Boston Public Library Opens REVOLUTION! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston

(October 23, 20250 – The Boston Public Library (BPL) has opened its first major exhibition in nearly a decade. Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston. The exhibit features more than 100 artworks and documentary materials from the BPL’s renowned Special Collections, and explores America’s evolving struggles for freedom, civil rights, and belonging.

The exhibition is part of Road to Revolution, the BPL’s three-year cycle of programs leading to the anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026. Revolution! runs through April 21, 2026.

Marking 250 years since the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Revolution! reflects on the nation’s founding ideals, asking: To whom were these promises made? And how are people working today to ensure they are kept?

“When the Boston Public Library first opened its doors, the very idea of a free public library was revolutionary,” said BPL President David Leonard. “With Revolution!, we carry that spirit forward, inviting visitors to explore how the ideals of liberty and justice have evolved over the past 250 years.”

“Visitors will encounter Boston, the cradle of the American Revolution, in surprising ways, from historic portraits of Washington and Franklin to contemporary works that challenge us to reflect on civic ideals and social progress today,” said Lead Curator of the Arts Kristin Parker. “This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see how centuries of art and activism continue to shape the nation’s story.”

Revolution! spans more than two centuries of Boston’s role in the ongoing struggle for freedom and justice, presenting works that were historic in their own time and remain resonant today. Carefully curated from BPL’s collections, the objects on display are of extraordinary significance – prints, photographs, drawings, paintings, and sculpture.

Washington at Dorchester Heights (1852), oil on canvas by Emanuel Leutze (1816–1868)

Highlights include a reimagined Boston Massacre engraving featuring Crispus Attucks, portraits of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, and images from Boston’s abolitionist, feminist, and civil rights movements. Among them is Emanuel Leutze’s monumental Washington at Dorchester Heights (1852), newly conserved and brought down from its longtime place high above visitors in the BPL’s Washington Room. Seen at eye level for the first time in decades, the painting reveals previously illegible details uncovered during recent conservation work, offering the public an unprecedented opportunity to encounter this historic icon up close.

Contemporary works by Boston-based and regional artists place these historic works in conversation with the present. The conversation is anchored by a new commission: Out of Order, Fortification of Dorchester Heights (2025), a bold, improvisational textile by Newton-born, New York-based artist Michael Thorpe that reimagines Leutze’s Washington at Dorchester Heights, Thorpe reimagines a pivotal revolutionary moment through quilt making. Over the course of the exhibition, he will periodically rearrange the quilt’s squares, transforming the piece into an evolving installation that highlights how history is never fixed in time but is continually reinterpreted. Additional programs, including close-looking sessions and curatorial talks, further invite visitors to engage with the works on view.

“The scaffolding and plywood incorporated into the display serve as a metaphor: democracy, like these structures, is unfinished and ever evolving,” notes the linear notes as the exhibit.

“The greatness of our republic is manifest in the artifacts and historic documents held in this public institution as we celebrate the founding of our nation 250 years ago,” said Bob Tomolillo, Boston artist and printmaker featured in Revolution! “I am privileged to have witnessed the work performed by the Boston Public Library curatorial staff in mounting such an important exhibition.”

One of the items on display is a bust of Boston abolitionist Wendell Phillips, created in the 19th century by Irish-born sculptor Martin Milmore, who did several statues on Revolutionary War heroes.

The exhibition is free to all in the Exhibition Hall of the BPL’s historic McKim building. A free digital guide is available through the Bloomberg Connects app, which can be used either on-site to enrich the viewing experience or accessed remotely to explore the exhibition virtually.

This exhibition is made possible through the Boston Public Library Fund as part of a major philanthropic investment to renovate and reimagine the Central Library’s historic McKim building. To learn more, visit bplfund.org.  

The Associates of the Boston Public Library provides ongoing funding to support conservation, curation, and digitization of BPL’s Special Collections. 

Exhibition Details

• Title: Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston
• Dates: October 23, 2025 – April 21, 2026
• Location: Exhibition Hall, McKim building, First Floor, Boston Public Library, Copley Square
• Admission: Free and open to the public

For more information about Revolution!, including details on the works on view and related programs, visit bpl.org/revolution-exhibition/.