TRIENNIAL ACCELERATOR 2025—2026

Triennial Accelerator
Open Call Application

Applications open June 30 — August 1

The Public Art Accelerator returns for you to begin your public art journey!

The Triennial’s Public Art Accelerator program is returning with an open call for four Greater Boston-based artists to be part of Cohort Eight of the Accelerator, which will run from October 2025 through January 2026. Applications are due Friday, August 1 at 11:59 PM EST.

The Public Art Accelerator is a skill-building and grant-funding program designed to support early-to-mid-career Boston-based artists in creating temporary public art projects in one of Boston’s neighborhoods. Artists who demonstrate need and interest in creating object-based works for Boston will receive training in the skills (e.g., budgeting, project management) and sensibilities (e.g., consensus-building, empathy, ability to communicate a vision and involve others clearly) to succeed in the dynamic field of public art. Cohort-model workshops support the development of these skills. Four artists will be selected to participate in approximately 14 workshops led by the Triennial’s curatorial and production team, alongside diverse workshop instructors selected for their range of experience and expertise.

The Public Art Accelerator is generously funded by individuals who believe in the power of art + community, including Joyce Linde and Linde Family Foundation, James and Audrey Foster, and donors from across Greater Boston.

What to Expect

The Public Art Accelerator exists to find local artists and foster their entering into the closed-loop systems of public art by giving participants the public art knowledge, curatorial expertise, and production support they need to successfully create object-based works in Boston. This opportunity is for artists based in Greater Boston seeking to learn the foundational elements of public art and push their practice to self-produce a large-scale public art project. We have found that artists with an existing sculpture practice and/or experience in the realms of creative placemaking/placekeeping, architecture, and socially engaged art thrive most in this program, however, visual artists of all mediums are welcome to apply. 

Artists will work closely with the Triennial’s curatorial team to develop conceptual design proposals for a public art project in a site of their choosing at one of Boston’s neighborhoods. At the end of the Accelerator, artists will pitch to the jury that selected them for funding to develop their proposals with Triennial support.

Program Timeline and Funding

The Public Art Accelerator is split into two phases

Conceptual Design Phase

October 2025 — January 2026
This fast-paced cohort learning environment consists of 14 workshops designed to support creating a temporary, site-specific conceptual design proposal for a public art project in Boston. Participating artists are awarded a $1,500 participation stipend and are expected to develop a project with a budget not to exceed $27,000.

Implementation Phase

February 2026 — October 2026

During this time, artists will have the opportunity to pitch their public art proposals to a jury for approval of $27,000 in funding and develop it over 8-months with Triennial support. Participating artists are responsible for paying themselves from their total project budget, and projects and programs must be completed by October 31, 2026.

Application Timeline

July 30

Application opens on SlideRoom portal.

August 1

Applications are due at 11:59 PM EST.

August 27 — 29

Jury deliberations and finalists selected.

September 8 — 12

Six artist finalists will be invited to interview these dates (in-person).

September 17

Four artists will be notified of their selection to be part of Cohort Eight of the Public Art Accelerator.

Drop-in
Info Sessions

Optional Zoom drop-in sessions are open to all who might have questions about the Public Art Accelerator or the application process. Register at the links below.

OPEN SESSION 1

July 9 | 12:30 — 1:30 PM


OPEN SESSION 2

July 23 | 5:30 — 6:30 PM

Selection Process

Public Art Accelerator artists are selected through an open call administered via SlideRoom. A jury of veteran contemporary art professionals from the Greater Boston Area who are familiar with the Triennial, public art, and the mission of the Accelerator, will determine six finalists to be interviewed by Triennial staff. Four artists will be selected for this opportunity. Jury members include:

JURY MEMBERS

Cher Krause Knight, Ph.D.
Public Art Historian, Professor of Art History at Emerson College, and member of the Triennial Advisory Board

Ang Li
Accelerator Alum, Interdisciplinary Designer, and Associate Professor at the School of Architecture at Northeastern University

Dina Deitsch
Director and Chief Curator of the Tufts University Art Galleries

Alexandra Paul Zotov
Public Art Registrar, City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture

Cedric “Vice1” Douglas
Veteran public artist, designer, street artist and social interventionist

Criteria

The Accelerator supports artists who demonstrate

Openness and ability to engage audiences with empathy. Does the artist demonstrate they are an empathetic participant in dialogue or engagement? Do they use their practice or work to turn closed minds and spaces into open ones, creating more opportunities for more people? 

