Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) lived with the conviction that engaging with art can nurture people’s sensibilities as citizens, community members, and individuals. The global celebrations of his Centennial, held throughout 2025 and well into 2026, sought to encourage audiences familiar with his work and those encountering the artist for the first time to form fresh perspectives about his creative life and legacy.

Today, we are extremely proud to share the above downloadable Centennial Report, highlighting the activations, exhibitions, and performances that reexamined Rauschenberg and his work through a contemporary lens and highlighted his enduring influence on generations of artists and activists. In Des Moines, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Taipei, and Toronto (among many other cities), in keeping with Rauschenberg’s living legacy, the Centennial promoted cross-disciplinary collaboration and supported opportunities for critical dialogue worldwide.

Through our Centennial grant initiative, the Foundation supported artists and organizations that embodied Rauschenberg’s belief in art as a tool for social change. Over thirty institutions across the world held exhibitions of his work, and many others held public programs placing his expansive oeuvre in context. The celebrations also included a collaboration with fashion designer Jason Wu and the publication of the Foundation’s first book, I Don’t Think About Being Great: Selected Writings by Robert Rauschenberg, drawing into focus a lesser-known element of the artist’s practice. In artistic collaboration with the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Pelican (1963), Rauschenberg’s first choreographic work, was reimagined and reborn in a roller-skating rink in Brooklyn. Established in honor of the artist’s 100th birthday, the Rauschenberg Centennial Award recognized excellence across four disciplines–Art, Performance, Photography, and Writing–with one Captiva Residency alumnus/a in each field receiving an unrestricted amount of $100,000.

Looking ahead, opportunities abound to continue the celebrations, including the opening of the Tate ARTIST ROOMS dedicated to Rauschenberg on Friday, September 18, the continued run of The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. (through July 1, 2027), and the forthcoming release of the first installment of our digital catalogue raisonné this fall.

Thank you for following along as we celebrated this anniversary, and for helping to carry Rauschenberg’s spirit forward.