City Hall Galleries
The galleries at Boston City Hall foster a vibrant local art scene by diverse artistic voices, presenting memorable exhibitions that engage, challenge, and reflect the city's community.
Update: Apply to our Open Call for Art! We're looking for proposals for 2D and 3D installations to be displayed in Boston City Hall's Mezzanine Gallery. Apply by May 18, 2025.
You can find information about the galleries, as well as what's currently showing, on this page.
Events
EventsExhibits | March 3rd - April 11th
Mayor's Neighborhood Gallery
31st Annual Youth Art Month Exhibition
By Boston Public Schools Students. Event: March 8th, 12 - 2 p.m. 2nd floor.
Scollay Square Gallery
31st Annual Youth Art Month Exhibition
By Boston Public Schools Students. Event: March 8th, 12 - 2 p.m. 3rd floor.
Mayor's Office Gallery
31st Annual Youth Art Month
By Boston Public Schools Students. Event: March 8th, 12 - 2 p.m. 5th floor.
Mayor's Office Display Case
Future Artifacts
By MOSH Studio (Suzanne Moseley and Adrienne Shishko). 5th floor.
Emerging Gallery
31st Annual Youth Art Month
By Boston Public Schools Students. Event: March 8th, 12 - 2 p.m. 8th floor.
Mezzanine Gallery
Patterns on Concrete
Group show by the Boston Modern Quilt Guild. Event: Mar. 6th, 5 - 7pm. 3rd floor.
News
Long-term installations
Long-term Installations- Location: 3rd Floor Mezzanine, Boston City Hall
- Dates: Ongoing
We Belong is a light-based public art installation with the intent to promote ideas of belonging and inclusion among communities in Boston. In LED neon, the work forms the text “We Belong – here – together – guided by the same stars” in a circular format, with a constellation that maps and connects Boston’s neighborhoods.
With the support of a City of Boston Transformative Public Art grant, the installation will travel to multiple Boston neighborhoods in 2022-2023, beginning with the East Boston Social Centers from July-September 2022. Local residents are invited to participate in the project by sharing what the concept of “belonging” means to them.
Yu-Wen Wu is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in Boston. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Wu’s subjectivity as an immigrant is central to her artwork. Arriving in the United States at an early age, her experiences have shaped her work in areas of migration—examining issues of displacement, arrival, assimilation, and the shape of identity in a new country. Passionate about data, mapping, and its storytelling, Wu’s work lies at the crossroads of art, science, politics, and social issues. Her wide range of projects include large-scale drawings, sculpture, site- specific video installations, community-engaged practices, and public art. Wu has been awarded numerous grants, exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work is included in several private and public collections.
The Mayor's Poetry Program is an annual program in which Boston residents are invited to submit poems to be displayed throughout City Hall and in an online gallery for one year. The theme for 2024, selected by Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola, was "Resistance".
All poems are displayed next to the elevators on the south side of Boston City Hall, except two noted below, which are located at the north side elevators.
First floor- Sam K Yoon, "Soup"
- Danielle Fontaine, "Praise"
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Katya Zinn, "Dog in a Graveyard"
- Frances Sharples, "Fingerpainting" (North Elevator)
- Quintin Collins, "Remember, God Called Job Down To Answer For His Crimes"
- Sarah Nnenna Loveth, "Imperialism" (North Elevator)
- Anna-Celestrya Carr, "Dyslexics Of The World"
- Ming Li Wu, "Parajito"
- Zoe Gadegbeku, "Living Rhyme"
- Petra Dankova, "Little Girl In Hub Resistance"
- Mariona Lloreta, "Arabesque"
- Ida Rahimi, "The Only Way Out Is The Way Through"
- Cheryl Clark Vermeulen, "Goths At A Cemetery"
- Ali Tervo, "Stretch Marks"
- Myles Taylor, "I Put My Makeup On In The Car"
Gallery Locations
Mayor's Office Gallery
The Mayor's Office Gallery exhibits work by Boston area artists who have received recognition for their artwork through grants, awards and other types of public display.
Directions: It's located on the 5th floor of City Hall. From City Hall Plaza or Congress St. entrances, take South Elevators to the 5th floor, follow signs to Mayor's Office: signage marks the gallery entrance. If you are planning to attend an opening you must enter from Congress Street.
Mayor’s Neighborhood Gallery
Directions: Located on the 2nd floor near the South Elevators. From City Hall Plaza or Congress St. entrances, take South Elevators to the 2nd floor.
Scollay Square Gallery
The Scollay Square Gallery showcases the many arts organizations and artists community groups that support local artists throughout the City.
Directions: It's located on the 3rd floor/main lobby of City Hall. When entering from Congress St, take elevators to 3rd floor, proceed through lobby, passing the information desk on your right. The gallery is ahead of you. When entering from City Hall Plaza, proceed through lobby, passing the information desk on your right. The gallery is ahead of you. Signage marks the gallery entrance. If you are planning to attend an opening you must enter from Congress Street.
The Emerging GalleryThis is the newest of City Hall's galleries. It showcases Boston's up and coming artists.
Directions: It is located on the 8th floor of City Hall. When entering from Congress Street or Cambridge Street, take the elevators to the 8th floor. The gallery is in the hallway to the left of Room 801, which is perpendicular to the elevators.
