Launched in 2021 in response to growing calls for racial justice and social change, Be the Change is a public art movement that uses creativity as a catalyst for civic engagement. Inspired by the Jewish tradition of tzedakah (justice and charitable responsibility), artists transform larger-than-life tzedakah boxes into compelling public sculptures that invite reflection, dialogue, and action.
Since its founding, Be the Change has engaged thousands of participants across Greater Boston and beyond, making conversations about justice, community, and belonging accessible through public art.
For 2027, Be the Change comes to Beacon Hill through a partnership between The Vilna and the Museum of African American History. This exhibition explores the theme "What's Preserved, What's Erased?" and highlights the neighborhood's layered histories—Black, Jewish, immigrant, activist, and civic stories that have shaped both Boston and the nation. Through art, storytelling, and public engagement, the project invites audiences to consider whose histories are remembered, whose have been overlooked, and what responsibilities—and opportunities—we share in shaping the future.
Public Art
Seven large-scale sculptural installations located at significant sites throughout Beacon Hill. Host sites include The Vilna, Museum of African American History, Nichols House, Beacon Hill Friends, and more to be announced.
Walking Tours
The installations are along a 20 minute walking path, and make for a beautiful and meaningful way to explore the layers of Beacon Hill. Click here for information on tours.
History of the Movement
Since launching in Boston in The Fenway, in partnership with Samuels and Associates, Be the Change has held shows in Cincinnati in partnership with Ish, Los Angeles in partnership with the Skirball Cultural Center, and in Orange County CA in partnership with Weissman Arts. The movement has elevated 44 artists of diverse backgrounds, and engaged more than 75,000 people.
Are you a teacher interested in a guided tour of Be the Change for your class? Complete the interest form here.
Project Leadership and Inspirations
Caron Tabb - Artist and Project Visionary
Caron Tabb is an Israeli-American mixed-media artist whose work explores social inequality, racial justice, feminism, immigration, and Jewish identity. Born in apartheid-era South Africa and raised in Israel, she brings a deeply personal, international perspective to her art. Tabb transforms found materials, ritual objects, textiles, cement, fire, and text into installations that invite dialogue and cultivate empathy. She conceived Be the Change as a public-art movement inspired by the Jewish traditions of tzedek—justice—and tzedakah—charitable giving. Through this project, Tabb harnesses art’s power to move people from witnessing injustice to participating in meaningful, community-driven change.
Be the Change was born when Caron made art tzedakah boxes in honor of two women who inspired her most - Ruth Messinger and Chaplain Clementina Chery.
Chaplain Clementina M. Chéry - Founder, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
Chaplain Clementina M. Chéry is the founder, president, and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, a center for healing, teaching, and learning serving families and communities affected by murder, trauma, grief, and loss. She founded the Institute in 1994 after her fifteen-year-old son, Louis, was killed in Boston. Transforming profound grief into purposeful action, Chéry has developed compassionate, survivor-centered approaches to homicide response and violence prevention. Her leadership advances a vision in which every family can live in peace. Through Be the Change, her work reminds us that healing, justice, and community transformation begin by honoring lived experience.
Ruth Messinger - Global Ambassador and Project Inspiration
Ruth Messinger is a lifelong advocate for human rights and social justice whose leadership helped inspire Be the Change. A former New York City Council member and Manhattan borough president, she served for eighteen years as president and CEO of American Jewish World Service, supporting grassroots organizations confronting poverty and injustice worldwide. Messinger later became AJWS’s inaugural Global Ambassador, mobilizing faith communities to defend human dignity and human rights. Her understanding of tikkun olam—the Jewish responsibility to repair the world—helped shape Be the Change as a movement connecting art with action. She challenges every person to accept responsibility and help create a more just world.
Laura Conrad Mandel - Chief Curator
Laura Conrad Mandel is the chief curator of Be the Change and a Boston-based artist, social entrepreneur, and public-art advocate. Mandel helped transform Be the Change from an ambitious artistic idea into a collaborative public-art movement, bringing together artists, cultural institutions, and community organizations around urgent issues of justice.
In partnership with:
