Open House and Reception for the 250th Student Art Show

High school students from across the Commonwealth are creating artwork inspired by the “one if by land, two if by sea” lantern at the Concord Museum as a symbol of the American Revolution and our nation’s continuing aspiration towards liberty and justice for all. All are welcome to a community open house to see the artwork and meet the artists.

The open house is free and no advanced registration is needed.

Information for Artists

The “one if by land, two if by sea” lantern at the Concord Museum is a symbol of the American Revolution and the Patriot cause. Two lanterns were hung in the North Church in Boston on the night of Paul Revere’s midnight ride on April 18, 1775, the night before the first battles of the American Revolution in Concord and Lexington. These lanterns were the start of an eight-year war to create a new nation built on liberty and justice for all -an aspiration that people across the nation continue to stride towards today.

Artwork can also be submitted for a juried review. Selected works will be included in a 250th exhibition at the Concord Museum.

Guiding Questions:

• What do liberty and justice mean 250 years later as we mark the anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2025?  
• What does revolution mean to us today?
• As an artist in the Concord community, how do you want to inspire and instigate change, lighting the way to a better future?
• How do you, through a work of art, add insight into an issue and promote awareness in unique and powerful ways, ensuring liberty and justice for all in our world today?  
• Who is typically remembered from the Revolution and how can artists broaden the diversity of people who are honored and remembered?
• Light is a starting point; we’re eager to see where you take this theme.

Contemporary Artists to Consider:

Titus Kaphar, Barbara Walker, Ai Weiwei, Shirin Neshat, Kara Walker, Lorna Simpson, Yoko Ono, Maya Lin, James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, and Anna Veronica Janssens.

Submission Instructions:

Students’ submissions will include final artwork, digital photograph, artwork title, artist first and last name, school, and grade (we are only accepting works from high schoolers grades 9-12). Submissions should be sent to teachers and teachers should collect and forward all digital submissions to [email protected]. All artwork should be delivered to the Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA 01742 on March 4, 2025.