MHL is excited to partner with the artist-led organization For Freedoms, to bring the Andover community a lawn sign drive. Based on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” - freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear - For Freedoms aims to encourage community discussion and civic action.

You may be asking, what is a lawn sign drive? It’s a way for you to show your neighbors and community what you are hopeful for and what freedoms you enjoy or wish for. In previous years, For Freedoms has hosted sign events where the community meets together, makes signs, and then installs them in one central location. For example, in 2018, the Waltham Public Library hosted a For Freedoms sign event led by teen patrons and put the signs on their front lawn. Patrons filled out signs with such hopes and dreams as: "Freedom for youth," "Freedom from hate," "Freedom of curiosity," Freedom from poverty," and more. Because of COVID, we can't meet in a big group to fill out our signs together so we’re moving the event to the virtual space and to your front yard!
 

We've chosen one of For Freedoms' signs to highlight in Andover this fall: the "Freedom To" sign. We're asking interested patrons to pick up a sign, fill it out, and then commit to placing the sign on your lawn, in your house, or somewhere else where you live to encourage Andover community members to discuss what freedoms we have and what we are still striving for. You can write whatever you'd like on the sign! You can celebrate something like the First Amendment and highlight the freedom of speech or something else that you feel passionate about. The goal is to have the signs up through the Presidential election in November.

Finally, we will be hosting an online meeting with Pola Dobrzynski one of the artists working with For Freedoms on Monday, October 19 at 7:30 pm. At this meeting, you can learn a little more about the project and get the chance to share what you're writing on your sign with others in the Andover community.