A Canvas of Culture

We’re commissioning public art at Boston Public Schools and other municipal buildings through the Percent for Art fund.

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The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (MOAC), via the Boston Art Commission and in partnership with Street Theory, is thrilled to introduce a new mural initiative. It integrates large-scale murals and other public art projects at:

capital improvement sites throughout the City, and
in schools all across Boston’s neighborhoods.

In 2024, the program's inaugural year, A Canvas of Culture concentrated on sites at Boston Public Schools. We worked with artists whose artworks aimed to amplify the aesthetic, cultural, social, and educational richness of schools while adding vibrancy to our city’s landscape. A Canvas of Culture: Murals at Boston Public Schools also includes some projects being installed in 2025.

Project Phase

2024 Murals: Complete

2025 Murals: Design
Partners

Boston Public Schools, Public Facilities
Have questions? Contact:

Liza Quiñonez (she/her)

liza.quinonez@boston.gov
View the Call

CALL TO ARTISTS 2024

(Now closed)

About the Program

Background

In Winter 2023-24, we opened a call to all professional artists and artist teams—local, national, and international, with two distinct opportunities to create artwork in Boston Public Schools:

Opportunity 1: The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture issued a Call for Walls in Boston Public Schools and selected nine project sites across eight eligible schools. Artwork was installed in summer/fall of 2024, with some projects extending into spring/summer of 2025.
Opportunity 2: The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture is collaborating with the Public Facilities Department, BPS, and the Carter School to install up to four artworks that will serve diverse communication abilities and sensory needs for students at the Carter School. Project timelines will range from 12-18 months.

Over three years, A Canvas of Culture will invest up to $3 million in public art at sites across the city. This program is funded through the municipal Percent for Art program, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture revolving fund.

Goals

The goals of “A Canvas of Culture” are to beautify the city, provide opportunities to artists at different levels of experience, and amplify the vibrancy of Boston's neighborhoods and schools through engaging and inspiring public art. As the City continues to make big investments in public art, “A Canvas of Culture” contributes to the vitality of Boston's public art landscape making art accessible and engaging for all members of the community.