Current Exhibitions
Upcoming Events
At the Central Library
Interested in proposing an exhibition for the Central Library's Gallery J space? View our Exhibition guidelines.
Central Library in Copley Square (Special Collections Department)
The year 2024 marks two significant anniversaries relating to Serge Koussevitzky (1874–1951): the 150th anniversary of his birth and the centennial of his appointment as the ninth conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Koussevitzky’s arrival in Boston in 1924 heralded the start of a twenty-five-year tenure that would forever transform both the orchestra he conducted and the state of contemporary classical music in the United States. This display showcases Koussevitzky’s life in Boston and his lasting impact on the world of music.
Central Library in Copley Square, Leventhal Map & Education Center
September 13, 2024 - March 15, 2025
Today, the maps that show up most often in our everyday lives—from walking directions on your phone to hourly weather maps—are made by computers. Even the simplest of these rely on vast databases of geographic information and complex systems of analysis and visualization. In our newest exhibition, Processing Place: How Computers and Cartographers Redrew our World, we look at how computers and cartography have fused together over the past century—and how they redrew our world in the process.
From September 13, 2024 through February 2025, we invite you visit our gallery to learn how the computer became a cartographer.
Processing Place is curated by Leventhal Center staff members Ian Spangler, Assistant Curator of Digital & Participatory Geography, and Emily Bowe, Assistant Director.
Free to all visitors. Closed Mondays. For open hours, visit the Map Center's website.
The 50th Anniversary of Boston Desegregation and Busing: A Timeline
Central Library in Copley Square (Gallery J)
September 19, 2024 - January 7, 2025
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1974 court decision to desegregate the Boston Public Schools, but the story of school desegregation goes well beyond Judge Garrity’s ruling. Using archival materials from several Boston-area institutions, historian Jim Vrabel has curated an exhibit documenting the long, rich history of school desegregation in Boston, stretching from 1635 to 2024.
The timeline uses materials from: Northeastern University’s Archives and Special Collections; City of Boston Archives; Suffolk University Moakley Archive and Institute; University of Massachusetts Boston University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library; Burns Library at Boston College; and the Schlesinger Library.
Teen Central Permanent Rotating Exhibit
Central Library in Copley Square (Teen Central)
This exhibition is in partnership with the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and the DYS Art Showcase program.
Since 2008, the BPL and DYS Metro Region staff have partnered to facilitate monthly library visits to DYS Metro.
This presentation of artwork represents a selection of the work from the annual DYS Art Showcase, which highlights and promotes the talents of young people from across Massachusetts. Each year, BPL Youth Services will select and purchase art from the Art Showcase for display in a permanent, rotating collection at Teen Central. The BPL is proud to support these artists and all at DYS.
For more information, please contact BPL Teen Outreach Librarian Maty Cropley at mcropley@bpl.org.
At the Branch Libraries
Art Exhibit - Tod Gaines: What the Hubble Didn't See
Connolly Branch Library
October 2, 2024 - November 23, 2024
This exhibit proudly features work by Boston resident Tod Gaines from his collection, "What The Hubble Didn't See".
Early in 2017 after watching the assault on the Arts and Sciences, Tod Gaines spent eight months creating this collection of paintings entitled, What the Hubble Didn’t See. With a focus on children, he has been showing this collection in the Boston Public Libraries hoping to catch the eyes and imaginations of parents and children. The Hubble Space Telescope only takes black‐and‐white images. But by analyzing the wavelengths of light that different elements emit in space, scientists turn dull pictures of our universe into colorful masterpieces. Using those enhanced photos from the Hubble telescope program, Gaines reproduced them on canvas using acrylic paints. Hidden in his version of those Hubble photos are unique portraits of children from all over the world, children whose world would be dramatically changed with the absence of the arts and sciences.
Tod Gaines is a Massachusetts-born Artist. His primary medium is Acrylics. He has participated in over forty art exhibitions and his art can be found in the Children's Hospital of Boston and Wellesley, MA. His work was also part of an imaginary wall of unity, connecting 50 countries through installations of walls of painted tiles. This project, known as "The Tile Project, Destination: The World, 2004 - 2006", was sponsored by the TransCultural Exchange and the United Nations. Gaines' painted tiles were displayed in Calcutta, India, and Beijing, China. More of his work may be viewed on his website.
Cynthia Fisher: Peregrinations on Being Human, A Mosaic Journey
Jamaica Plain Branch Library
August 29, 2024 - November 13, 2024
The Jamaica Plain Branch Library, in collaboration with The Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library and Uforge, is thrilled to announce the latest edition of its annual rotating art program for 2024. This exhibit proudly features Charlemont, MA resident Cynthia Fisher and her latest collection, "Peregrinations on Being Human, A Mosaic Journey."
Cynthia Fisher, an award-winning mosaic artist with over thirty years of experience, proudly presents her latest exhibition. This new series delves into the complexity of the human experience, reflecting on our wisdom, curiosity, and the impact we have on the environment.
Focusing on mosaics since 2000, Fisher’s work encompasses illustrative, painterly, and non-representational styles, earning her national and international recognition, including the Juror's Choice Award at the Mosaic Arts International show in San Diego in 2016.
Her abstract mosaics are created with deep intention, starting with themes often inspired by nature, science, and mathematics. Fisher carefully selects materials like stained glass, Italian and Mexican Smalti, and pottery shards to craft intricate visual flows known as andamento. The limited color palette inherent to the medium challenges her creativity, resulting in unique, thought-provoking works.
Through this exhibition, Fisher invites viewers to reflect on the essence of humanity and our role in the world.
Cynthia Fisher:'Peregrinations on Being Human, A Mosaic Journey' is on view from August 29-November 13, 2024, with a reception to be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024, 5:30-7:30 PM
The exhibition space is located on the lower level.
More information about Cynthia Fisher and her work can be found on her website, opens a new window. Additional information is also available on the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library website, opens a new window.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of The Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library, a non-profit organization committed to planning and sponsoring free educational and cultural programs for all patrons of the JP Library.
