In Spring 2026, ArtsArlington and our partner, the Mystic River Watershed Association, invited the community to co-create a public art project celebrating the return of the herring to the Mystic River and our local creative spirit.
Introducing GO FISH!
GO FISH! is a participatory mural project for residents of all ages. In collaboration with local partners, ArtsArlington offered free workshops inviting community members to paint a fish, with a goal of creating 2,000 uniquely painted herring.
The finished herring are being installed on the exterior brick walls of local businesses and municipal buildings in groupings that pedestrians can discover as they walk through town. The work embodies the incredible diversity of our vibrant community as well as the positive good we can accomplish by working together.
Find all the current installations of GO FISH! on the Go Fish! Trail map.
About the Community Workshops
GO FISH! workshops took place throughout the spring and summer of 2026. All ages and experience levels were welcome. ArtsArlington provided the “fish” (a printed outline of a herring printed on special aluminum material), brushes, and acrylic paint. Imagination and creativity did the rest!
Many community groups participated in GO FISH! workshops, including the Arlington Public Schools, the Arlington Housing Authority, the Arlington Recreation Department, and several local arts organizations and small businesses.
Past Community Workshops
- Wednesday, June 17, 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm, and 6:30 pm, Fox Library
- Sunday, June 7, 10 am, Mystic Open Studio
- Sunday, May 10, 2 pm, Mystic Open Studio
- Saturday, May 9, 1 pm and 2 pm, Fox Library
- Sunday, May 3, 12 pm, Mystic Open Studio
- Sunday, April 26, 3 pm and 4 pm, Roasted Granola Café
- Saturday, April 25, 2 pm and 3 pm, Arlington Center for the Arts
- Tuesday, April 22, 10 am, Mystic Open Studio
- Tuesday, April 21, 2 pm, Maxima Hive
- Monday, April 13, 7 pm, Mystic Open Studio
- Saturday, April 11, 10 am, Mystic Open Studio
- Saturday, April 4, 2 pm, Mystic River Watershed Association
- Sunday, March 8, 3 pm, Maxima Hive View photos
- Wednesday, March 4, 12 pm, Arlington Center for the Arts View photos
- Saturday, February 28, 10 am, Mystic River Watershed Association View photos
About The Return of the Herring
Every spring, a major migration moves through the heart of Greater Boston, invisible to most people. From early April through June, more than 500,000 river herring from the Atlantic Ocean return to the Mystic River, where they were born.
Over the several years, this herring population has gone from endangered to robust thanks to a combination of government protection, nonprofit organization initiatives, and volunteer efforts. Since 2012, the herring that make their annual voyage from Boston Harbor up the Mystic River to spawn has more than tripled – from 200,000 to 640,000 in 2024!
Project Supporters
Many thanks to all the generous supporters who made GO FISH! possible.
We received a grant through the Cultural District program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency. The Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture, which is supported by the MCC, provided additional grant support. Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area provided partnership support.
A generous donation from FloorSignage, LLC / Alumigraphics made it possible for us to use their innovative temporary mural material. Blick Art Materials/Central Square generously contributed paint supplies.
Finally, our work would not be possible without the ongoing generous support from the Town of Arlington, Massachusetts and our local business and individual supporters, plus the time, energy and enthusiasm donated by our community volunteers!
Project Partners
- 13Forest Gallery
- Arlington MA Afterschool Program – Thompson School
- Arlington Center for the Arts
- Arlington MA Council on Aging
- Arlington MA Department of Planning and Community Development
- Arlington MA Housing Authority / Drake Village
- Arlington MA Police Department
- Arlington MA Public Schools
- Arlington MA Public Schools Green Teams
- Brackett Elementary School
- Ottoson Middle School
- Peirce Elementary School
- Stratton Elementary School
- Arlington MA Public Schools – Thompson School 3rd Grade
- Arlington MA Recreation Department
- ArtLinks
- Arts Collaborative Medford
- BCNS Preschool
- Edith M. Fox Library
- Extinction Rebellion
- Farrington Nature Linc
- Maxima Hive
- Medford Girl Scouts
- Mosaic Oasis
- Mystic Open Studio
- Mystic River Watershed Association
- Nave Gallery
- Old Schwamb Mill
- Playtime
- Roasted Granola Café
- Robbins Public Library
- Room for Art
- Town of Arlington, MA
- Tufts University Tisch College of Civic Life
- West Medford Community Center