Local artist Rixy selected as next Dewey Square muralist

It’s hard to miss the colorful, arched Dewey Square mural that stands opposite South Station. Since 2012, the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy has commissioned artists to paint fresh murals.

The latest muralist, announced on Feb. 24, is Roxbury-born artist Rixy (who is also a 2023 WBUR Maker).

Rixy is an interdisciplinary street artist whose public murals can be spotted in Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Lawrence. Her work depicts fantastical worlds and characters that often draw from her background as a Latinx-Caribbean woman.

Rixy is the second local artist to be chosen by the Greenway Conservancy, following Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs in 2022.

For the first time, the organization launched a national open call for artists’ proposals. Previously, the murals were curated internally, often in partnership with local art institutions.

The open call, in partnership with Embrace Boston and Everyone250, invited artists to respond to the country’s 250th anniversary and imagine the next 250 years.

“For 2026, we really wanted to open up the process, challenge ourselves, and invite artists to apply, thinking about the nation's 250th anniversary, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, thinking about the spirit of revolution,” said Audrey Lopez, director and curator of public art at the Greenway Conservancy.

The artist selection panel, consisting of ten community leaders in arts and culture, unanimously selected Rixy’s proposal “The Midnight Ride.”

In an unprecedented move, they also selected Boston artist Ekua Holmes as the muralist for 2027. Holmes’s project is called “We Are Each Others’ Suns.”

“That was a really serendipitous and unanticipated outcome of the open call process, but one that we're really excited about,” said Lopez about selecting an additional artist.

Rixy’s “The Midnight Ride” will reference Paul Revere’s historic midnight ride by featuring the lesser known midnight ride made by Sybil Ludington in 1777. Ludington allegedly rode 44 miles on horseback to alert American troops of an impending British attack.

When Rixy first saw the 250th anniversary prompt, she became curious about underrepresented histories. In addition to Ludington, she was inspired by figures like Betsy Ross and Phyllis Wheatley.

"Rixy's mural invites people into these expansive versions of histories. Not to rewrite them, but to expand the histories."

Audrey Lopez

“Rixy's mural invites people into these expansive versions of histories. Not to rewrite them, but to expand the histories,” said Lopez.

The mural’s design will be kept a secret until it is fully finished on June 5. But Rixy and Lopez hinted that it will depict a femme figure on a journey, her flowing clothing and hair backlit against the midnight sky.

“ Rixy's practice really draws upon elements of fantasy, of anime, of manga, of this practice of world building…That approach was very exciting to us. Rixy was viewing the wall not just as a surface to be painted on, but as a world to be created,” said Lopez. “ It's not a direct visual reference to Sybil, but more broadly drawing upon those narratives, legends, histories, to create an access point for engagement and critical reflection.”

Rixy hopes that her mural will serve as an invitation to be as bold and colorful as the 70-foot mural itself, standing amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Boston. For those who may feel skeptical of the work, she hopes that it sparks dialogue.

“ I want to be able to create work that feels so beautiful, so large and encapsulating. I want to stop people and force them to question it even if they don't like it,” she said. “If it feels like it doesn't represent America, then tell me why. Talk to me about this,” she said.

Starting May 1, Rixy and her team of women artists – Ayanna Mack and Sagie Vangelina – will spray paint her mural to life over four weeks. The public will get the chance to see the wall as it evolves, and engage with the artists.

“The Midnight Ride” will remain on view for the next 10 to 11 months after its completion on June 5.