Conversation Piece

In its first iteration as Now + There, the Triennial organization brought a large-scale installation by Juan Obando ("Summer Sets," 2022) to Boston's Dock Square near Faneuil Hall. The work encouraged viewers to reimagine their role in the construction of collective space.
An expansive Boston outdoor art exhibition promises to spark engagement.  
By Lannan M. O’Brien

For a city that boasts a thriving arts scene behind museum walls, Boston’s outdoor spaces lack the level of vibrant creativity associated with other modern urban landscapes. Enter the Boston Public Art Triennial, a new citywide initiative that will bring bold, contemporary public art to the city streets—and, most importantly, spark conversation for social and environmental change. 

El abrazo (“The Embrace”), a 2023 installation by Delcy Morelos, one of the artists featured in the inaugural Triennial.

“We have outstanding cultural institutions and artists [in Boston],” says Boston Public Art Triennial Executive Director Kate Gilbert. “Yet our landscape and public art don’t reflect the innovation happening here or the faces of our leaders and residents alike. The Triennial aims to be a catalyst to move beyond these silos and to collaborate.” 

Running from May 22 to October 31, the Triennial’s inaugural event will feature 18 interactive, site-specific works under the title, “The Exchange,” exploring themes of indigeneity, climate and biodiversity, health and recovery, and shared humanity. The artwork will be the result of collaborations between artists, the communities surrounding each installation site, and local experts on each topic, and will be intentionally located in Downtown Boston and neighborhoods known for disinvestment in the arts: East Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan.  

“See Her” by Ann Lewis, commissioned by Now + Tere in 2017.

A special exhibition will be on display for the Triennial’s opening, highlighting public art projects created by locally based artists through the organization’s Public Art Accelerator program. Recalling a conversation she shared with artist Alison Croney Moses about the impact of the event, Gilbert says, “I hope that 10 years from now, artists like Allison are thriving in Boston because the Triennial has sparked a cultural shift—one where audiences seek out and contribute to art experiences because they value art as a driver of social and economic resilience.” 

All-female freestyle dance session presented in partnership with A Trike Called Funk at Lot Lab in 2023.

Throughout the monthslong event, families are welcome to participate in youth- and family-focused days, which will feature performers and workshops with partner organizations; artists and other local experts will also host talks surrounding the installations, and a series of weekend events will spotlight each of the communities where art is on display.  

The Triennial organization was first introduced in 2015 under the name Now + There, with a similar mission of connecting contemporary public art to local communities. “Boston, not unlike other cities in America, suffers from a prevailing narrative that it is an economically, racially, and culturally closed city,” states the website (thetriennial.org). The initiative goes beyond artistic vision to foster relationships between artists and the public, inspiring dialogue about the key issues of today—and effectively rewriting the narrative of the city affectionately known as “The Hub.” 

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