Special to Sun
The Boston Public Library (BPL) is offering its first major exhibition in nearly a decade, ‘Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston,’ which opens Oct. 23 at the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library.
Featuring more than 100 artworks and documentary materials from the BPL’s renowned Special Collections, the exhibition 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.
“When the Boston Public Library first opened its doors, the very idea of a free public library was revolutionary,” said David Leonard, BPL president. “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.”
Kristin Parker, lead curator of the arts, said: “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. 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.
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 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, a featured Boston artist and printmaker. “I am privileged to have witnessed the work performed by the Boston Public Library curatorial staff in mounting such an important exhibition.”
The exhibition, in the Exhibition Hall of the BPL’s McKim building is free to all to attend. A free digital guide will also be available through the Bloomberg Connects app, which can be used either onsite 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.
For more information about ‘Revolution!,’ including details on the works on view and related programs, visit bpl.org/revolution-exhibition/.