Ability to scale work to the public domain. Does the artist demonstrate the ability to make a significant artwork that could last outside?

Benefit to artist’s practice: Does the artist demonstrate that the potential support and funding of the Accelerator is critical to expanding their practice at this moment and unlocking future opportunities? Changing the face of public art is critical to the Triennial’s mission and the Accelerator seeks to support BIPOC and LGBTQIA artists who have been historically marginalized or prohibited from contributing their voice, ideas, and concepts to the public art landscape.

Ability to thoughtfully consider and respond to site and context. Does the artist create works in response to existing conditions, history, or the current context of a site?

Artistic merit and overall quality of their artwork via the images submitted. Does the work match the attributes of the Boston Public Art Triennial (bold, open, sharp)?

Ingenuity. Is the work (or artist) unique in its (or their) approach to making art, new forms of expression, or public engagement? Does the artist or their work represent values not seen enough in Boston's art world?

That they are a resident of or have ties to Greater Boston, within the I-495 beltway.

We have found artists with the following attributes thrive in the Public Art Accelerator

Eager to bring their work to new audiences: They enjoy having conversations with people of all backgrounds and races about their work while being aware of their own biases. They are genuinely interested in sharing experiences through art.

An active listener: they listen carefully and are a clear communicator with an appreciation for others’ perspectives.

Tenacious: They don't give up, even when everything is tough. They see challenges as part of the process and stay focused on the end goal.

Curious:They are always learning, and when learning from others, appreciative of their skills and expertise.

Open to All

We are eager to expand our support of local BIPOC, and LGBTQIA artists in the Public Art Accelerator and strongly encourage artists who are hungry to center the experiences and representations of those historically suppressed from public art production and consumption. Please see our full commitment to equity here. We look forward to receiving your application!

Frequently Asked Questions

A’s to your Q’s

We’ll continue answering your questions about the next cohort and the application process below. Check back often for updates, send us a note, or attend one of our drop-in sessions. We’re here to help!

Si necesitas ayuda en español o tienes alguna pregunta de más, por favor envíenos un correo electrónico a info@thetriennial.org.  ¡Estamos aquí para ayudarte!

  • An Accelerator is a small-group-based program that offers a range of resources and funding opportunities. It is not a fellowship or a grant. Inspired by business startup Accelerators, the Triennial’s Public Art Accelerator offers resources through education, mentorship, and funds to create your own project. At the end of the program, you'll have all the tools (intellectual, physical, emotional) you need to create a public artwork in one of Boston’s neighborhoods!

  • The Triennial iteration of the Public Art Accelerator (Cohort Seven) was an intense curriculum designed for experienced artists with the goal of having a public art project installed by May 2025 as part of the city wide Boston Public Art Triennial. Our traditional Public Art Accelerator returns with Cohort Eight as an opportunity for artists who have not yet made public art and are seeking to expand their practice.

  • Yes! Anyone is free to apply and we are interested in supporting artists who can demonstrate that they’re ready to make the leap to exterior work. Many past Accelerator artists had never created public art before this program. 

  • No, not this year. If you are a local artist and have worked with us before to create public art, you are an experienced public artist who qualifies for the advanced Triennial Accelerator program, tentatively returning for the Triennial 2028. 

  • No. Artists are welcome to come to the Accelerator without a preconceived project.

  • Consider why hands-on support, resources, and the cohort experience of the Triennial Accelerator could benefit your practice at this moment. (Psst, it’s one of the questions!),

    Select images that demonstrate you’re ready to create a project outside — it’s ok if you haven’t yet but show us projects that were complicated to produce. Please remember to use your captions to offer an explanation of the work, and, 

    Get in touch with a collaborator, mentor, teacher, or colleague for a reference. References are due at the same time as your application and are auto-generated from Slideroom. PROTIP: Start an application on Slideroom now and ask for a reference now to give them a few weeks! Your reference will receive an email request directly from Slideroom asking them to answer two questions about your work and practice.

