wall is 38 feet long and about 11 feet tall.

Simmons said she feels the mural successfully envelopes the space and “fits Needham really well.”

“It feels traditional, but there’s also a contemporary element to it,” Simmons said. “There’s a generation of Needham residents that moved here for its proximity to nature, and that’s a reason why I moved here. There’s lots of surrounding wildlife, and I love how it manifests here.”

The mural is partly funded by American Rescue Plan Act money as well as town funds, Simmons said. The call for artists attracted about 12 applicants, Simmons said, who had just a couple weeks to submit their ideas to the town for consideration.

As pedestrians walk from the parking lot to the street, they follow the path of the scarf along the mural. An empty chair also invites people to have a metaphorical seat, Simmons said. Some stop to compliment Cross on her work, and she said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“I’m grateful the town fuels these projects and feels this piece relates to their place, coming from an outsider,” Cross said. “I’m glad to see how busy this space is.”

Heather Chandler, owner of the TiN RABBiT gift shop beside the mural, feels the artwork has re-envisioned the space from a “lackluster alleyway” into a “fun visual experience for the community to enjoy.”

“It has piqued an interest among the locals and transformed their mood, it may even encourage others to use the passageway more often,” Chandler wrote in an email. “Hope to see more future projects like this in Needham.”

The entrance to Gatto Agency faces the mural, where co-owner Patrick Gatto popped out to check on Cross’ progress. Everyone seems to enjoy it, Gatto said, himself included.

The alley is a “high-traffic area,” making it a suitable location for some color, Gatto said. Previously occupying the wall was a graffitied smiley face for at least a decade, he said, so a bright art piece is a nice replacement.

“It’s great for the neighborhood, it’s great for the community,” Gatto said. “It brings joy and happiness.”

Cross designed her mural while in New Mexico, where she has temporarily lived with her husband — she plans to move back to the region this fall. While away, her parents, who are based in Framingham, visited Needham to take photos of the wall and measure the space.

Her father Doug, who is also an artist, helped Cross paint as well.

“They always supported my creativity,” Cross said of her parents. “They’re essentially the best parents ever.”

Flowers line the top and sides of the mural, and Cross integrated existing wall elements to achieve cohesion — a skinny pipe on the wall became the stem of a flower. First spray painted, the flowers will get paint touch-ups as Cross completes the work.

After recently making her first quilt, Cross compared her painting to the making of a patchwork. The female knitter, she said, points to how those historical women “could be an instrumental part of creation.”

The pansy mural by Trader Joe’s similarly pays homage to Needham and its history.

Hand-crafting and its connection to the natural world persist in Cross’ body of artwork, and the two concepts come together for a piece unique to Needham, she explains in her project description.

“This mural imagines that the warblers and Needham’s knitters have come together, working in harmony to build a place that both can call home,” the description reads.