Artist Opportunities
Organized below by region, opportunities include Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), grants, other calls for entry, as well as employment, fellowship, workshop, conference, and volunteer opportunities. Our best practice is to post Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for artists/artworks, rather than Requests for Proposals (RFPs). If you would like to learn more about best practices for public art calls, please reach out to our consulting team at consulting@forecastpublicart.
Have an opportunity to share? Please contact jen@forecastpublicart.org with a clear description of the opportunity and a live link.
For a list of Emergency Relief, Grants, Funding, and other artist resources in response to the pandemic, please follow this link to our message regarding COVID-19.
We suggest that you confirm the status of an opportunity before applying.
Minnesota / Midwest
RFQs, COMMISSIONS, & CALLS for ART
The Clive Public Art Commission (Clive, IA) invites artists to apply to participate in the tenth annual Art Along the Trail public art exhibition. Art Along the Trail is a temporary outdoor exhibit, displayed along Clive’s landmark feature, the Greenbelt Park and Trail system, from April 2021 through November 2021. This call to artists provides an opportunity for artists to submit 2D or 3D artwork for consideration. A selection panel will choose nine original sculptures or paintings. The artist retains ownership of their 3D work and agrees to loan it to the exhibition. 2D artwork submitted will be painted directly to the Greenbelt Trail or adjacent publicly owned structure and allowed to naturally wear off or displayed at one of the installation locations. The art pieces will be displayed in highly visible sites along the Clive Greenbelt. In 2021 the City of Clive is wishing to apply the theme of “water” to the Art Along the Trail program. Proposed pieces should relate to water in some way. Selected artists will receive a $1,000 stipend for the loan of their 3D artwork, or for their 2D painting. There is no application fee. Apply by 5:00PM CST, January 8, 2021.
The Marquette Public Arts Commission (MPAC) seeks a qualified artist or artist team to design and paint a site-specific artwork on the surface of the Hurley Park basketball court located in Marquette, Michigan. The commissioned artwork will help revitalize the Hurley Park public basketball court facilities, engage residents and become a point of community and neighborhood pride. Individuals with demonstrated professional experience must provide a letter of interest, along with evidence of qualifications to be considered. Three finalists will be selected and compensated for their design proposals. Artist applications must be submitted by 5:00PM CST, January 22, 2021.
The City of Muscatine’s Public Art Advisory Commission announces a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify three qualified artists to develop site-specific public art proposals in and/or surrounding the newly constructed roundabout at Mulberry Avenue and Second Street in Muscatine, Iowa. The RFQ is the first phase of a three-phased process concluding with the installation of a single public art project. The Public Art Advisory Commission will select three artists from the RFQ. Each selected artist will receive a stipend of $750 to develop their public art concept. The three concept projects will then be presented for broad community input and selection. One artist will be selected for the third phase of fabrication and installation. Apply by March 2021.
The Arts@MSP Program is creating an Artist Roster of emerging, mid-career and established artists who will be prequalified for future public art opportunities at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). This roster will be one method of selecting artists to develop temporary, permanent, free-standing or site-integrated artwork of various complexities, forms, and sizes, indoors and outdoors, at MSP Terminals 1 and 2. This call is open to professional artists residing in the United States. Regional talent is preferred. Project budgets for roster-based selections will vary, depending upon project complexity. Contract awards above $175,000 are subject to approval by the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Applications will be accepted at any time, and reviews are anticipated to be conducted quarterly in January, April, July, and October.
FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES, & SCHOLARSHIPS
Forecast Public Art announces the launch of our inaugural Change Lab Research Fellow, focusing on racial justice in public art. The time is long overdue to reckon with systemic racism and inequities in our country’s public art policies, practices, and collections and address our collective trauma. We know from four decades as a leader in the public art field that cultural appropriation, art-washing, public art deserts, unethical community engagement practices, and systemic funding and policy barriers keep BIPOC artists and communities from fair, just and equitable representation in our country’s public art. Forecast’s Change Lab National Research Fellowships aim to produce new research, data, reporting, and suggestions to advance justice, health, and human dignity in the field of public art in the United States. Each fellowship is based around a specific research topic, and is open to graduate students, recent college graduates, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, artists, and public art professionals. Fellowships are 3-month long, funded positions. A $5000 stipend will be made to each Fellow, who will be thought partners informing Forecast’s work and conduct research and provide recommendations that will inform public art policies and practices in the United States and Native Nations that share the same geography.
