NOT REAL ART and CODAworx Present ‘250: A Celebration of Public Art in the U.S.’

A Nationwide Art Exhibition for America’s 250th Anniversary

LOS ANGELES, C.A. — On July 3, 2026, NOT REAL ART, in partnership with CODAworx and Arterial, will launch 250: A Celebration of Public Art in the U.S. Honoring America’s 250th anniversary, this landmark virtual exhibition features one public artwork from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 250 invites viewers on an immersive tour of installations in parks, deserts, city streets, and public interiors, showcasing the breadth and diversity of public art across the country. The exhibition will remain open and archived online indefinitely on NotRealArt.com.

250 highlights site-specific installations, sculptures, murals, bridges, archways, and multimedia experiences, shifting the conversation about art beyond traditional venues and into the public realm. Curated by Virginia-based arts writer Kirsten Bengtson-Lykoudis, 250 celebrates the artists who transform everyday environments into places of beauty, protest, reflection, and wonder, and reminds audiences that art is for everyone.

All artists and artworks featured in 250 are curated in partnership with CODAworx, the leading platform for the public art industry based in Madison, WI. Since 2014, CODAworx has connected all segments of public art and championed innovative public art worldwide. The artists, designers, architects, fabricators, and artisans they collaborate with have contributed to a remarkable selection of installations that celebrate community, creativity, and collaboration across the U.S.

250 is part of NOT REAL ART’s First Fridays virtual exhibition series, which celebrates independent artists globally and introduces new thematic exhibitions on the first Friday of every other month. The exhibition is sponsored by Los Angeles-based arts nonprofit Arterial, whose mission is to democratize and amplify art in public spaces by sharing contemporary stories about the visual and performing arts.

Projects submitted by leading artists, design firms, fabricators, engineers, and government arts agencies are located in every state: (Alabama) Stephen Whyte’s Sculpture Studio, (Alaska) Daniel Roache, (Arizona) Creative Machines, (Arkansas) Erin Ashcroft Artistry LLC, (California) Ilan Averbuch, (Colorado) Denver Arts & Venues (Connecticut) Svigals + Partners (Delaware) Chiodo Art Development, (District of Columbia) OxmanStudios, Inc. (Florida) Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (Georgia and South Dakota) Christopher Weed Sculpture Inc., (Hawaii) Glasmalerei Peters Studios / Peters Studio U.S. (Idaho) David Carmack Lewis, (Illinois) Ignition Arts, LLC, (Indiana) Torey Dunne, (Iowa) KenyonZubko Collaborative Beau Kenyon +Natalia Zubko, (Kansas) Ball-Nogues Design Studio, (Kentucky) Bollinger Atelier, (Louisiana) Marcus Brown, (Maine and Mississippi) Transformit, (Maryland and Wisconsin) RE:site, (Massachusetts) MASARY Studios, (Michigan) Formed For/Brodin Sculptures,(Minnesota) City of Bloomington Creative Placemaking, (Missouri) Matthew Mazzotta, (Montana) Jessica Bodner, (Nebraska) James Tyler, (Nevada) Davis McCarty, (New Hampshire) Lyubov Muravyeva, (New Jersey and New York) Mayer of Munich, (New Mexico) Lordy Rodriguez, (North Carolina) MARC FORNES/THEVERYMANY, (North Dakota) Anne Labovitz, (Ohio) Cliff Garten Studio, (Oklahoma) Narduli Studio, (Oregon) Ray King Studio, (Pennsylvania) Ava Blitz, (Puerto Rico) Pseudo Mero, (Rhode Island) Peter Diepenbrock, (South Carolina) Laurel Holtzapple, (Tennessee) Blessing Hancock, (Texas) Metalab, (Utah) Gordon Huether + Partners, Inc. (Vermont) Stephen Rhoades, (Virginia) WMATA Art in Transit Program, (Washington) Sarah Helen More, (West Virginia) Humanity Memorial Inc., and (Wyoming) Elizabeth Best, G. Brown Design Inc.

Media Contact:

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About the Curator

Former New York gallery director Kirsten Bengtson-Lykoudis (she/her/hers) serves as staff writer, archivist, and curator for NOT REAL ART. She enjoys rambling through NRA’s vast digital archive of contemporary artworks and getting to know the people behind them. After growing up in the Twin Cities, Kirsten traveled between Florida, Russia, Sweden, New York, France, Italy, the Aegean Islands, and Washington, DC, before landing in Richmond, Virginia. A photographer, student of Russian literature, devout polyglot, and nonfiction writer, she is currently plotting her next trip to Greece.

About First Fridays

First Fridays is an online exhibition series celebrating independent artists nationwide. This bi-monthly feature of NOT REAL ART, an online platform based in Los Angeles, helps people discover today’s contemporary artists. Since its debut in 2023, First Fridays has showcased 766 artists and 1,045 artworks across 39 exhibitions, featuring painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, mixed media, and more. Upcoming exhibitions include The Art of Resistance (September 4 – November 5, 2026), which explores art as defiance, dissent, and solidarity—works that speak truth, challenge power, and refuse to look away; and Southern Gothic: Artists Working Below the Mason-Dixon (November 6 – December 31, 2026), a curated look at artists, aesthetics, and stories rooted in the American South—its mythology, contradictions, and unique creative voice.

About CODAworx

CODAworx is on a mission to demonstrate the power of public art to change the world. As the public art industry leader, the company provides creative professionals a platform to showcase their work, connect, and find opportunities. Powered by a database showcasing thousands of projects with a collective budget of over $13 billion dollars, CODAworx leverages live events, awards programs, publications, data, and digital tools to empower public art in the experience economy.

About NOT REAL ART

NOT REAL ART is a free, independent platform for discovering today’s contemporary artists. The site helps working artists tell their stories and promote their work through exhibitions, podcasts, grants, and editorial coverage. NOT REAL ART is owned and operated by Crewest Studio LLC, an independent media company dedicated to creative culture and the arts. Follow @notrealartworld and visit NotRealArt.com.

About Crewest Studio

Crewest Studio LLC is a mission-driven, independent media and entertainment company dedicated exclusively to the visual and performing arts. Based in Los Angeles, Crewest develops, produces, publishes, and distributes television shows, movies, documentaries, podcasts, events, books, and blogs serving creative arts and culture. Crewest has worked with ABC/Disney, A&E Networks, PBS, Instagram, Microsoft, and the U.S. State Department, among others.

About Arterial

Arterial is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to telling contemporary stories about the visual and performing arts. Based in Los Angeles, Arterial sponsors and funds arts-related media projects across film, television, podcasts, and digital formats. Since its founding in 2024, Arterial has supported NYC filmmakers Logan Hicks and Jeremy Chilnick in completing their documentary, The Underbelly Project, and SoCal PBS for the Emmy-winning show “Art Bound.” In 2025, Arterial became the fiscal sponsor for the unscripted television show “Arthouse,” raising nearly $50,000 for its pilot. In 2026, Arterial will syndicate 50 hours of arts educational content to one million incarcerated people via the Edovo platform. Arterial also owns and operates ArtsvilleUSA.com, a digital discovery platform for arts and crafts.