Boston Council Committee Advances $3 Million Mellon Foundation Public Art Grant

BOSTON — October 2, 2023 — Boston's City Council committee advanced a $3 million Mellon Foundation grant for citywide public art and monument dialogue. Councilor Liz Breadon, chairing the October 2 hearing, recommended Docket 1197 pass favorably to the full council for a vote expected Wednesday. Cara Elida Ortega, Chief of Arts, Tourism and Special Events, and Karen Goodfellow, Director of Public Art, told the committee that roughly $1 million of the three will go directly to commissioning temporary public art installations, with the remainder funding community engagement, event production, and staffing. Boston is one of nine cities nationwide to receive the grant at this level, alongside Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and others. The grant carries a hard deadline to spend all funds by the end of 2025. Council President Edward M. Flynn asked how immigrant communities would be reached; Goodfellow said programming would be available in multiple languages through existing community organizations. Councilor Brian Worrell, absent, submitted written questions asking how partners would be selected and how success would be measured.