Mozart Playground in Jamaica Plain now joins Providence, New York City, Caracas, Venezuela, Trinidad, Lisbon, and Madrid with a bust of the Dominican patriot Juan Pablo Duarte (1813-1876) who is called the founder of Dominican nationality which led to the independence of the Dominican Republic on Feb 27, 1844.

Although he died in sickness and poverty and politically estranged from his native country in exile, Duarte has no shortage of ardent admirers.

More than 100 of them came out on Nov. 8 for the unveiling of the larger-than-life-size bronze bust of Duarte at Mozart Playground. This was a project of the Dominican Foundation of Art and Culture (FUNDUARCO), planning for which began in 2018.

Nilson Pepen of FUNDUARCO who couldnt stop smiling during the 90-minute program was the project coordinator and he said the Duarte bust was nine years of planning with the City of Boston and the state.

He followed the singing of the United States national anthem and the Himno Nacionale of Quisqueya, the indigenous name for the Dominican Republic (Brave Quisqueyans let us raise our song).

Pepen thanked the Duarte bust committee as well as the architect, Laura Santo, who designed the pedestal, and the sculptor, Robert Shure.

The sculpture had an apparently confusing start. On Sept. 13, 2022, Beinvida Felix, director of FUNDUARCO, came before the Boston Art Commission with a presentation about the bust asking for approval. Except there was no image of the bust and the art commissioners seemed unfamiliar with the project.

The Art Commission has jurisdiction over public art on public property and typically the first step is artist selection and a review of their proposed artwork. Except the artist, in this case, had already been selected and, according to Felix, the bust had been completed the previous June.

Felix told the commission that the Mass Art Council granted funding to FUNDUARCO and recommended Shure, who was already well known for his Irish famine memorial on Washington Street Downtown.

The Dominican Art Foundation was applying to the Browne Fund, she said, for an architect to design the pedestal.

Duarte is the founder of Dominican nationality, Felix told the Art Commission. Durate is considered a hero and revolutionary visionary for the Dominican community right here in Boston.

The Art Commission was stumped.

This is unusual in our process, said one commissioner, to approve a piece thats already created. This was not open to all artists through the art commission.

Lets revisit this at next months meeting. Next months meeting came on Aug. 11, 2025.

Art Commission chair John Andress, admitting that it was a drawn out process, recommended a vote to accept the bust; which in the meanwhile had been remodeled.

Andress recognized the placement location, at the corner of Centre and Mozart streets, was temporary because the playground was going to be redesigned.

He urged FUNDUARCO that there be, heavy engagement with the Hyde Square Task Force in the relocation of the sculpture.

Im glad to end this on such a high note, said Commission member James Mason.

No date was set at that time for installation, which was later done with the Boston Parks Dept.

Interim Park Commissioner Cathy Baker-Eclipse made a cameo appearance at the celebration standing in the back of the crowd. As reported by Diario Libre the next day, The Dominican foundation of art and culture FUNDUARCO unveiled the first stage of the bust of Juan Pablo Duarte at the Parque Mozart where a large part of the Dominican community is concentrated.

Manual Adames, president of the Duarte Institute in Boston, presented a biographical sketch of the national hero.

This bust is not just a bronze sculpture [Adames said] it represents our history, our identity and our determination of a people who, although living far away, carry their homeland in their hearts.

Diario Libre reported that the Dominican consul Antonio Almonte was in the audience.

The Dominican consulate of Boston is located at 891 Center St. at the corner of The Jamaicaway.

Alexandra Valdez, former president of FUNDUARCO and current director of culture for Boston, and City Council member Enrique Pepn both spoke, reported Diario Libre. Councilors at large Henry Santana and Julia Mejia also gave remarks before the sheet was pulled off the bronze amid cheers and clapping.

People rushed to take group photographs with the bust and selfies were scattered around the sculpture.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was scheduled to do the honors of unveiling but between the Veterans Day parade and packing for Nova Scotia this proved complicated and the mayor sent her regrets.

The mayor of Boston may not have been there but the mayor of Egleston Square, Rosana Rivera was, and The Bulletin hung out with her while she joined in group photographs and selfies.

The Bulletin emailed her the next day for some of her reactions of the day.

I especially enjoyed Antonio Almontes speech, Rivera emailed back. His words highlighted why Duarte remains such a central figure for the Dominican people today.

As a member of Casa de la Cultura Dominicano, Duarte embodies the unyielding spirit of a nation. He was a visionary, Rivera explained.

Rivera owns Latino Beauty, one of the main businesses in Egleston Square.

The bust is in the heart of Jamaica Plain, she wrote. In the playground its more than just a bronze statue, it offers a daily course in history. Who was that man who fought for us?

It says Our story matters, Rivera wrote. Dominicans have claimed this space. It is pride, not just metal. It says Tris Dominicana right in Bostons backyard.

The first planning meeting for the redesign of Mozart Playground which was the location of the first Dominican Festival in 1987 after the last redesign will take place on Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. at the Hyde Square Task Force. According to Valdez, speaking with The Bulletin at the event, the new playground should be completed in 2027.