The Greenway Celebrates the Opening of Rixy’s Monumental New Dewey Square Mural, The Midnight Ride
Free public celebration on June 27 will feature live music, art activities, food trucks, and performances honoring Boston-born artist Rixy’s newest large-scale public artwork
June 26, 2026 – BOSTON, MA — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the nonprofit responsible for the management and care of The Greenway, invites the public to celebrate the official opening of The Midnight Ride, the newly completed 2026 Dewey Square Mural by Boston-born artist Rixy, with a free community celebration on Saturday, June 27 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Dewey Square on The Greenway.
Produced in partnership with Embrace Boston and Everyone250, Rixy’s The Midnight Ride is a vibrant new large-scale public artwork created in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary and will stand at the heart of downtown Boston during one of the city’s most historic summers.
Located adjacent to South Station, Dewey Square on The Greenway serves as one of Boston’s most visible public spaces and a gateway for millions of residents and visitors entering downtown each year. As Boston welcomes global audiences this summer through major moments including the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, FIFA World Cup festivities, and Sail Boston, The Midnight Ride will serve as a powerful new cultural landmark at the center of the city.
The free, family-friendly afternoon celebration will bring together art, music, food, and community to mark the debut of Boston’s newest iconic public artwork. Guests can enjoy a curated selection of food trucks, lawn games, music by DJ Sega Genn, a photo booth by Snapped Boston, and interactive art activities led by Asociación Carnavalesca de Massachusetts, who will also present a special Carnaval costume display inspired by the mural.
Drawing upon elements of fantasy, manga and anime, practices of creative worldbuilding, and a vibrant palette, Rixy’s design brings into dialogue multiple narratives of activism in Boston, blending iconography and public histories in ways that create and encourage new points of access, imagination, and critical reflection. The artist asks viewers to consider what their own “Midnight Ride” might be in our current moment: What is the work you engage in outside the hours of 9 am-5 pm that helps create the world you want to live in?
“Public art has always had the power to challenge, inspire, and bring people together, and that feels especially meaningful today,” says Dr. Audrey Lopez, Director and Curator of Public Art for the Greenway Conservancy. “We’re incredibly excited to be celebrating Rixy’s The Midnight Ride by gathering in community and giving voice to stories that have been undertold for far too long.
Lopez continues: “The Dewey Square Mural is a cornerstone of our park, which exists to uplift our communities, welcome visitors from around the world, and serve as a vibrant civic space where everyone belongs.”
Rixy’s artistic practice in contemporary street art celebrates surrealism found within intersectional feminism and cultural belonging. Building on Latinx-Caribbean and New England roots, her work creates vibrant, radically imaginative worlds depicted through murals, sculpture, installations, and paintings that transform public spaces into sites of connection, empowerment, and storytelling.
The unveiling celebration marks the beginning of The Midnight Ride’s public installation at Dewey Square Park, where the mural will welcome millions of residents and visitors throughout 2026.
Event Details
Opening Celebration for The Midnight Ride
- Saturday, June 27, 2026
- 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Artist remarks from Rixy will begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by a live Carnaval performance at 4:30 p.m.)
- Dewey Square Park on The Greenway, Boston
- Free and open to the public
- Rain Date: Sunday, June 28, 2026
For more information and updates, please visit The Greenway Events Calendar.
About the Dewey Square Mural
Various Dewey Square Murals, 2012-2024.
Since 2012, the Dewey Square Mural has served as a focal point for bold, contemporary, and thought-provoking public art in downtown Boston. Working with a range of renowned artists, ten murals have been installed to date, each viewed by millions of residents, commuters, and tourists, and each sparking conversation and connection in Boston’s shared public space. Six of the murals have been presented in collaboration with curatorial partners, including Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (2012, 2013), the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (2014), MIT’s List Visual Arts Center (2015), the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (2017), and Mass MoCA (2024).
Previously commissioned artists include Os Gemeos (2012), Matthew Ritchie (2013), Shinique Smith (2014), Lawrence Weiner (2015), Mehdi Ghadyanloo (2016), Shara Hughes (2018), Super A (2019), Daniel Gordon (2021), and Jeffrey Gibson (2024). In 2022, Boston-based artist Problak and the GN Crew made history as the first local artist team to be featured, launching a mural beloved by Boston’s communities, and which stayed on view for 24 months, the longest run in the program’s history.
A Special Thank You to Our Supporters
The 2026 Dewey Square Mural is supported in part by Massachusetts250, the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, Meet Boston, and Holland America.
Project support for the Dewey Square Mural is generously provided by Meet Boston and The Lynch Foundation.
Public Art on The Greenway is made possible with major support from the Barr Foundation, Goulston & Storrs, the Greenway Business Improvement District, Meet Boston, the Wagner Foundation, the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, Mass Cultural Council, Robert and Doris Gordon, and the New Commonwealth Fund. Additional support is provided by the Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.
Embrace and Everyone250’s collaboration for the 2026 Dewey Square Mural is made possible through major support from the Barr Foundation, Nellie Mae, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and the City of Boston.
Special thanks to our Artist Selection Panelists: Jha D Amazi, Ché Anderson, Tessa Bachi Haas, L’Merchie Frazier, Jameson Johnson, Kenny Mascary, Jeneé Osterheldt, Jasper A. Sanchez, Lisa Tung, and Zhidong Zhang. Additional thanks to our design collaborator, Chen Luo.
About The Greenway and the Greenway Conservancy (rosekennedygreenway.org)
The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a contemporary public park in the heart of Boston and one of the most visited attractions in the Commonwealth, welcoming millions of visitors annually. The Greenway is managed by the Greenway Conservancy, a non-profit responsible for the administration and care of the park. The majority of the Conservancy’s annual budget is made up of generous donations from the community, and it is with their support that the Conservancy cultivates a gathering space where all are welcome and celebrated.
The Greenway Conservancy Public Art Program brings innovative and contemporary art to
Boston through free, seasonal exhibitions that engage people in meaningful experiences,
interactions, and dialogue with art, each other, and the most pressing issues of our time. Past
Greenway exhibitions can be viewed on the Public Art Instagram (@greenwaypublicart) or the Conservancy’s website.
About Embrace (https://www.embraceboston.org/)
Embrace is a nonprofit organization working to build a more equitable, inclusive, and connected city through art, culture, storytelling, and policy. Founded in 2017, Embrace activates public spaces, celebrates community, and drives systemic change toward a Boston where everyone feels seen, valued, and a true sense of belonging.
A founding partner of Everyone250, Boston’s campaign to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary through a lens of equity, justice, and belonging, Embrace creates platforms that amplify diverse voices, reimagine history, and inspire collective action. Through cultural programming, research, and creative collaboration, Embrace is fostering spaces of connection and care—shaping a future grounded in joy, justice, and shared humanity.
About Everyone250 (https://everyone250.org/)
Led by a coalition of over 100 partners in Boston’s arts and culture sector including co-chairs A Beautiful Resistance, Embrace Boston, MassArt, Mass Humanities and Mathmatik Athletics, Everyone250 is redefining what it means to belong in Boston. Through storytelling, cultural celebration, and honest reflection, we shine a light on the untold histories and unsung heroes who have shaped our city over the past 250 years—ensuring every voice is heard and every person is seen.
More than a campaign, Everyone250 is a living, breathing commitment to inclusivity, representation, and the power of collective impact. Join the Movement. Explore our mission, attend upcoming events, and help us Reveal More Boston.
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