Now + There

Before we became the Boston Public Art Triennial, Now and There was the reinvigoration of the UrbanArts Institute (UAI), a 501(c)(3) organization that facilitated public art and design projects in Boston from 1980 to 2012. UrbanArts was founded in 1980 by Pamela Worden, based on the belief that the cultural vitality of communities depended on incorporating the arts into the public realm and engaging both artists and citizens.

In 1983, UAI secured a contract to create the Orange Line Public Art Program. Dedicated in 1987, the artworks from this program recorded the lives of community members affected by the rapid transit line through an award-winning, community-based Urban Writers project, solidifying the organization’s commitment to a community-driven process.

In 1999, UrbanArts aligned with Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) under then-president Kay Sloan, alongside UAI director Ricardo Barreto, to strengthen each institution’s commitment to the study and practice of public art and design. Barreto, together with project manager Christina Lanzl, provided expertise in the administration of public art projects, maintained a public slide bank, and engaged communities and youth in educational programs through 2012. UrbanArts’ complete history and archives were catalogued at the Boston Public Library.

In 2014, after disassociating from MassArt, UrbanArts elected Kate Gilbert as its new director and embarked on a bold new path toward curatorially based work that was sensitive to community context and place.

Building on this legacy, the organization evolved into Now + There in 2015, an artist-run nonprofit dedicated to connecting free, contemporary public art with Boston’s communities. After nearly a decade of growth—spanning 45 projects and deep partnerships across the city—it transitioned into the Boston Public Art Triennial, marking a new chapter with the launch of the city’s first-ever triennial exhibition in 2025. Today, as the Triennial, the organization continues to expand its impact through recurring large-scale exhibitions, year-round public art initiatives, and sustained collaboration with artists and communities, shaping a more vibrant, equitable, and inclusive Boston.