Public Artists Advance Spatial Justice Across Massachusetts

Sixteen artists and community organizations will receive $455,000 to launch public art projects

Mar 19, 2025

2023 Public Art for Spatial Justice grantee Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy's Going to Ground: ToriTori leads music and storytime for kids at the opening celebration and picnic | photo courtesy of the conservancy

Boston, MA – The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) is proud to announce the 16 recipients of the Public Art for Spatial Justice (PASJ) grant. Totaling $455,000, these grants support public art projects that create more just, vibrant, and welcoming public spaces across Massachusetts.

NEFA’s PASJ program fosters public artmaking that allows communities to see, feel, and experience spatial justice in the present while working toward more just futures for public spaces and public culture. The program was launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis and ongoing systemic injustices, and today, it remains a critical investment in community-centered creativity.

"This year’s PASJ grantees embody the urgency and potential of art in our communities,” said NEFA executive director Harold Steward. “From honoring Indigenous boat-making traditions to projects celebrating Black military history and immigrant stories, these projects stand as powerful examples of how artists help us imagine and build justice now and more just futures. This work continues through our partnership with the Barr Foundation, who understands the power of public art for healing, connection, and justice."

"In this moment, we need artists to cultivate more inclusive spaces for reflection and resistance," said Giles Li, Barr Foundation’s senior program officer for Arts & Creativity. "We are honored and proud to support the crucial resources that NEFA’s Public Art for Spatial Justice program offers to diverse artists across the region, who do the complicated work of helping us dream of and shape a better future.”

This year’s grantees represent a wide range of communities, artistic disciplines, and intergenerational collaborations across the Commonwealth. Projects explore themes of cultural identity, environmental justice, mental health, and historical storytelling. The diversity of artistic approaches also highlights the depth and breadth of public art as a force for spatial justice in our communities.

2025 Public Art for Spatial Justice Grant Recipients

BCNC - Pao Arts Center, Boston – Gardens at Pao Arts Center Gardens at Pao Arts Center curated by Gabrielle Niu and featuring new work by Yu-Wen Wu and Mel Taing transforms a gallery and outdoor spaces in Chinatown into an interactive space exploring the role of gardens in urban and diasporic communities.
Boston's Indigenous Public Space Initiative with Robert Peters, Mattapan and Mashpee – Stomp Day - Day of Healing creates an Indigenous stomp dance ceremony to honor those affected by addiction, suicide, and violence.
Charles River Conservancy (CRC), Cambridge – Uplifting Graffiti and Street Art at the Lynch Family Skatepark fosters access and advocacy for emerging street artists.
Dorchester Weather Theater Ensemble, Dorchester – The Lot Next Door is a site-specific community-devised theater project addressing urban environmental justice.
East Somerville Main Streets with Andres Duarte, Somerville – Migration Stories of East Somerville Our Faces: Immigrant Inheritance in East Somerville brings immigrant narratives to life through a public collage and storytelling installation.
Elizabeth James Perry and mica rose with Arts Connect International, Boston and Turners Falls – ReCloaking: ReCircling infuses public parks with Indigenous ecological practices through interactive workshops and moveable woven willow screens.
Imagine Studios with Darius Coombs and Jonathan James Perry, Newburyport – The Merrimack Mishoon Project revives traditional Indigenous boat-making, culminating in a ceremonial launch and paddle.
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) with Ashley Martínez Rivera, Boston – From Protests to Pride: Generations of Villa Victoria honors Villa Victoria’s founding and community resistance against displacement.
Inspired Relief co-led by Keyona Aviles, Nicole N Flynt, and Kaydene Grant, Boston – This Is What Mental Health Be Like (TIWMHBL), WHK (Wholistivision Kohort) 2025 offers immersive, interactive art experiences destigmatizing mental health issues.
Laidy Saenz, Somerville – Somerville Quipus: Stories from Padres Latinos integrates Inca weaving and storytelling into a public installation and festival.
Renee Benson, Doria Bramante, and Jen Salinetti, Tyringham – The Want of Spring The Want of Spring: Journey to life through the Earth's Touch at Woven Roots Farm offers an immersive, ritual-based journey through seasonal land-based art and storytelling.
SHADE, Cambridge – A teen-led public art installation enhances public park spaces with mobile structures for youth social engagement.
Sharinna Travieso, Worcester – Bright Futures transforms public schools with murals that celebrate education and inspire community collaboration.
Tucker Elementary School with Lee Beard, Milton – Students and muralist Lee Beard will create a mural reflecting the school’s diverse and evolving identity.
Wenxuan Xue, Boston – Temple of Our Ancestral Dreams is a performance-based public ceremony honoring queer and femme BIPOC ancestors.
Westside Legends, Inc., Pittsfield – Celebration - The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment honors the historic Black Civil War regiment with two public murals and educational programming.

Funding for the PASJ grant is made possible with generous support from the Barr Foundation and the Fund for the Arts.

Since its launch, NEFA has awarded nearly $1.8 million through 91 PASJ grants to Massachusetts artists and collaborators. NEFA remains committed to supporting public art as a pathway for spatial justice, and applications for the next round of Public Art for Spatial Justice grants will open in Fall 2025.

Learn more about NEFA’s Public Art program

About NEFA

The New England Foundation for the Arts invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation. NEFA accomplishes this by granting funds to artists and cultural organizations; connecting them to each other and their audiences; and analyzing their economic contributions. NEFA serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. Learn more at www.nefa.org.