Landmark Open Call Announced for the 2026 Design of Boston’s Dewey Square Mural

 Landmark Open Call Announced for the 2026 Design of Boston’s Dewey Square Mural

First-ever open call invites artists from across the country to apply for The Greenway’s iconic Dewey Square Mural in downtown Boston as the city marks the nation’s 250th anniversary

November 6, 2025 - BOSTON, MA

Graphic identity by Chen Luo..

The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the nonprofit responsible for the management and care of The Greenway, is excited to announce the first-ever national Open Call for the 2026 Dewey Square Mural, in partnership with Embrace and Everyone250. This landmark commission marks a significant moment of artistic and civic engagement in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, expanding America’s story while boldly envisioning the next 250 years. 

This collaborative effort features a national Request For Qualifications (RFQ), with a two-phase artist selection process led by a panel of Boston’s community leaders, artists, and cultural stakeholders. Five finalists will be awarded $5,000 to develop and submit full mural proposals,  and the selected artist or artist team will receive a $25,000 commission along with a $50,000 production budget. 

About the Dewey Square Mural

Various Dewey Square Murals, 2012-2024.

Since 2012, the Dewey Square Mural has served as a focal point for bold, contemporary, and thought-provoking public art in downtown Boston. Working with a range of renowned artists, ten murals have been installed to date, each viewed by millions of residents, commuters, and tourists, and each sparking conversation and connection in Boston’s shared public space. Six of the murals have been presented in collaboration with curatorial partners, including Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (2012, 2013), the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (2014), MIT’s List Visual Arts Center (2015), the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (2017), and Mass MoCA (2024).

Previously commissioned artists include Os Gemeos (2012), Matthew Ritchie (2013), Shinique Smith (2014), Lawrence Weiner (2015), Mehdi Ghadyanloo (2016), Shara Hughes (2018), Super A (2019), Daniel Gordon (2021), and Jeffrey Gibson (2024). In 2022, Boston-based artist Problak and the GN Crew made history as the first local artist team to be featured, launching a mural beloved by Boston’s communities, and which stayed on view for 24 months, the longest run in the program’s history.

About the 2026 Open Call 

For 2026, The Greenway, Embrace, and Everyone250 reimagine this commission as an open call—welcoming artists nationwide to apply to help mark this pivotal anniversary. The selected mural will respond to this moment of national reflection by engaging with the spirit of revolution, belonging, and democracy in Boston, New England, and beyond, through celebrating voices, stories, and communities often excluded from the dominant narrative, as well as envisioning the next 250 years of Boston.

Unveiled in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary, the mural will serve as a catalyst for conversations about how Boston’s past, present, and future intersect on its streets and in its shared spaces.

The 2026 Dewey Square Artist Selection Panel comprises a distinguished group of regional arts and culture leaders, artists, and community members, including 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. More information about the Selection Panel can be found on our webpage here. 

In Phase I, artists from across the country will be invited to submit an application to the Open Call Request for Qualifications. The Selection Panel will choose five finalists who will each be awarded $5,000 to develop and submit full mural proposals. During Phase II, the Panel will evaluate the finalists’ mural proposals and select one artist or artist team to commission for the 2026 Dewey Square Mural. The commissioned artist will receive a $25,000 artist fee, along with a $50,000 production budget. Additionally, the four runner-up finalists will be invited to display their mural proposals and additional artwork on large-scale stanchions at Dewey Square Plaza from June 2026 – December 2026, creating further opportunities for public engagement.

“We’re thrilled to launch the first-ever open call process for the Dewey Square Mural in collaboration with our partners at Embrace and Everyone250,” said Dr. Audrey N. Lopez, Director and Curator of Public Art at the Greenway Conservancy. “Artists have historically played a critical role in nurturing healthy, thriving democracies; their practices, visions, and care are needed now more than ever as we begin to shape the next 250 years of our country.”

She continues: “Boston is both a home and a launching pad for so many deeply thoughtful and tenacious artists, and we’re excited to invite them via the open call into imagining how this space can represent our city and communities as we approach the anniversary of the nation’s founding.”

“The Dewey Square Mural provides artists the opportunity to not only create a monumental work that reflects upon Boston’s history, communities, and cultures, but also one that collectively envisions the next 250 years of our city’s future,” said Liz Tiblanc, Vice President of Arts & Culture for Embrace. “We are proud to be partners in this project, and support public art that honors these stories in the heart of our city.”

Stay connected with updates on these and related public programs as they are announced throughout the fall on our social media channels: @greenwaypublicart, @embracebos, and @everyone_250. 

Additional Information for Artists

Artists are invited to learn more by reading the full Request for Qualifications posted on our webpage. Artists can apply for this opportunity via SlideRoom. The cost to apply is $5.00 per application. Only one application will be accepted per artist or artist team.

All RFQ submissions are due via SlideRoom on Saturday, November 22, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Applications received after that time will not be considered.

Questions regarding the 2026 Dewey Square Mural Open Call RFQ process can be submitted via email to Emely Chavarria, Curatorial Coordinator, at echavarria@rosekennedygreenway.org. 

No calls, please.