Fellows will work from their home base and can be located anywhere. Apply by 11:59 PM CST, March 1, 2021.
EMPLOYMENT & PAID INTERNSHIPS
Springboard for the Arts is hiring a Rural Program Manager to manage and implement Springboard’s rural programs. Springboard’s rural office in Fergus Falls, MN was launched in 2011 and has become a hub for thought and action about arts-based community development and creative placemaking in rural settings. Our rural programs include local, state and national projects: the Rural Arts and Culture Summit, Artists on Main Street, and the Hinge Arts Residency Program. The rural program staff collaborates closely with Springboard’s St Paul staff to ensure relevance, impact and representation of rural artists in its organization-wide programs. In 2021, Springboard will launch a new fellowship program for rural artists in the upper Midwest, which will be a significant component of the Rural Program Manager position responsibilities. Full time, $50-55,000, excellent benefits. Apply by February 5, 2021.
Springboard for the Arts is hiring an Office Coordinator. Springboard has a guiding principle rooted in hospitality and welcome. Our goal is always to create an environment, real or virtual, that is welcoming to newcomers and existing partners and friends alike. Over the past year, that welcome and hospitality has looked differently than when we first conceived of this position. Springboard’s staff is working remotely, our events have turned virtual, and our office, resource lab, and community spaces have been closed to the public, even as we’ve had increased demand for and inquiries about our work. We expect to work remotely through at least Spring 2021, but we are hiring for this position now with work that can be done remotely, and then duties that can be folded in as we move back to working at our office and community space at 262 University Avenue West in St. Paul. Full time, $40-44,000, excellent benefits. Apply by February 5, 2021.
Catalyst Arts seeks Community Producers to curate poetry readings for Our Kitchen series. (Curators identify the theme and 3 guest artists). A modest stipend is offered. Catalyst Arts is an Arts Incubator interested in the intersection of Art + Activism and Artists who define themselves as Changemakers. We place a particular emphasis on increasing the visibility of and providing a platform for artists whose voices have historically been underrepresented in the arts, including (but not limited to): artists of color, LGBTQIA+ artists, women, new and recent immigrant communities, Native and Indigenous artists, low-income artists, and artists exploring non-traditional pathways to success. We are committed to nurturing the development of new work…serving and encouraging emerging artists, career professionals and experimentation. Email interest and inquiries to info.catalystarts@gmail.com. Closing date not specified.
VOLUNTEER, INTERN, APPRENTICESHIPS, & BOARD OPENINGS
The City of Bloomington, MN is currently accepting applications for the Creative Placemaking Commission. There are 2 open spots, at least one spot must be filled by a Bloomington resident. The other spot can consist of Bloomington or non-Bloomington resident. Appointed by the City Council and Artistry Board, the Creative Placemaking Commission advises the City Council on using arts, design, culture and creativity to help accomplish the City’s goals for change, growth and transformation of the South Loop District in a way that also builds character and quality of place in Bloomington. The Creative Placemaking Commission meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 5:00 – 7:00 PM, we also occasionally hold special meetings. Members will serve a 3-year term beginning on March 1, 2021. Apply by 4:00 PM CST, January 24, 2021.
Art Shanty Projects seeks board members. If you are passionate about Art Shanty Projects and want to support art in our community, join our Board! We have a variety of roles for you to make an impact. We are seeking participants with skills and experience in a range of areas: fundraising, outreach, communications, marketing, event planning, legal, web skills, and artist backgrounds. Ours is a working board supporting an organization in a growth phase. Board members help map out how our organization is shaped. We are a passionate and collaborative group, committed to making Art Shanty Projects sustainable and to bringing equity and inclusion to our programming and organization. Previous board experience is helpful but not required. Board members dedicate an average of 10 hours per month for committee and board meetings, in addition to other planning activities. To apply for membership on the Art Shanty Projects Board of Directors, please fill out the interest form and upload a brief bio and resume, or email to: admin@artshantyprojects.org. Open until filled.
Minneapolis Art Lending Library (MALL) Seeks dedicated board members and volunteers. MALL’s mission is to provide exposure for artists, build ongoing support of the arts, and share the joy of art with all members of our community through the free lending of artwork. All residents of the Twin Cities have the rare opportunity to borrow original works of art for a three month period, free of charge.
