Boston Public Art Triennial Announces 2026 Public Art Season, Inviting Boston to Step Outside and Connect Summer Through Fall
New public art commissions and programs build on a breakout 2025, transforming Boston into a shared space for imagination, connection, and discovery with the work of local artists.
Locals experience and interact with Stone Circle Bench (2025) by Ekene Ijeoma at Roxbury Community College, where the piece was permanently installed after being featured in the inaugural 2025 Triennial. Photo credit: Annielly Camargo.
(Boston, MA., May 13) — Following a widely celebrated inaugural year, the Boston Public Art Triennial (The Triennial) today announced its 2026 Public Art Season, introducing a dynamic slate of new commissions and public programs designed to transform how people experience Boston, and each other. At a time when Boston, like many cities, is navigating division and disconnection, The Triennial invites residents, visitors, and supporters to step outside and engage with the city more deeply.
In 2025 alone, The Triennial generated 1.1 million interactions with artworks, created 157 jobs, and delivered $9.5 million in economic impact, demonstrating the powerful role public art can play not just culturally, but civically and economically across Greater Boston. Triennial 2025 brought audiences to new places to experience Boston like never before through the lens of public art—1 in 3 participants explored a part of Boston they had never been to, and 8 in 10 said the Triennial made Boston feel more vibrant.
The Triennial’s 2026 Public Art Season builds on that momentum with programs and artworks by local artists that activate the city in unexpected ways: from a traveling, participatory work by Heather Kapplow to four neighborhood-centric installations supported by the organization’s Accelerator program, and a thought-provoking public program series.
“With this new season, we’re inviting people to experience the world around them in new ways through the works of local public artists,” said Kate Gilbert, Executive Director of TheTriennial. “At a moment when opportunities to come together feel more important than ever, this slate of bold, vibrant programming creates space for shared experience, reflection, and connection. It invites people to pause, see Boston and one another differently, and to feel part of something larger. That shift from ‘me’ to ‘we’ is where real impact begins. And what better way to jumpstart it than with local artists?”
2026 Public Art Season Highlights
Better Angels by Heather Kapplow (June – October)
A traveling, participatory installation that uses humor and play to envision our best selves, and with a fellow participant as witness, it offers a moment of grace when we fall short. The project reminds visitors that democracy requires disagreement and to work together toward ideals beyond our lifetimes. Additional information about Better Angels can be found here.
Public Art Accelerator - Cohort Eight
New public art works across East Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Hyde Park by The Triennial’s Public Art Accelerator Cohort Eight, Garret Gould, Crystal Bi, Cara Michell, and Jane D. Marsching, all artists deeply connected to the neighborhoods they serve. Projects range from ecological restoration and tree planting to explorations of memory, ritual, and local culture. Learn more here.
Color Flows
A bold, community-informed mural installation transforms one of Boston’s busiest corridors into a vibrant, welcoming space that celebrates belonging, play, and the everyday energy of the city. Part of a larger public art initiative on Winter Street, the work is commissioned by Boston Public Art Triennial with support from the City of Boston’s Planning Department and the Downtown Business Alliance.
2026 Public Programs
Let’s Talk Series (June - November)
Conversations that connect artists with scientists, historians, and community voices, exploring big questions about place, participation, and how we imagine the future of our city. The Triennial’s Let’s Talk series takes place on select Tuesdays.
Art & Stroll Series (June - September)
The first Thursday of each month, The Triennial will host guided walks that invite participants to discover Boston through new eyes, uncovering the stories, histories, and connections embedded in its streets and public spaces.
A full calendar of public art commissions and public programs is available at thetriennial.org/events.
The 2026 season continues to deepen the Triennial’s impact across Boston, expanding access, supporting artists, and creating more opportunities for connection, participation, and collective action. Looking ahead, the organization is deepening its focus on connection and mutual aid, supporting projects that reflect community histories, amplify local voices, and invite Bostonians to take part in shaping their city.
Ongoing Installations
Continuing in 2026, The Triennial also has several commissioned works on view across Boston:
Lan Tuazon, Matters of Consequence, 2025, University Hall Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Gabriel Sosa, I want more celebrations, 2025, School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts Art Galleries
Ekene Ijeoma, Stone Circle Bench, 2025, Dorchester
Ekene Ijeoma, Stone Circle Bench 2, 2025, Roxbury Community College
Johnetta Tinker & Susan Thompson, Deeply Rooted in the Neighborhood, 2021, Grove Hall
Nick Cave, Augment, 2019, Dorchester
Silvia López Chavez, Patterned Behavior, 2018, Charles River Esplanade
About Boston Public Art Triennial
Boston Public Art Triennial is the city’s first and only public art organization dedicated to supporting artists and communities in bold, contemporary, public art with annual artwork commissions and a citywide exhibition every three years. The Triennial’s mission is to foster relationships between artists and the public to create bold public art experiences that open minds, spark conversations, and activate spaces across Boston, resulting in a more open, equitable, and vibrant city.
