Visible Republic

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Visible Republic/Overview

The Visible Republic program was a funding collaborative of NEFA, the LEF Foundation, the Boston Foundation's Arts Fund and the Fund for the Arts, and was administered by NEFA. It was launched in fall 1998, by a group of Boston arts funders committed to awarding artists with significant grant awards for the creation of public art work.

A pilot program, Visible Republic also functioned as a 'laboratory'. The program was a platform for exploring best practices in funding collaborations and program development and implementation. Documentation of Visible Republic will provide the field with a potentially replicable model for public art funding.

Over a four year period, Visible Republic awarded $284,000 in direct grant support to over 50 artists for the creation of site-specific artwork. Projects were selected from an open application process and grants of $10,000-$40,000 were awarded to both emerging and established artists. Visible Republic established a strategic and visible system of support for individual artists in Boston while promoting community involvement in the creative process.

Funded projects ranged from temporary works of two and three-dimensional visual art, to new media photographic and video projections, to culturally-specific performances and ceremonies. The works promoted collaboration within communities, often revealing untold stories and content that challenged viewers and participants to think about their surroundings in new ways.

To view a list of Visible Republic projects, click here.

Contact information

For additional information about Visible Republic, contact Liesel Fenner, Program Manager, at (617) 951–0010 ext. 24.