City Hall Plaza Public Art Project: Graphics

We commissioned artist Yuke Li to create graphics for the exterior of Boston City Hall and Boston City Hall Plaza.

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This artwork was installed in October 2022.

This is one of two public art projects to complement the renovation of City Hall Plaza. The total budget for this project is $5,000.

We also commissioned a short-term artwork for the north entrance to Boston City Hall (total budget of $50,000).

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Arts and Culture

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1 City Hall Square
Room 802

Boston, MA 02201-2029
United States

Project Details

Project Context

As the epicenter of civic activity, Boston City Hall Plaza is a place for inspiration, convening and celebration. The plaza is currently under construction. The renovation aims to:

renew the cultural and architectural legacy of the plaza, and
create a welcoming civic and front yard for City Hall.

It will include interpretive wayfinding, including nearby landmarks and open spaces.

This international Call to Artists was open to all artists, with a strong preference for artists with a connection to the themes of the project.

City Hall Plaza rendering — *Rendering of City Hall Plaza renovation, courtesy of Sasaki.*

Learn more about the renovation

The graphics

The new display system on the west exterior wall of City Hall will serve as a rotating artist opportunity. Yuke created high resolution digital files and coordinated with the City and the contractor providing the fabrication of the panels. An additional set of graphics was installed at the Civic Pavilion on City Hall Plaza.

Boston City Hall graphics — *Graphics installed at the North Entrance of Boston City Hall*

The Project Theme

We envision these projects as the first of a series of artworks for this site. Through these artworks, we want to recognize and celebrate the stories of Boston and City Hall Plaza.

For centuries, we have been missing the following communities in our artistic landscape:

BIPOC/ALAANA (Black, Indigenous, People of Color/African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) individuals
women
local activists
LGBTQIA+ individuals, and
many others.

This site offers a unique opportunity to tell those and other stories.

The site of City Hall Plaza has changed dramatically over time, especially in relation to the Boston Harbor. It will continue to transform as the climate changes. We encourage the selected artists to examine the past, present, and future of the plaza. The artwork should provide context and meaning for residents and visitors. It should also recognize that the land is the traditional homeland of the Massachusett tribe and the neighboring Wampanoag and Nipmuc tribes.