Arts and Culture
We foster the growth of the cultural community in Boston and promote participation in the arts.
Our office enhances the quality of life, the economy, and the design of the City through the arts. The role of the arts in all aspects of life in Boston is reinforced via equitable access to arts and culture in every community, its public institutions, and public places.
Key areas of work include support to the cultural sector through grants and programs, as well as the production and permitting of art in public places.
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We're looking for proposals for transformative public artwork, including murals and temporary projects that celebrate the diversity of the City.
Become a certified artist with the City of Boston to qualify for affordable artist spaces to live and work.
We're always looking for artists and artist organizations that live or create in Boston to exhibit at Boston City Hall.
Two City-supported public art projects honored at Americans for the Arts convention
Artist Resource Desk Newsletter
First created in 1890, the commission advocates for public art in Boston’s civic spaces.
You can propose both short and long-term public art and design projects on City property.
We set aside one percent of the City’s annual capital borrowing budget for the commissioning of public art.
Boston Creates is the City of Boston's ten-year long cultural plan. The goal is to enhance arts and culture in the City. It was established through an extensive community engagement process. This included a town hall meeting and a citywide online survey. Some goals highlighted in the plan include:
- providing fertile grounds for a vibrant and sustainable arts ecosystem
- keeping local artists in Boston and attracting new ones here
- making arts accessible to everyone
- ensuring that all cultural traditions are respected, and
- integrating arts and culture into all aspects of civic life.
