The Boston Triennial is poised to reshape the city’s art scene with a focus on experimentation and community engagement, marking a significant evolution in how public art is perceived and created.
Kate Gilbert, the Triennial’s executive director, expressed her excitement about this transformation, noting, “It really does feel like a completely different city than 10 years ago. There’s just a greater aptitude for experimentation. We’re over our fear of the ephemeral — of a lot of those old fears, I think.”
As the Triennial approaches, anticipation builds for the upcoming installations that will encompass various forms of artistic expression, including large-scale sculptures, video presentations, and live performances. Featured artists include local talents such as Alison Croney Moses and Stephen Hamilton, as well as internationally recognized figures like Nicholas Galanin, an Indigenous artist from Alaska.
Hamilton, who will showcase his work in Roxbury, reflected on the significance of the Triennial, stating, “This is not something I could have imagined when I graduated from MassArt in 2009. But I’m also looking to the future. How can an event like this help us grow?”
A remarkable aspect of the Triennial is the collaboration with prestigious institutions. The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Institute of Contemporary Art, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will all take part alongside city-driven projects, creating a rich tapestry of artistic experiences.
Karin Goodfellow, the city’s director of transformative art and monuments, articulated the initiative’s purpose: “The idea, really, is to have an experiment happening out in public. We’re testing civic space in different ways and trying to find different pathways to release some assumptions and find ways to approach what we do that feels authentic and organic to the city’s cultures.”
Boston’s vibrant public art history includes iconic figures like George Washington and Paul Revere, each reflecting the city’s enduring legacy. However, Gilbert has long recognized the need for a more inclusive narrative. In 2015, she founded Now + There, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting contemporary public art that embraces an ephemeral, diverse, and engaging approach.
Now + There successfully filled gaps in Boston’s public sphere, introducing works in underrepresented neighborhoods such as Roxbury, Chinatown, and Dorchester. The Triennial seeks to continue this mission, aiming to become a permanent emblem of a forward-looking Boston that celebrates its cultural richness.
The partnership with MFA is particularly notable, as it will host a striking pair of shimmering chromium sculptures by Mohawk artist Alan Michelson titled “The Knowledge Keepers.” This work highlights living Indigenous figures, Julia Marden and Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines Jr., bringing contemporary representation to the forefront of public art.
The sculptures stand in stark contrast to traditional monuments, such as Cyrus Dallin’s 1909 “Appeal to the Great Spirit,” which depicts a solitary Native American. Dallin’s work, perceived by some as an outdated representation of Indigenous culture, has occupied a position of prominence since 1912. In contrast, Michelson’s installation symbolizes a community of living, breathing Indigenous individuals contributing to the narrative.
Ian Alteveer, chair of the MFA’s Contemporary Art Department, emphasized the impact of the Triennial, stating, “It’s been clear to me that they were always approaching us with this idea that (the Triennial) could be a real change agent in the way in which Bostonians think about the art that’s around them in the city. I’m thrilled, and I’m also learning from this process myself.”
Beyond individual contributions, the city also embarks on its public art initiative through the Monuments Project, funded by a $3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation. This project aims to explore ephemeral, experimental public culture alongside local curatorial partners, including the Triennial.
The city’s Un-monument project is set to counter Boston’s traditional narrative, amplifying voices and episodes that have long been overlooked. It seeks to reframe civic discussions, building a more inclusive understanding of who the city honors and why.
While the push for a new perspective may seem sudden, it stems from a longer societal evolution. The 2020 murder of George Floyd acted as a catalyst, highlighting issues of racial inequity and sparking conversations about monuments across the U.S. The movement led to the removal of controversial statues, pushing cities to rethink the histories they portray in public spaces.
In Richmond, Virginia, the removal of a statue commemorating Robert E. Lee exemplified this shift, while in Boston, the city confronted its painful racial history through petitions calling for the removal of Thomas Ball’s “The Emancipation Group,” a statue done in the 19th century depicting Lincoln freeing a Black man.
As part of an evolving landscape, local artist Cedric Douglas’s work, “The People’s Memorial Project,” took the place of the Columbus statue in North End with blank figures that honor overlooked community icons. This project aims to engage Bostonians in a conversation about memorialization and representation within public art.
Goodfellow recognized the potential for projects like Douglas’s to influence the city’s future art landscape. This summer, he will expand his efforts by consulting the community for ideas on what should occupy the plinth left by “The Emancipation Group.”
Public experiments have thus become essential for both the Triennial and city government, representing a learning journey for all involved. Gilbert remarked on the significance of this collaboration: “We can offer them some thoughts on the public realm that they haven’t really engaged with, and we’re learning from them, too. But it’s about trust and collaboration more broadly, and that’s what’s really exciting.”
Ultimately, both the Triennial and the city’s public art initiatives aim to reshape not just how art is displayed, but how communities engage with their shared history and identity. The goal is for these collective efforts to illustrate a new Boston—one that embraces its diverse narratives and explores what it means to belong in a city steeped in tradition, yet eager to evolve.
As Gilbert optimistically concluded, “If we can do this at the civic level, really, what else can we achieve?”
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