The Franconia Sculpture Park Arts Administration Internship Program provides “hands-on” immersion in the daily operations of a progressive arts organization that provides residence and work space to emerging and mid-career artists in a 43-acre sculpture park. There are two different types of administrative interns. Program interns will support Franconia’s education & public programing. The Development intern will work directly with the development manager to support fundraising campaigns. Both interns work closely with Franconia’s staff so interns have a rare opportunity to be immersed in many types of projects and work experiences. Applications ongoing.
CONFERENCES, SUMMITS, WORKSHOPS & EVENTS
Check back soon.
PROGRAMS, GRANTS, & AVAILABLE FUNDING
MRAC and McKnight Foundation Next Step Fund for Artists provides project grants up to $5,000 to artists in any discipline for the purpose of research, career development, and artistic achievement. Applicants may be at any stage in their career, but must demonstrate achievement in their artistic field and have a history of public presentation or community contribution. Recipients of FY20 Next Step grant awards are eligible to apply. Please review the FY21 Next Step Grant program guidelines thoroughly because we have made a few changes to the program to offer more flexibility during these unprecedented times. Due to COVID-19, there will not be in person workshops, but an online grant workshop is scheduled for Monday, November 23 at 4:00 PM CST, with more sessions TBD. The application will be active on Monday, November 23, 2020. Apply by 11:59 PM CST, January 11, 2021.
Springboard for the Arts announces Artists Respond: Combating Social Isolation, a new, state-wide call for artists to help people in their communities connect with one another while staying safe and healthy. This is an open call with a rolling deadline for artists with creative ideas, with $500 in project support available. Projects with a focus on higher-risk groups, including but not limited to those in care facilities, elders living at home, new immigrant communities, families lacking access to broadband, and essential workers who may be self-isolating, will be prioritized for funding. Artists should already have a connection with or into the group – through yourself, someone in your family or close network, or other existing relationship.
Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Artist Equity Grants provide up to $4,000 to aid Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other artists of color with projects that will advance their skills and artistic careers. No match requirements. Application Deadline: Ongoing, September 1, 2020 through May 1, 2021 or until funding for the year has been expended.
The Creative Capital Award is valued at $100,000, including $50,000 in project funding and $50,000 in career development services. 2020 applications are closed; next year’s free application opens February 2021.
The City of St. Louis Park has funds available to pay for the graphic wrapping of city-owned utility boxes. Community and Neighborhood Organizations may apply to wrap a box. Original local artwork is encouraged. If you have a design you’d like to bring to life and need to find a community partner to support the project, contact info@slpfota.org.
Metro Regional Arts Council (MRAC) offers a variety of arts project support and learning grants, for all artistic disciplines. Varying submission dates.
Springboard for the Arts offers a Community Emergency Relief Fund, which provides up to $500 to use art to respond to community emergencies. The Emergency Relief Fund exists to meet the emergency needs of artists living in Minnesota. The Fund helps to support artists with personal emergencies and to support artists who want to respond to emergencies in their own communities. There is not an expectation of repayment, but the Fund is replenished in part by recipients paying back into the Fund so that others can benefit later. Whether they apply for funding or not, artists can also get a free hour of consulting with Amelia Brown, founder of Emergency Arts. July 2020 update from Springboard: As of July, we have funded 2,101 applications, and allocated $1,050,000 to artists and creative workers. We have paused accepting applications to the Emergency Relief Fund as we assess this work and plan for the future, as well as replenish the fund. We hope to re-open the fund in August in its original iteration, to help artists in Minnesota recover by helping pay an unanticipated, emergency expense.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, & CONTINUING EDUCATION
Check back soon.
National
RFQs, COMMISSIONS, & CALLS for ART
The Sacramento Office of Arts + Culture, which manages the Art in Public Places Program for the City of Sacramento, invites artists to apply for inclusion in the City of Sacramento Artist Roster for February 2021 – December 2025. All California and U.S.-based artists are invited to submit their qualifications for inclusion in the Sacramento Artist Roster. Public artists and studio artists are encouraged to apply. The Artist Roster will primarily serve as a resource for selecting artists and artwork through our public panel selection process. Submit qualifications by 6:00 PM PST, January 8, 2021.
