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Public Meetings and the Boston Art Commission

First created in 1890, the Boston Art Commission advocates for public art in Boston’s civic spaces.

The Boston Art Commission (BAC) is an independent board of volunteers that approves and commissions innovative and transformative public artworks around the City in partnership with the Office of Arts and Culture.

Housed in the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, the BAC also holds contracts with artists, approves artwork on City land, and conserves the City of Boston’s collection of art and historical artifacts.

Curatorial vision

We commission and approve innovative and transformative artworks that: 

  • engage communities
  • enrich and enliven the urban environment
  • are driven by a clear artistic vision
  • enhance the diversity of the existing collection
  • respond directly to a specific environment, and 
  • possess durability appropriate to the lifespan of the work.

View our public art policy.

Upcoming meetings

Upcoming

Public meetings

Next Boston Art Commission meeting

Artworks proposed for City of Boston property are reviewed at public meetings held by the Boston Art Commission (BAC). Meetings are generally held the second Tuesday of each month. We review current public art projects sited on or proposed for City of Boston property.

You can submit public testimony to the Boston Art Commission through our online form.

Access to our meetings

If you have questions about submitting public comments or attending a meeting, please send us an email at BAC@boston.gov.

Meeting agendas are posted in the public notices section of the City's website. 

View past meeting minutes

Watch past meeting recordings

Meeting Deadlines

Once you complete the public art and design application, the public art team will review it and follow up with you if more information is needed. If you are proposing a project for City property and need the BAC to review it by a certain date, please see the table below with the deadlines for submitting the Public Art and Design Application each month. If there are issues with your application, you may be asked to postpone and present at a later meeting.

Deadline Meeting Date

January 2, 2024

January 16, 2024

January 30, 2024

February 13, 2024

February 27, 2024

March 12, 2024

March 12, 2024 March 28, 2024
March 26, 2024

April 9, 2024

April 30, 2024

May 14, 2024

May 28, 2024

June 11, 2024

June 25, 2024

July 9, 2024

July 30, 2024

August 13, 2024

August 27, 2024

September 10, 2024

September 24, 2024

October 8, 2024

October 29, 2024

November 12, 2024

November 26, 2024

December 10, 2024

Who we are

COMMISSION MEMBERS

We are an independent board of nine commissioners. All of our members are residents of the City and appointed by the Mayor. The commission includes:

  • a representative nominated by the Boston Society of Architects
  • a representative nominated by the Museum of Fine Arts
  • a representative nominated by the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston
  • a representative nominated by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
  • a representative nominated by the Massachusetts College of Art and Design
  • a representative nominated by the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
  • the Chief of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, ex officio
  • the Head of Boston Planning & Development Agency, ex officio, and
  • one candidate who has demonstrated distinguished service to the arts, appointed at the discretion of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture.
TERM LIMITS

Members of the commission serve for a term of five years. If invited by the Mayor, commissioners may serve for an additional five years.

What we do

What We Do
RESPONSIBILITIES

We are responsible for the art collection owned by the City of Boston. This includes:

  • keeping a record of the art
  • commissioning art for the City, and
  • maintaining the City’s art, while keeping it safe.
ART FOR EVERYONE

We want everyone to have access to this art in the City. The goal is to enrich the lives of Boston’s diverse citizens and visitors. In our work, we:

  • collect and research
  • interpret and exhibit, and
  • preserve and care for the City's art.

This includes fine art, decorative art, and significant historical artifacts, according to museum standards.

We also examine equity and representation in the City's collection through public dialogue.

WHO WE WORK WITH

We advise, support, and consult with artists and communities, City departments, and others. We make sure that proposed projects on City property meet our standards.

Commission Info

  • Department:
    Arts Commission
  • Authority:
    City
  • Term:
    5 years
  • Stipend:
    No
  • Total Seats:
    9
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