Triennial 2025: The Exchange Opens with Celebratory Event at MassArt Art Museum
The inaugural Boston Public Art Triennial ceremoniously opens its city-wide exhibition, marking a significant cultural milestone for public art and community engagement.
Boston (June 2, 2025) – On Thursday, May 22, the Boston Public Art Triennial (The Triennial) inaugurated its first city-wide exhibition, Triennial 2025: The Exchange, launching at MassArt Art Museum (MAAM).
Hosted in partnership with the City of Boston, the Triennial is the first and only organization dedicated to supporting innovative public art. It brings 21 large-scale works to outdoor spaces and publicly accessible sites across Boston, including one location in Cambridge, and remains on view through October 31, 2025.
The event featured remarks from the Triennial’s leadership and from City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, highlighting the city's support of free and accessible cultural experiences.
“We are building a Boston that’s a home for everyone, where stories aren’t wielded to intimidate and divide, they’re invitations—to come closer, look deeper, and see ourselves reflected in the shared humanity of our experiences,” said Mayor Michelle Wu.
“The Triennial brings these stories to life in vibrant colors and sculptures, neon signs and woven cloth… Across East Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan… Charlestown, Back Bay, Fenway, and Downtown, these stories illuminate Boston’s past, present, and future. And, thanks to a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, we are proud that our Un-Monument Program has been able to help fund some of the Triennial works that explore a fuller, truer version of our city’s history.”
Previously known as Now + There, Triennial 2025 is the culmination of a decade-long history of creating impactful public art. It also features special exhibits from the Public Art Accelerator program, a skill-building and grant-funding initiative designed to support early- to mid-career Boston-based artists.
“Reflecting on our vision from a decade ago, we aspired to cultivate a city enriched by public art—a place of opportunity for artists to showcase bold works and for the public to engage deeply with contemporary art, and to, together, imagine a more vibrant and equitable future,” said Kate Gilbert, Executive Director of Boston Public Art Triennial.
“Today we celebrate a first for Boston and the continuation of this movement for more—more wow for audiences, more opportunity for artists, more collaboration, and a deeper understanding through the power of public art.”
Triennial 2025: The Exchange showcases Boston's leadership in addressing vital themes of indigeneity, climate and biodiversity, health and recovery, and shared humanity through art. The initiative encourages collaboration across disciplines, offering artists access to Boston's wealth of expertise to challenge assumptions and spark curiosity.
“Navigating Boston has led me to create this exhibition… we cannot face [today’s challenges] alone, and breaking down silos in order to work together is really the heart of this exhibition,” said Pedro Alonzo, the Triennial’s inaugural Artistic Director.
“Many of the artists have chosen to highlight ancient forms of knowledge and deeper forms of understanding as a way to move forward as a society.”
“This exhibition is about the artists and the communities they are a part of and represent,” said Co-Curator Tess Lukey.
“This work, I am called Land, is a reminder that everything living, engineered, and built comes from the land and depends on land and water.”
Nearly 200 attendees were immersed in a performance by Indigenous artist and musician Geraldine Barney, setting the stage for the unveiling of Triennial artist Nicholas Galanin’s new piece, Aáni yéi xat duwasáakw (I am called Land), showcased in MAAM’s Paine Gallery. MAAM is the only Triennial partner debuting an additional, brand-new work by one of the exhibition’s commissioned artists.
In addition to the Triennial and Accelerator artists in attendance, the ceremony drew notable guests from across Boston and beyond, including Lisa Tung, Ian Alteveer, Nathaniel Silver, Karin Goodfellow, Tiffany Chu, and participating artists Alan Michelson, Andy Li, Evelyn Rydz, Gabriel Sosa, New Red Order, and Nicholas Galanin.
The Boston Public Art Triennial 2025 is powered by $8M in contributions from supporters, including founding donors Alnoba / Lewis Family Foundation; Barbara and Amos Hostetter; Joyce Linde and the Linde Family Foundation; and major funders such as the Barr Foundation, Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, and South Station Tower. Additional support comes from The Boston Globe, Samuels & Associates, The Boston Foundation, Wagner Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, VIA Art Fund, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and more.
Visitors are invited to explore Boston's neighborhoods and engage with the artworks using the Bloomberg Connects app and maps available at the Triennial Hub at Lyrik.
Explore the exhibition map:
https://map.thetriennial.org
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.
The Triennial’s mission is to foster relationships between artists and the public to create bold public art experiences that open minds, conversations, and spaces across Boston, resulting in a more open, equitable, and vibrant city.
Website:
https://www.thetriennial.org
Instagram: @thetriennial
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