Rixy is Flipping the Script in Dewey Square

In Boston’s Financial District, where South Station hums with the daily cadence of commuters and skyscrapers dominate the skyline, a vibrant force has taken over Dewey Square. The Midnight Ride, a monumental public installation is an explosion of fantasy, history, and raw community energy—a vivid departure from the traditional, rigid monuments scattered across New England.

At the center of this world-building vision is Rixy, a Roxbury-born, first-generation Dominican and Honduran artist who has spent over a decade redefining what public art can be. Chosen unanimously through the Rose Kennedy Greenway’s first-ever open call for the space and a former Walter Feldman Fellow, Rixy’s response to the America 250 commemorations was anything but conventional.

“When you’re coming from New England, you’re so used to one lane of stories—this very patriarchal, colonial, big male tea party,” Rixy says. “And I was like, ‘No, that can’t be it.’ Where the ladies at? Who was actually holding up the revolution?”

Her answer came in the form of Sybil Ludington, the 16-year-old Revolutionary War heroine who rode twice the distance of Paul Revere in the dead of night to warn colonial forces of approaching British troops. Ludington’s unsung bravery became the catalyst for Rixy’s reimagining of historical commemoration. In The Midnight Ride, Rixy merges Ludington’s legacy with a contemporary, fantastical vision of Lady Liberty—reimagining the classical statue as a dynamic, empowering figure rooted in community advocacy, gaming culture, and female strength.

For Rixy, whose roots trace through underground graffiti, tattoo culture, comic books, and fantasy illustration, the leap to public art was a natural evolution of a lifelong creative impulse. She recalls finding a drawing from the third grade at her mother’s house—a girl emerging from a dragon’s mouth, holding the sun and the moon. 

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s who I am today,'” Rixy reflects. “My themes are very much around sensual female empowerment, magic, and how it relates to spirituality and mythology within my culture…I deeply believe in imagination as a tool for creative problem solving.”

That belief drives her work in and out of the studio. When she isn’t executing large-scale installations, Rixy serves as an educator and community advocate. Balancing her personal art practice with social justice initiatives at a nonprofit in Lawrence, Massachusetts, she leads professional development and mentorship programs for adult creatives, ranging from young artists transitioning out of high school to seasoned makers seeking grant support or portfolio guidance.

“So many people from my background and community feel like they can’t get those residencies or awards,” Rixy explains. “I use my space as a touchpad for them to experiment and explore. I love being in the shadows and in between, helping people understand how to take on the beast of an artistic career.

This commitment to elevating underrepresented voices is felt in The Midnight Ride. The piece stands as a declaration that history is carried by youth, immigrant power, and unsung women. In Rixy’s hands, the street becomes a stage where fantasy and reality intersect, challenging the public to rethink who gets memorialized on our city walls.

She approaches community mentorship with the understanding that creative vision requires practicality to survive and thrive. Beyond painting public murals and conceptualizing multi-dimensional installations, she actively guides emerging artists through the often-intimidating realities of professional development. 

Rixy credits the Walter Feldman Fellowship with helping her professionalize her work and prepare for solo exhibitions, with significant guidance from her mentor, Almitra Stanley, regarding business operations, legal agreements, and portfolio development. 

“The Midnight Ride is about flipping the script on what the [initial] story means, showing people that our imaginations are the most powerful tool we have.”

Visit Rixy’s website to learn more about her work and follow her on Instagram @rixyxir.