Boston Artist Gets Major Mural Commission
Local artist Rixy has been selected as the next Dewey Square muralist in Boston, landing a prominent public art commission. Rixy's work is known for vibrant colors and community connections, making this a significant addition to the city's street art landscape.
The Dewey Square mural is a temporary, rotating public art installation on the facade of a 70 by 76-foot air intake structure in Boston. The program, which began in 2012, has featured works by renowned artists such as Os Gemeos, Shinique Smith, and Jeffrey Gibson. Murals are typically on display for 12 to 18 months. This year's commission is unique as it was the first-ever national open call for the Dewey Square Mural, a departure from the historically regional focus. The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the park, partnered with Embrace and Everyone250 to solicit proposals that engage with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. The theme for the 2026 mural invited artists to reflect on America's 250th anniversary with themes of revolution, belonging, and democracy. Rixy was unanimously chosen from a pool of over 100 applicants by a selection panel of Boston-area artists and cultural leaders. Five finalists were each given $5,000 to develop their proposals, with Rixy receiving a $25,000 commission and a $50,000 production budget for the final piece. Rixy, a Roxbury native of Latinx-Caribbean descent, is an interdisciplinary street artist. Her work often explores themes of global feminism, spirituality, and storytelling through a practice she calls "experimental worldbuilding." She is a U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador through a residency in the United Arab Emirates and has been recognized with a NEFA Newell Flather Award for Emerging Leadership in Public Art. Rixy's winning proposal is titled “The Midnight Ride.” It draws a parallel between Paul Revere's famous ride and the lesser-known, yet similar, ride of a 16-year-old girl named Sybil Ludington who rode to alert U.S. troops of a British attack in 1777. Rixy will paint the large-scale mural by hand with an all-women team in May. The mural project aims to spark conversation and provide a platform for artists whose communities are often underrepresented in dominant narratives. Rixy will be the third woman artist to be commissioned for the Dewey Square Mural. The proposals from the other four finalists will be showcased in an outdoor exhibition at Dewey Square Plaza from June to December 2026.
