Boston teen uses portraits to raise awareness about Neponset pollution

April 1, 2026

Boston Latin School senior Lucy Zhang is hosting an opening reception for her exhibit, “Voices of the Lower Neponset River,” at the Keys Community Room of Milton Public Library on Mon., April 13, from 6 to 8 p.m…

Centuries of industrial activity along the Lower Neponset River have left behind toxic chemicals that still impact neighboring communities today. In 2022, the Lower Neponset River was designated a Superfund site as one of the most polluted waterways in the nation, running through Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, and the town of Milton.

Now, a Boston teenager is aiming to make sure that people know more about the problem and the fixup.

Boston Latin School senior Lucy Zhang is hosting an opening reception for her exhibit, “Voices of the Lower Neponset River,” at the Keys Community Room of Milton Public Library on Mon., April 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. The public is welcome. 

She highlights the work of 14 advocates for the Lower Neponset River through watercolor portraits and personal interviews with them that make up her community storytelling exhibit. 

Zhang first learned about the river’s pollution three years ago through a news article. She was shocked. “If I, someone living nearby, didn’t know about it, how would anyone else in this country know and act on it?” she said. 

Similarly, Vivien Morris, founder of the Edgewater Neighborhood Association & Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, knows the virtual invisibility of the river firsthand.

“In many ways, the river has simply been hidden,” she said. “Most people in our neighborhood, even those who live right next to it, don’t know it’s there.”

Through this exhibit, Zhang hopes to change that. When asked about her favorite part of this project, she said, “Each conversation opened my eyes a little wider to the complex history, the diverse community, and the depth of advocacy that surrounds this river.” 

Her work will be digitized online at the Neponset River Watershed Association website post-exhibit. 

The reception is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. The exhibit will be on display at the Milton Public Library Lower Level from April to June 2026. 

See the full article here.