The City of Wichita- Government Division of Arts and Cultural Services is launching a Public Artist Registry web page to serve as a resource to aid architects and developers in connecting with art consultants and artists when working on City projects. This database of qualified artists is intended to streamline the process of selecting artists and art consultants for cultural and public art projects. Local, regional, state and national artists who have experience working on large scale public projects are encouraged to apply for inclusion. No listed deadline.
The Celebrity Series Boston Public Performing Art Project with a budget of $130,000 has moved to a rolling deadline due to the COVID-19 crisis. If artists were not able to meet the original March 13th deadline but remain interested there is now time to submit an application. Celebrity Series of Boston’s Public Performance Projects Initiative was established in 2013 as part of the organization’s 75th anniversary celebration. From its inception, the goal of each public art project has been to broaden awareness of the organization’s activities by taking the artistic experience outside of the traditional concert venues to public spaces throughout Boston. The initiative conceives of the entire city as a canvas for participatory arts activities to promote the Celebrity Series’ mission and brand. Projects traditionally celebrate the joy of live performance and take place outside, at the end of September, are temporary and free. The public’s participation is an important component of each project. Rolling applications.
FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES, SCHOLARSHIPS, & OTHER AWARDS
Tulsa Artist Fellowship, a place-based durational award that was initiated by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, announces its 2021-2023 application. Open to professionally established artists and arts workers of any medium or discipline, Tulsa Artist Fellowship awards include a $40,000 stipend, and fully subsidized living and studio space within Tulsa’s Arts and Greenwood Districts for two years. Uncertainty due to COVID-19 has greatly impacted the arts across the globe igniting a sense of urgency for TAF to provide critical support for both current and future program participants. For Tulsa Artist Fellows transitioning out of the program at the end of 2020, TAF has extended support including subsidized housing, program transition stipend and continued access to the program’s studio facilities for an additional full year. Tulsa Artist Fellowship awards are merit-based, not project focused. Fellows are encouraged to engage with the City of Tulsa through a variety of community touchpoints including readings, symposiums, publications, exhibitions, performance, public projects and art talks. Due to the pandemic, all community engagement events have pivoted to virtual or outdoor platforms, and all studio spaces are closed to the public. Each Tulsa Artist Fellow has a private, individual workspace to allow for social distancing. Apply by January 15, 2021.
Forecast Public Art announces the launch of our inaugural Change Lab Research Fellow, focusing on racial justice in public art. The time is long overdue to reckon with systemic racism and inequities in our country’s public art policies, practices, and collections and address our collective trauma. We know from four decades as a leader in the public art field that cultural appropriation, art-washing, public art deserts, unethical community engagement practices, and systemic funding and policy barriers keep BIPOC artists and communities from fair, just and equitable representation in our country’s public art. Forecast’s Change Lab National Research Fellowships aim to produce new research, data, reporting, and suggestions to advance justice, health, and human dignity in the field of public art in the United States. Each fellowship is based around a specific research topic, and is open to graduate students, recent college graduates, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, artists, and public art professionals. Fellowships are 3-month long, funded positions. A $5000 stipend will be made to each Fellow, who will be thought partners informing Forecast’s work and conduct research and provide recommendations that will inform public art policies and practices in the United States and Native Nations that share the same geography.
Fellows will work from their home base and can be located anywhere. Apply by 11:59 PM CST, March 1, 2021.
UrbanGlass (Brooklyn, NY) offers 4 deadlines a year for general scholarship applications for our workshops. These four deadlines are at the start of each semester, when there is most funding available for financial aid and students have the best chance of admission into their preferred workshop. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out the Scholarship Application Form found on our website. APPLICATION DATES: Winter 2021 scholarship applications: December 2020; Spring 2021 scholarship applications: TBD; Summer 2021 scholarship applications: TBD; Fall 2021 scholarship applications: TBD. No glass experience is required to apply for a scholarship. The opportunity is open to all visual artists.
National Parks Arts Foundation offers a variety of residencies. Check regularly.
