Clipper City Rail Trail, Massachusetts
Few rail-trails celebrate art like the
Clipper City Rail Trail in Newburyport,
Mass. With approximately two dozen
sculptures, murals, gardens and other
artistic elements dotting the 1.1-mile
trail, users have something to see, touch
and enjoy around every bend.
“
The genesis came from a family trip
to Paris,” says Geordie Vining, senior
project manager for Newburyport’s
planning office, who has been work-
ing on the trail’s development for more
than a decade. “We saw sculptures on
the promenades along the Seine,” he
explains, “where my children ran and
played and interacted with great things.
It added a whole other dimension to that
landscape.”
During phase one of the trail’s devel-
opment, Vining worked with a number
of local artists as well as local groups,
which pitched in to fund parts of the
project. More pieces are planned for
phase two, which is still several years
down the road.
Geordie Vining (3)
Photos courtesy Detroit riverfront Conservancy
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