A unique collaboration is taking shape between a group of Suffolk art students and Revolutionary Spaces, the nonprofit that tells the story of two of Boston’s most iconic sites—the Old State House and Old South Meeting House, located about 550 feet apart along Washington Street in Downtown Crossing.
Invited to contribute original public-art installations to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the students began their work with an initial scouting trip to the Old State House on a frigid February morning.
Armed with sharp eyes and mobile phone cameras, they took in every detail in the building where discontented colonists gathered to decry oppressive British rule—and where, on the streets outside, British troops shot and killed five colonists in 1770, in what became known as the Boston Massacre.
“I feel like we’re being invited to be part of something very important,” said freshman Juan Bedoya as he studied an original copy of the Declaration.
The work Bedoya and his classmates create will explore themes of civic identity, community, and public space through a personal lens, all within the context of the upcoming anniversary.
The catalyst for this collaboration was Suffolk Law Professor David Yamada, vice chair of Revolutionary Spaces’ board, who connected the organization with Suffolk’s Department of Art & Design. Well known as an expert in employment law, Yamada, a self-described lifelong amateur student of history, understands the critical role the nation’s founding principles play in modern law, politics, and civic life. He’s keen to use the anniversary to draw people into that shared story.
“We are dealing with the younger generation that’s getting information differently. They may not have had the old-fashioned civics course experience,” explains Yamada. “If we can start that conversation, it’s a step in the right direction.”
The idea is not to play it safe with well-worn tropes, explained Lucy Pollock, BA ’22, exhibits manager of Revolutionary Spaces, who is working closely with the student groups. Revolutionary Spaces has a focus on actively engaging tourists, especially young ones, on the nuanced topics that led to the nation’s founding.
To that end, the Old State House embraces cheeky slogans like “Spilling the Tea Since 1773” and “Too Cool for British Rule.” Alongside copies of the Bill of Rights, tourists can also find skull and crossbones Boston Massacre shot glasses.
The deliberate edginess celebrates Boston’s role in sparking the events that would be pivotal in the war. “We like to say that Bostonians did the real legwork of the Revolution, and Philadelphians did the paperwork,” Pollock says.
Suffolk’s installations will not depict traditional battle or Founding Father imagery. Rather, the student artists are tasked with bringing their own histories into their art to create something original, with an emphasis on “speaking up,” said Art & Design Professor Susan Nichter.
Autumn Thelen, a Class of 2026 graphic design major, is working on an ambitious 3D installation constructed from hundreds of white feathers—a nod, in part, to the quills used to write the Declaration of Independence. Her group’s piece will be part of Echoes of Revolution, an installation within the Old State House inspired by excerpts from the Declaration itself.
Outside, the students’ work will showcase vivid flag-inspired designs made from hand-cut paper. Students plan to host workshops to bring Boston Public School art students into the fold as collaborators, and print the final designs on resilient vinyl that will be mounted outdoors to visually connect the Revolutionary Spaces sites.
“I would love for all students, whether they’re Suffolk or BPS, to be able to go with their families and see their names in a public space,” says Art & Design Professor Kristen Mallia, who is working alongside colleagues like Nichter and Anna Gitelman to help students conceptualize, produce, and install their artwork just in time for this summer’s festivities.
Return to Table of Contents
spring 2026
Students like freshman Bryan Mendez are creating vibrant flags that explore themes of civic identity and community through a personal lens. Photograph by Michael J. Clarke
By Erica Noonan and Andrea Grant