Mayor Thomas M. Menino & the Boston Art Commission
welcome you to the City of Boston’s first edition of Public Art Walks, featuring both historic and contemporary art installations throughout the neighborhoods of Boston. This walk includes Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the Financial District and the North End.

Boston’s public art has grown alongside the city’s significant and evolving role in American history. Our wide range of works mirror key cultural debates and the ever-progressing political and social conditions of the city and our nation. Today, artists and community members work with the Mayor’s Office and the Boston Art Commission to ensure that Boston’s public art conveys the diversity of the city’s past and current populations. Additionally, we strive to promote a varied selection of artistic styles and media. Some of these contemporary pieces are featured on this walk, but this trail also includes some of our oldest and most traditional pieces featuring abolitionists, educators, statesmen and military heroes. As you explore, you’ll likely find pieces both old and new you never noticed. 

Please call 617.231.4053 to hear an audio guide of this walk, and download either the full version or the printable version of the map & guide here. We hope you enjoy your walk!

MAP
• full version (19MB)
• printable version (12MB)

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
• 100 Public Artworks - object interpretations
• Public ART QUESTions Family and K-6 Guide
    • 20 Activities for families and K-6 classrooms
• Artists, Poets and Radicals Teen Guide
    • 3 classroom activities for 7-12 classrooms

established in 1890, exercises legal authority to approve and site new public art on property owned by the City of Boston. Site-specific artworks, both permanent and temporary, woven through the urban landscape identify Boston as a place with long history and a great capacity for innovation. These artworks range from traditional and new media public art pieces to municipal design elements, such as wayfinding systems and artistic lighting. In addition, the Art Commission has care and custody of all paintings, murals, statues, bas-reliefs, sculptures, monuments, fountains, arches and other permanent structures intended for ornament or commemoration on City property. It is the conviction of the Boston Art Commission that, in order to engender and support a thriving artistic consciousness within the city, community involvement shall extend beyond everyday appreciation to meaningful engagement in the creation, evolving interpretation and ongoing care of artworks throughout Boston’s neighborhoods.

In the coming months, we will be launching a brand-new website, filled with features such as:

• interactive maps of public art walks
• news & upcoming events
• image galleries & photo streams
• upcoming & temporary installations
• artist guidelines
• newsletters
and more!

Be sure to check back soon...