BOSTON–The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy has announced the first-ever national Open Call for the 2026 Dewey Square Mural, inviting artists from across the United States to submit qualifications for one of Boston’s most visible and celebrated public art sites.
The landmark initiative — launched in partnership with Embrace and Everyone250 — will culminate in a monumental new mural unveiled in 2026 to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. Organizers say the project will not only commemorate America’s founding but also reimagine its story through a lens of inclusion, creativity, and civic reflection.
“Artists have historically played a critical role in nurturing healthy, thriving democracies,” said Dr. Audrey N. Lopez, Director and Curator of Public Art at the Greenway Conservancy. “Their practices, visions, and care are needed now more than ever as we begin to shape the next 250 years of our country.”
A National Invitation for a Historic Moment
For the first time, the Greenway’s Dewey Square Mural Commission is open to artists from across the country, expanding what has historically been a regionally focused program into a national platform for artistic dialogue.
The selected artist or artist team will receive a $25,000 commission and a $50,000 production budget to create a large-scale mural that reflects on themes of revolution, belonging, and democracy, while imagining Boston’s role in shaping the next 250 years of American life.
A two-phase selection process will be led by a panel of Boston’s artists, cultural leaders, and community members. During Phase I, artists will respond to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). From those submissions, five finalists will each receive $5,000 to develop full proposals. In Phase II, one artist will be selected for the 2026 commission, while the remaining four finalists will have their proposals and related works displayed on large-scale stanchions at Dewey Square Plaza from June through December 2026, offering further opportunities for public engagement.
“The Dewey Square Mural provides artists the opportunity to not only reflect upon Boston’s history and culture, but also envision the next 250 years of the city’s future,” said Liz Tiblanc, Vice President of Arts & Culture for Embrace. “We’re proud to support public art that honors these stories in the heart of our city.”
A Decade of Bold Public Art
Since its inception in 2012, the Dewey Square Mural Program has become one of Boston’s most recognizable platforms for contemporary public art. Located in downtown Boston along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the mural has hosted works by prominent artists such as Os Gemeos, Shinique Smith, Lawrence Weiner, Shara Hughes, and Jeffrey Gibson.
Over the years, the program has collaborated with leading cultural institutions including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MIT List Visual Arts Center, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Mass MoCA.
In 2022, Boston-based artist Problak and the GN Crew made history as the first local team to create a Dewey Square Mural, a community favorite that remained on view for two years — the longest run in the program’s history.
Reimagining Boston’s Story at 250
The 2026 Dewey Square Mural will be unveiled in the lead-up to the nation’s Semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, and is envisioned as a centerpiece of reflection and renewal. The Greenway Conservancy and its partners hope the project will spark conversations about how Boston’s revolutionary past, vibrant present, and diverse future intersect in the city’s public spaces.
The Artist Selection Panel for the 2026 commission includes a distinguished roster of community and cultural leaders: Jha D Amazi, Ché Anderson, Tessa Bachi Haas, L’Merchie Frazier, Jameson Johnson, Kenny Mascary, Jeneé Osterheldt, Jasper A. Sanchez, Lisa Tung, and Zhidong Zhang.
“Boston is both a home and a launching pad for deeply thoughtful and tenacious artists,” Lopez added. “We’re excited to invite them — and artists nationwide — to imagine how this space can represent our communities as we approach this historic anniversary.”
