Making it Public

Making It Public (MIP) for Massachusetts Municipalities is a public art training program inspired by Forecast Public Art (FPA) and co-designed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department and New England Foundation for the Arts’ (NEFA) Public Art Team. The curriculum aims to support municipal staff in commissioning temporary public art with more inclusive and equitable processes that focus on principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability in public procurement.  

In addition to the training, participating municipalities receive a $15,000 grant to conduct a Call for Temporary Public Art. 

The 2026 trainings will take place virtually on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM-12:00 noon ET, January - April 2026. More details below. 

Through Making it Public trainings, and by funding artists through participating municipalities, NEFA aims to foster a community of practice that is inspiring more vibrant and just public spaces and culture through public artmaking across Massachusetts. 

NEW in 2026: Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists is expanding to support artists across New England! 

Making it Public (MIP) for New England Artists is a free five-week virtual workshop series designed by Forecast Public Art (FPA) 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.

The 2026 MIP Artist Track training will take place virtually in March and April 2026. Please check back in January 2026 for more details and registration.  

MIP for MA Municipalities 2025 Cohort

In partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department, NEFA is pleased to invite municipalities in Massachusetts to participate in the Making it Public for MA Municipalities 2026 cohort.

Making it Public for MA Municipalities aims to support municipal staff in expanding their understanding of public artmaking and in commissioning temporary public art with more inclusive and equitable processes that support artists and focus on principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability in public procurement.

Municipalities selected for the 2026 Cohort will:

• Participate in the biweekly workshop series from January - April 2026.
• Administer a Call for Temporary Public Art by December 31, 2026. Each participating municipality will receive a $15,000 grant from NEFA to fund artists selected through the Call for Temporary Public Art process. Additional technical assistance from NEFA and MAPC will also be available.
• Support the selected artist(s) throughout the process, implementation, and celebration of the public art project (e.g. permits, connecting with other municipal departments, etc.).

See Sample Agreement between NEFA and Municipality for additional important details regarding schedule of workshops, important dates and requirements of cohort participants. 

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a municipality (city/town) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Must have approval from duly authorized municipal officers:
• For 2-3 municipal staff to participate in the Making it Public 2026 trainings from January-April 2026 (For smaller municipalities that may not have 2-3 staff who can commit to this training, please contact NEFA’s public art team at publicart@nefa.org to discuss alternative options.)
• To administer a Call for Temporary Public Art in 2026 and re-grant at least 80% of the NEFA grant ($12,000 of the $15,000 grant) as payment directly to the select artist(s) through the Call for Temporary Public Art*
• To support the selected artist(s) throughout the process, implementation, and celebration of the public art project (e.g. permits, connecting with other municipal departments, etc.).
• Past participants are not eligible to re-apply. 

*Note about funding from NEFA: The remaining 20% ($3,000) may go towards the artist(s) selected, or be used towards participating in this opportunity and administering these funds (e.g. provide a stipend to community-based partners to participate in Making it Public 2026, support equitable and inclusive outreach strategies and/or honoraria to reviewers in the artist selection process, etc.). OPTIONAL: Municipalities may choose to match the NEFA grant up to $15,000 (making total grant available for this Call for Temporary Public Art up to $30,000). 

Selection Criteria

NEFA will select a cohort of municipalities based on: 

• Municipal Commitment and Readiness. Approval from the necessary municipal authority is required. The municipality’s readiness (including staff bandwidth) to both participate in this learning opportunity and apply the learnings to administer a Call for Temporary Public Art in 2026 is a priority.
• Interest in learning and implementing more equitable practices for supporting just and vibrant public artmaking. Learn more about NEFA’s public art values.
• Geographic/Demographic Diversity. We aim for the 2026 cohort to represent a range of municipalities from across the Commonwealth.

Application and Additional Information

Applications are due September 29, 2025, 11:59 PM ET. 

Start an Application

Resume my Application

NEFA will aim to notify applicants in late November 2025. 

Click here for PDF of eligibility criteria, selection criteria and application requirements

See Sample Agreement Between NEFA and Municipalities for additional important details regarding schedule of workshops, important dates and requirements of cohort participants. 

MIP for New England Artists 2026 

Making it Public for Artists is designed by Forecast Public Art (FPA) and facilitated by Cándida González.

Making it Public: for New England 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.

Eligibility

Participants must be… 

• A practicing artist - Artists may be self/community-taught, institutionally trained, or a combination of both.
• Based in New England - residing full-time and making work in one of the six New England States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
• 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.  NEFA also recognizes that some artists may experience barriers to accessing professional development opportunities due to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography.

MIP for New England Artists aims to welcome all artists interested in public artmaking, especially those who have experienced barriers to accessing professional development opportunities.

Participants will be accepted on a rolling basis.

A confirmation email will be sent to registrants before the first workshop to confirm participation. If registration reaches capacity, artists will be notified if they are waitlisted.  

Workshop Series Details

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 5:00-6:30 PM ET in March and April. Participation in all five sessions is requested of participants. 

Please check back in January 2026 for more details. 

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

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

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

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.

Background

From 2022 to 2023, NEFA partnered with Forecast Public Art (FPA) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department to co-host Making it Public, a free virtual dual-track workshop series, designed to equip both administrators in strengthening local capacity to support, create, and promote public art, and artists in effectively respond to calls for public art. 

Starting in 2024, NEFA continued to co-host both Making it Public tracks - partnering with FPA on the artist track and with MAPC to tailor the curriculum for the municipal track. To learn more about Public Art at NEFA visit the Public Art Program Page. 

In 2026, we are expanding the artist track to welcome artists from all six New England states (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT).  Meanwhile the municipal track continues to strengthen the capacity of cities and towns in Massachusetts to support more vibrant and equitable public artmaking across the Commonwealth.

Making it Public for New England Artists and MA Municipalities are made possible through collaborations between NEFA, Forecast Public Art (FPA) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department with generous support from the Barr Foundation.