City of Boston welcomes guest curators to City Hall galleries

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced a series of art exhibitions, curated by Greater Boston's leading art institutions, that will debut at City Hall Galleries.

Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced a series of art exhibitions, curated by Greater Boston's leading art institutions, will debut at City Hall Galleries. Curators selected include: The Museum of Fine Arts, MIT List Visual Arts Center, the DeCordova Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, as well as other museums in the Greater Boston area. All of the shows will be free and open to the public.

"I am pleased that our partnership with some of Boston's leading art institutions will bring a selection of incredible exhibitions done by local artists into the walls of City Hall," said Mayor Walsh. "Art brings people together in Boston, and it is the heartbeat of our communities. Being able to offer members of the community a chance to interact with art as they go about their everyday lives is important to our goals of making art more accessible and growing our arts ecosystem."

The series will kick off on Monday, January 23 with the exhibition Visions/Revisions: What We Collect by Hakim Raquib, a resident artist at the National Center for African American Artists, African American Master Artists in Residence Program (AAMARP) at Northeastern University, and an independent fine arts photographer. Through dramatic photo montages, African and Afro-American art is daringly juxtaposed in bold ways that celebrate the contributions people of color to world civilization, thereby providing a fresh perspective for thinking about Black History Month. This exhibition was curated by Barry Gaither, director at the NCAAA Museum.

Other upcoming galleries will include:

May 18-June 27, 2017 - Stare, a photography exhibition curated by Karen Haas of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
May 18 - June 27, 2017 --ICA Teen Photography Show, curated by Monica Garza and Sean Snyder of the Institute of Contemporary Art
July 1 - August 15, 2017 -- A Conversation between Colleges and Universities in Boston, curated by Paul Ha of the MIT List Visual Arts Center

"At City Hall, we are working to ensure City Government is accessible, welcoming and responsible to artists in our city," said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston. "These collaborations will offer additional opportunities to showcase the work of these artists and ensure all residents and visitors have the chance to experience art in Boston."

Yesterday during a reception in Washington DC, Mayor Walsh received the 2017 Public Leadership in the Arts Award, presented by the Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) for his work in ensuring the arts are a priority for the City. These efforts include increasing the budget of the Boston Cultural Council, creating a Cabinet-level position for arts and culture and launching Boston AIR, an artist-in-residence program within City government. In 2015, Mayor Walsh launched Boston Creates, a cultural planning process designed to create a long-term plan for arts and culture.

Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC)

The Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture's mission is to support artists, the cultural sector, and to promote access to the arts for all. The office houses the Boston Cultural Council, the Boston Art Commission, and the Poet Laureate program. Responsibilities include implementing the City's cultural plan, Boston Creates; commissioning public art, managing the Boston Artist-in-Residence program; curating exhibitions in City Hall; and operating the historic Strand Theater in Dorchester. For more information go to: www.boston.gov/departments/arts-and-culture