  • Great question! Curious, empathetic, and tenacious are a few words that come to mind when thinking about artists who thrive in the program. We are eager to expand our support of local BIPOC, and LGBTQIA artists in the Triennial Public Art Accelerator and strongly encourage artists who are hungry to destabilize hierarchies and boundaries to apply. If you are interested in making art more accessible, approachable, and representative of Boston’s racial and cultural diversity, please submit! 

  • The Accelerator experience is 12 months total, from October 2025 to October 2026, and trust us, it goes by quickly! Between October 2025 and January 2026 artists are expected to participate in 12 of the 14 workshops which typically run 3 hours long with assignments in between. During this time we cover intellectually and creatively rigorous topics as varied as the history of public art in Boston, insurance, theories of public engagement, and group critiques with each other and guest arts professionals. Artists primarily develop a public art proposal during this time. 

    The Implementation Phase, February to October 2026, is a self-directed time for artists to perform R&D and expand their projects with community feedback and consultation from Triennial staff. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider how much time they have to apply themselves to the demands of the schedule. Artists who succeed in the Accelerator are self-motivated.

  • Only artists who intend to present a project for funding are eligible to apply. We understand life gets in the way but we have funds we’d love to distribute to artists. If you have specific circumstances or questions, please sign up for a drop-in session.

  • No. All projects must be in the City of Boston. Projects in neighborhoods other than Downtown are encouraged. We will help with a map of potential locations and partners. We’ll take lots of field trips, too!

  • Yes. Projects on curated sites (e.g., the Greenway, Esplanade) will not be considered.

  • As a Cohort, we will typically meet on Wednesdays from 2-5 PM between October 2025 and January 2026. During the implementation period, between February and October 2026, the cohort will no longer meet regularly but still have the opportunity to meet with Triennial staff for support.

  • No we won’t produce it, but we will help! We expect the program will equip you with all the skills necessary for you to propose and create a project. But we understand and have experienced many of the challenges of creating art in the public realm and will be here for you. The entire Triennial network — from curators to production specialists — are always available for consultation as you produce your project in 2026.

  • Accelerator artists must attend at least 12 of the 14 workshops. Each workshop is typically three to four hours long. While we don’t have required “homework,” we provide strongly recommended steps to develop your project and readings are offered for most workshops. Additionally, you might be asked to present or lead a discussion that will require advanced prep work. Finally, workshops will offer connections to other artists, organizers, and curators, who you will want to follow up with.

  • Workshops are primarily held in the Triennial office at 186 South Street, Boston, in the heart of the Leather District. Workshops may also be held on Zoom. Additionally, in an effort to introduce you to Boston’s neighborhoods, we will sometimes meet at new locations for site visits (e.g., Mattapan, East Boston, Charlestown, Grove Hall).

  • No. However, a stipend of $1,500.00 paid upon entering the cohort can be used to cover expenses as artists see fit. 

  • Greater Boston is any city within the 495 beltway.

  • No. The Accelerator is open to all emerging and mid-career Greater Boston artists. You will, however, be asked to provide a reference with your application.

  • The application portal, Slideroom, will ask you for the name and email address of someone who can provide a recommendation. They’ll receive an email with a link to the portal where they’ll answer two questions about you. It’s a good idea to ask them before you sign them up and tell them to expect an email from notifications@slideroom.com. You can check to see if your reference was completed or send a reminder by logging into Slideroom and clicking on tab 2, References.

  • Your application is collected via Slideroom. You’ll be asked to respond to five mandatory questions, provide a Bio (or a CV/Resume), up to 10 images and corresponding information, and ask one person for a recommendation.

  • Link here

  • Yes. Studio GLD, Cynthia Gunardi, and Joel Lamere worked as a duo in Cohort One. Additionally, you may involve other artists or partners in the final artwork you create as Cat Mazza did in Cohort Two with students from UMass Boston.

  • Yes! Congratulations on submitting your application. Please email additional information (e.g., resume or CV) to us at info@thetriennial.org by the deadline: Friday, August 1, 11:59 PM.

Need further help?

Do you have other questions? Need help with your application? Want to meet some of the Boston Public Art Triennial team? Join us during a Zoom drop-in session. You don’t need to stay the whole hour. Just make sure to register below.

Si necesitas ayuda en español o tienes alguna pregunta de más, por favor envíenos un correo electrónico a info@thetriennial.org. ¡Estamos aquí para ayudarte!