EMPLOYMENT & PAID INTERNSHIPS
The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture seeks a collaborative, visionary, experienced, movement-oriented leader to help steward and evolve the people-powered department at a moment of significant transformation and opportunity. We envision a teammate who believes in, and has ties to grassroots justice movements, whether hyper-local or national. The person in this role will join a collaborative effort to grow capacity and systems, build partnerships and support the USDAC growing into its next chapter. They will contribute to “holding the whole”— helping to develop long-range strategies, ensuring solid organizational foundations, and helping to create the conditions through which a growing team can support and activate the USDAC’s network of 30,000+ artists, cultural organizers, educators, policy-makers, arts administrators, activists and allies. Initial contract would be for a rate of $39,000-$46,800, depending on agreed upon scope. Contract position begins March/April 2021. Apply by January 15, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture seeks a dynamic, experienced community organizer to help us steward the vision of our #HonorNativeLand program during a significant period of growth and visioning. We envision a teammate who believes in, and has ties to grassroots justice movements, whether hyper-local, national, or in-between. The work will ideally begin in February 2021, beginning with a 12-month contract depending on availability and skillset. Initial contract would be for an amount of $13,000 to $15,500, depending on agreed upon scope. Applications accepted until position is filled.
Meow Wolf hires for a variety of jobs, in Santa Fe, NM, and Las Vegas, NV. Meow Wolf is an arts collective and production company that creates and operates immersive, interactive multimedia experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastical realms of storytelling.
VOLUNTEER, INTERN, APPRENTICESHIPS, & BOARD OPENINGS
Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center (CAFAC) is looking for board members to join us in 2020. We are a non-profit arts organization with a mission to inspire hands, hearts, and minds through art forms produced by heat, spark, or flame. Our facility is unique in the Upper Midwest, supporting a wide array of fire art forms that includes blacksmithing, enameling, flameworking, jewelry-making, metal casting, neon, welding, and more. The pillars of our programming are education, artist support, and public art, which together provide a platform for social impact and community-driven resources. We’re looking for people with experience in a range of areas including fundraising, marketing & communications, finance, legal, and event planning. Previous board experience is helpful but not required. CAFAC is in its 10th year of operations and in a development phase, seeking to transform from a friends-and-family working board into a strategic and connected oversight body. We are committed to creating a diverse, sustainable, inclusive organization that supports creative endeavors for our community. Board members dedicate up to 8 hours per month for committee and board meetings, in addition to other activities. To apply, fill out our application and submit along with your resume to info@cafac.org. Open until filled.
CONFERENCES, SUMMITS, WORKSHOPS, & EVENTS
Check back soon.
PROGRAMS, GRANTS, & AVAILABLE FUNDING
Gottlieb Emergency Grant Program. This emergency grant provides financial assistance to painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Each grant is given as one-time assistance for a specific emergency, examples of which are fire, flood, or emergency medical need. No close date.
The Foundation for Contemporary Arts offers Emergency Grants between $200 and $2,500 for visual and performing artists. Applications reviewed monthly, so artists can quickly take advantage of momentum or solve budget errors. Rolling acceptance.
The Maryland State Arts Council Creativity Grant Program strengthens the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations, in order to maintain a strong arts infrastructure in the state. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. Close dates for the Creativity Grant Program are rolling. Funded activities must occur within the grant period. Applications must be submitted at least 90 days before the funded activities occur. Applications will be reviewed monthly, and Creativity Grants will be awarded throughout the fiscal year until allocated funding is depleted.
The Maryland Touring Grant assists eligible nonprofit organizations by subsidizing the presentation of any performer on the Maryland Performing Artist Touring Roster. Rolling acceptance.
United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant. Public bodies, Non-profit organizations, and Federally Recognized Tribes may apply.
International
RFQs, COMMISSIONS, & CALLS for ART
CODAmagazine Call for entries.
Short Édition seeks short stories and poems to delight, inspire, surprise, and, most importantly, move our readers. Starting July 1, 2019, the editorial team at Short Édition will be publishing a monthly selection of original and unpublished short fiction in both the Short Story Dispensers and on our website. Button fiction — very short fiction published at the push of a button — is found in unexpected places, whether it’s when you’re savoring the last sips at the local coffee shop, waiting in line at the DMV, or strolling through the airport. We want to insert a bit of storytelling into the mundane moments, elevating the role of story in the everyday. We pay $125 stipend for each selected short story and $75 for each poem as an advance payment on the royalties that each author will receive on a yearly basis from the Short Story Dispenser subscriptions. Each selected piece will be published as a part of a Rendez-vous collection in our Short Story Dispensers around the world and on our website, short-edition.com/en. Response rate could be anywhere from a few days up to four months, depending on the number of submissions received. Submissions accepted on a rolling basis.
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