This year’s gala marks the start of something new. Guests will enjoy The Exclusive First Look at Ruckus!, a bold new immersive show that invites visitors inside the events and voices of the American Revolution. Expect a warm, nostalgic atmosphere with thoughtful food, vibrant storytelling, and the unmistakable magic of a Boston summer evening in a space where history was made.

Let’s celebrate the spaces that bring us together, and the stories that still shape us!

This family-friendly public art festival, supported by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, is bringing 10+ new murals to Roxbury from June 4-13. Join us for the closing block party to celebrate the completed artworks on Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Roxbury YMCA. There will be food trucks, live art installations, and family-friendly activities.

Art has always been a powerful tool for teaching, storytelling, and preserving culture. In this engaging conversation, Art as Education explores how public art and muralism serve as platforms for learning, community engagement, and social transformation. Featuring BLKOUT Walls artists and creative leaders, the panel will examine how artists use their work to share history, amplify underrepresented voices, inspire critical thinking, and create meaningful dialogue in public spaces.

Panelists will discuss the responsibility and opportunity artists have as educators, the role of art in shaping cultural identity, and how creative expression can empower communities while fostering connections across generations. Attendees will gain insight into the ways public art can extend beyond aesthetics to become a catalyst for awareness, understanding, and lasting impact.

Key Topics:

• Storytelling through public art
• Preserving history and cultural narratives
• Art as a tool for social change and civic engagement
• Engaging youth and communities through creativity
• The artist's role as educator, advocate, and changemaker

This conversation is ideal for artists, educators, students, community leaders, and anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, culture, and learning.

Moderator: Che Anderson

Note: Limited seats available. Secure your place today!

This panel explores how art has long served as a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and change. From murals that reclaim public space to works that amplify community voices, artists have continuously used their craft to challenge oppression and spark dialogue. Panelists will discuss the intersection of creativity and activism, sharing how their work embodies resistance while fostering hope, unity, and transformation. Attendees will gain insight into how art not only reflects social struggles but also shapes the future of movements for justice and equity.

Moderators: Che Anderson and Jenne Jeneé Osterheldt of A Beautiful Resistance

Note: Limited seats available. Secure your place today!

You won’t want to miss this FREE day-long celebration of poetry including workshops, featured speakers, and a slam poetry contest where you’ll have the chance to win a publishing deal.

Learn more and register

Boston Urban Wilds: Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation and Community is now on view at the Mayor's Neighborhood Gallery (2nd floor) in Boston City Hall. Through photographs by Lisa McCarty, this exhibition highlights unique environments that have been protected by the Boston Urban Wilds program, as well as the people who care for and commune with these wilds. Don't miss your chance to discover these spaces and connect with the artist!

Directions: Please use the entrance located on Congress St, across from Faneuil Hall. Pass security and take the elevators to the 2nd floor.

This exhibition is organized in partnership with the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the City of Boston Environment Department, and is on view now through August 14, 2026. For more information please visit the City Hall Gallaries page.

Elegy to the Underground is now on view at the Mayor's Office Gallery (5th floor) in Boston City Hall. Through oil paintings and watercolors, the artist brings attention to the complex root networks that trees form to communicate to each other. Don't miss your chance to see the works in person and meet the artist!

Directions: Please use the entrance located on Congress St across from Faneuil Hall. Pass through security and take the elevators to the 5th floor.

This exhibition will be on view through August 14, 2026. For more information please visit the City Hall Galleries page.

Join us at the Scollay Square Gallery on the third floor of Boston City Hall for the opening reception of Learning with Trees, an exhibition guest curated by Martina Tanga in collaboration with Tree Boston.

Showcased in two locations—Boston City Hall and HallSpace in Dorchester—this exhibition presents the work of fourteen New England-based artists who center trees as collaborators and teachers in their practice. Here in City Hall, photographer Bruce Myren, painter Joel Janowitz, and the collaborative just practice (Amanda Ugorji and Sophie Weston Chien) consider the urban tree canopy and how the trees among our cities are rooted, living neighbors. They invite us to explore the relationship between our local built space and the trees that inhabit it.