A Canvas of Culture
We're commissioning several new, original, long-term 2D murals and public art installations at Boston Public Schools sites across the city.
Update: The 2025 Call to Artists is now open! Learn more and apply by Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 5 p.m. ET.
The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (MOAC), via the Boston Art Commission and in partnership with Street Theory, is thrilled to enter the second year of A Canvas of Culture — a multi-year initiative that brings murals to Boston’s neighborhoods.
With a focus on Boston Public School (BPS) sites with capital projects, selected artists are matched with a specific site based on project type, scale, and demonstrated experience level. Artwork by selected artists amplifies the diverse, inclusive, cultural, and social richness of communities while adding vibrancy to the city’s landscape.
Call to Artists
We're looking for artists to create new murals at Boston Public Schools sites across the City for year two of A Canvas of Culture. If you're an artist who is excited about celebrating the diverse, inclusive, cultural, social, and educational richness of Boston’s public schools through your work, please apply! Each project budget will range from $25,000 - $150,000.
Virtual Q&A sessions: Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 12 and 6 p.m.
Deadline: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
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 collaborated 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 ranged from 12-18 months. Artwork created for Opportunity 2 will be installed in spring/summer of 2025.
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
- To amplify the vibrancy of Boston's neighborhoods, schools, and communities
- To provide opportunities to artists at different levels of experience
- To integrate public art throughout our diverse neighborhoods, reflecting and enhancing the cultural, aesthetic, social, and educational environments at capital improvement sites in Boston.
Completed Projects
Mural Title: BRILLA
Artist: Silvia Lopez Chavez (@silvialopezchavez)
School: Rafael Hernández K-8 Dual Language School, Roxbury
BRILLA by Silvia López Chavez is located at the Rafael Hernández K-8 Dual Language School in Roxbury. The mural is inspired by the school motto, BRILLA (the Spanish word for “shine”), which stands for bilingualism, respect, inclusion, leadership, love and achievement (bilingüismo, respeto, inclusividad, liderazgo, logros con lucha, amor). The school’s motto encourages students to celebrate their true selves, and this mural aims to capture that message in its design. Two joyful children are the focal point, set on a backdrop of flowers and leaves with colorful rays of light radiating from the center.
Mural Titles: Garden of Beginnings, Roots of Empowerment
Artist: Don Rimx (@donrimx)
School: Lee Academy Pilot School, Dorchester
Garden of Beginnings and Roots of Empowerment by Don Rimx are located on the exterior of the Lee Academy Pilot School in Dorchester. On the left, Garden of Beginnings, designed for students K0 - Kindergarten, accompanies the school’s exploratory play area by depicting a young child engaged in discovery among elements of nature and gardening. The school’s mascot, the honeybee, is also pictured as a symbol of teamwork. On the right, Roots of Empowerment, designed for 1st to 3rd graders, celebrates the diverse cultural background of the student body. It features a powerful portrayal of a young female student and includes cultural symbols representing the African diaspora and Latinx communities.
Mural Title: Umana Rising
Artist: Felipe Ortiz (@felipeortizart)
School: Mario Umana Academy, East Boston
Umana Rising by Felipe Ortiz is located on an interior wall at Umana Academy in East Boston. This artwork reflects East Boston's unique cultural tapestry, and embodies the school's core values of bilingualism, respect, inclusivity, and joy. In this mural, the jaguar, condor, hummingbird, and eagle are guardians depicted in a communal gathering, playing their instruments together in a harmonious celebration. This representation not only honors Andean cultural beliefs but also resonates with the mural's location in a music room, highlighting the universal language of music and the joy of communal gatherings.
Mural Title: IN LAK’ECH - HALA KEN / Yo soy tu - tu eres otro yo (I am you, and you are another me)
Artist: Spaik (@spaik45)
School: Curtis Guild Elementary School, East Boston
IN LAK'ECH - HALA KEN / Yo soy tu - tu eres otro yo I am you, and you are another me by Israel Guerra “Spaik” Romero, is located on the exterior main entrance facade of the Curtis Guild Elementary School in East Boston. In the mural, a woman and a man meet with children from different nations to raise awareness that planet Earth is the only home we have and share as living beings. At the same time, animals from various ecosystems gather to witness this event and accompany the children, who will be the conscience of future generations.
Mural Title: Together We Rise
Artist: Detour (@detour303)
School: Joyce Kilmer K-8 Lower School, West Roxbury
Together We Rise by Thomas “Detour” Evans is located on the exterior facade of the Kilmer K-8 Lower School facing the playground. The school wanted artwork that celebrated inclusivity, diversity, and the school’s Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, & Empathy. This design depicts children looking upward to communicate the feeling of wonder and aspiration. The background colors are the foundation of the portraits as well as a silhouette that features a group of kids celebrating and playing to emphasize community. At the bottom, the school’s core values are written in colorful, playful lettering.
Upcoming Projects
Related Pages
We're commissioning several new, original, long-term 2D murals and public art installations at Boston Public School sites...
Learn more about public art in Boston.
Learn more about recent and ongoing public art projects.
Learn more about the Boston Public Schools system.
