"Tap Tap Cab in Brockton" (Creative Pathways Community Work)

Lead Artist

Beth Bailey

The Story

This piece is a vibrant testament to the power of communal storytelling, created in deep collaboration at The Douglas House in Brockton. The composition began with a simple, unifying prompt: "Home." This single word brought together the distinct, beautiful energies of Brockton, where the artwork was physically built, and Haiti, the homeland of several participating artists.

The visual anchor of the piece originated from a drawing by a female resident of Brockton, who sketched a taxi cab covered in flowers, explaining that it represented a female cab driver and entrepreneur. Her original drawing also included a Christian cross and a radiant rainbow. To bring her narrative to life, I placed the cab right in the center of a Brockton streetscape, drawing inspiration from a historical photograph of the city. To naturally integrate the cross into the composition, I painted a neighborhood church into the background.

This artwork evolved over several months and traveled across generations. During a community residency, I brought the work in progress to the students of the 21st Century afterschool group at Downey Elementary School in Brockton. I believe deeply in sharing finished and evolving works during my residencies to welcome new voices into the creative process. While looking at the canvas, a teacher asked if the vehicle was a "tap tap cab." I had never heard the term before, and she beautifully explained that in Haiti, tap tap cabs are highly colorful, festive vehicles that fill the streets with loud music and joyful energy. She directed me to a children's book titled I Want to Ride the Tap Tap, which captures a Haitian child's wonder and curiosity about experiencing the ride. Hearing this instantly connected the original drawing of the flower covered cab to the heritage of the Haitian artists in the room, and the composition found its true name.

As a long term resident artist, I frequently invite other local creators to collaborate on our community pieces. A notable visiting artist for this project was Rosemarie May Gironda, a local artist and art teacher for Brockton Community Schools. It was Rosemarie's hands that instinctively decided to take a sunset cloud calendar photo donated by a resident, cutting and pasting the paper directly into the sky. That single artistic choice pulled forward a stunning pink underglow from the underpainting, tying the entire color palette together in a breathtaking way.

The original masterpiece received professional custom framing services generously donated by The Frame Center. It made its public debut in the gallery at Flannel Jam in Marshfield in the Fall of 2025. Today, the original painting has returned to its roots, permanently installed inside the walls of The Douglas House in Brockton where its story first began.

Details

• Printed locally by a professional print house

• Open edition fine art reproduction

• Printed on premium heavyweight paper with archival inks

• Matte finish that beautifully captures the texture of the original work

• Packaged with care and shipped flat directly from the studio

• Printed with a white border for easy framing

• Frame is not included

Your Impact

When you acquire this art, you are directly supporting community arts education. All sales through this shop flow directly through Creative Pathways, a registered 501(c)(3) organization founded by the artist. Your purchase directly funds the mission, including free after school arts programming for students in Brockton.

You are investing in beautiful art and a more creative world.