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In partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department and Forecast Public Art (FPA), NEFA invites artists in Massachusetts to participate in Making it Public: for Massachusetts Artists, a free five-week virtual workshop series designed to support artists of all disciplines in exploring and expanding their public art making practice. At the conclusion of the workshop series, participating artists will be better equipped to respond to a Call for Temporary Public Art and foster more vibrant and equitable public spaces through artmaking.
In addition to Making it Public: for Massachusetts Artists, a parallel workshop series geared towards Massachusetts cities and towns will also be offered simultaneously. Making it Public: for Massachusetts Municipalities is equipping and building the capacity of municipal administrators with tools to support more equitable calls for public artmaking across the Commonwealth. At the conclusion of the workshop series, each participating municipality will have the opportunity to put their new skills to work by conducting a Call for Temporary Public Art, with funding from NEFA and additional technical assistance support from NEFA and MAPC. Artists completing Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists workshops may also choose to put their new skills to work and apply for these Calls for Temporary Public Art!
2023 Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists workshops begin March 14.
2023 Eligibility and Registration for Artists
Eligibility
Participants must be…
- A practicing artist. Artists may be self/community-taught, institutionally trained, or a combination of both.
- Based in Massachusetts - residing full-time and making work in Massachusetts.
- Interested in public artmaking that fosters and/or contributes to more racially and spatially just versions of what is possible in our public spaces.
NEFA values diverse cultural and artistic expressions as essential to more equitable and vibrant public spaces and recognizes that some artists may experience barriers to accessing professional development opportunities due to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography.
NEFA strongly encourages artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), who are rooted in rural communities, and/or who may have experienced other barriers to accessing professional development opportunities, to consider participating in Making it Public for Artists.
Participants will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Registration
Deadline to register: February 13, 2023, 11:59 PM ET
A confirmation email will be sent to registrants by the week of February 20, 2023 to confirm participation. If registration reaches capacity, artists may be waitlisted for MIP 2023.
- Materials for Week 1 will be emailed to participants the week of March 6, 2023.
- Making it Public workshops begin Tuesday March 14, 2022, from 5:00 PM-6:30 PM ET.
Making it Public for MA Artists Workshop Series Details
Making it Public for Artists is designed by Forecast Public Art and facilitated by Candida Gonzalez.
Making it Public: for Massachusetts Artists will cover practical and tactical subjects including site analysis, stakeholder considerations, community engagement, funding opportunities, contracting, insurance, and more! Sessions will include guest public art professionals, both local and national, adding a depth of knowledge about the field of public art, the profession, and its contemporary issues.
Time Commitment
Each week participants will receive a link to a prerecorded video (ranging from 20-60 mins each week) to watch in advance.
Virtual meetings are 90-minute live zoom sessions on Tuesdays from 5:00 PM-6:30 PM ET:
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March 14, 2023
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March 21, 2023
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March 28, 2023
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April 4, 2023
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April 11, 2023
Participation in all five sessions is requested of participants.
Overview of Curriculum
Week 1: Defining Public Art
Introduction to the many forms of public art. What is public art? And what are the different ways that public art is funded today?
Week 2: Community Engagement
with Lily Xie and Betsy Casañas
What is the difference between community outreach, community input, and community engagement? This week focuses on how to create mutually beneficial interactions, lean into relationships vs. transactions, and foster trust and accountability in and with community.
Week 3: RFQ/RFP
with Randy Walker and Carolyn Lewenberg
Introduction to the difference between an RFQ and an RFP, how to identify critical information, and respond to RFQs. We will also touch upon project timelines and budgets, and other considerations in responding to calls for public art.
Week 4: Process in Action
with Jessica Roseman and Marlena Myles
You’ve been selected; what happens next?! This week we’ll discuss what to look for in a contract, budgeting, insurance, and other considerations for artists.
Week 5: Think Tank
An encouraging open forum for questions and answers on any public art topic; peer breakout groups; peer feedback; networking and information sharing.
Guest Speakers
2023 MIP for MA Municipalities – Confirmed Participants
Making it Public: for Massachusetts Municipalities is co-designed by Forecast Public Art and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department and facilitated by Aki Shibata.
Making it Public: for Massachusetts Municipalities is equipping and building the capacity of municipal administrators with tools to support more equitable calls for public artmaking across the Commonwealth. The following cities and towns were selected to participate in the Spring 2023 Making it Public: for Massachusetts Municipalities cohort:
- Acton, MA
- Brockton, MA
- Chelmsford, MA
- Chelsea, MA
- Concord, MA
- Devens, MA
- Erving, MA
- Greenfield, MA
- Holyoke, MA
- Middleborough, MA
- Revere, MA
At the conclusion of the workshop series, each participating municipality will have the opportunity to put their new skills to work by conducting a Call for Temporary Public Art, with funding from NEFA and additional technical assistance support from Forecast and MAPC.
Artists completing Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists may also choose to put their new skills to work and apply for these Calls for Temporary Public Art!
To learn more about Public Art at NEFA visit the Public Art Program Page.
Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists and Municipalities is a collaboration between NEFA, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department and Forecast Public Art (FPA).
Funders
Making it Public for MA Artists and Municipalities is made possible by funding from the Barr Foundation and the Fund for the Arts, an endowed fund at NEFA.
