Pro Bono Consulting in Response to COVID-19

graphic by Mike Davis

graphic announcing Forecast is here to help with pro bono consultations

Forecast Launches Pro Bono Consulting

Forecast is launching a national initiative to support public artists and public art program administrators during this pandemic.

We will immediately begin to offer pro bono consultations and technical support to any public artist or public art administrator based in the U.S. and the Native nations that share the same geography from now until May 31, 2020, as a response to the mounting effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

We are acutely aware that — due to the shelter in place orders, protections in place for social distancing, and a wave of closures and cancellations nationwide — public art program administrators and artists are navigating unprecedented circumstances. Our team is ready and well-positioned to help public artists, administrators, and programs respond to these difficult circumstances.

In response, Forecast will be reallocating our own time and resources to provide up to one hour of consultation; where necessary, follow-up consultations may be available. There will be NO fee for these services.

In particular, Forecast will help with:

Adjusting programs, schedules, contracts, and policies to continue much-needed support to artists and keep projects moving forward;
Connecting public artists to resources, funding, relief programs, networks and tools for support;
Making the case for the continued support and value for public art and public art funding in this time;
Developing creative strategies for equitable selection processes, community engagement, and other activities in a time of social distancing;
Aligning your program or project to support critical and current needs in your community; and
Making recommendations for adjustments to public art master plans.

If you are interested in our services, please complete this simple request form. After review, Forecast will pair you with a consultant who will schedule a consultation with you.

We know that not all people and communities are experiencing this crisis in the same way or to the same extent. Historic and structural inequities amplify the effects of COVID-19 in communities of color, immigrant communities, and indigenous communities. To counter these disparities, Forecast will place particular emphasis on supporting these communities and will prioritize requests as such.

If you don’t need consulting support at this time but have experience, expertise, and time that you are willing to offer to help others, please contact Jen Krava at: consulting@forecastpublicart.org.

Pro Bono Request Form

Questions

For questions regarding this initiative: probono@forecastpublicart.org

For general Forecast inquiries: Theresa Sweetland, Executive Director at info@forecastpublicart.org

More information on Forecast’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic

See this message from Forecast Public Art regarding COVID-19.

About Forecast Public Art

Forecast Public Art is one of the country’s first nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing the field of public art and is publisher of Public Art Review, the leading public art magazine in the world. We believe that public art is a fundamentally powerful way to help communities heal, to bring people together, and to make communities more welcoming. Today, we remain at the forefront of public art practices, connecting the energies and talents of artists with the needs and opportunities of communities. As we set a vision for the future, Forecast is leading with our values by deepening our commitment to activating, inspiring, and advocating for public art that advances justice, human dignity, and health.

As consultants and partners, Forecast brings our four decades of experience and extensive resources to all aspects of public art, culture, and place-based practices. We work in partnership with public and private entities including cities, counties, universities, parks, libraries, hospitals and health care centers, neighborhood organizations, foundations, design and engineering firms, developers and retail and commercial businesses among others. We:

Facilitate equitable selection processes, manage commissions and offer curation and programming services that focus on expanding access to tools, resources, opportunities, and funding for artists to work in public, create partnerships, and advance their careers. We emphasize access for artists of color, indigenous artists, and groups that are traditionally excluded.
Help decision-makers and stakeholders in communities across the country create accessible, equitable and relevant place-based efforts including public art plans and programs. This includes policies, funding mechanisms, mapping, environmental scans, equity reviews, ordinances, collections, and ethical support systems for artists and community engagement efforts.
Offer workshops, training, fellowships, and other in-person and online learning opportunities. We focus on helping public artists, creatives, and affiliated professionals enlist culture and creativity to make communities healthier and more equitable.
Work with communities to address inequities in all facets of public art. Through cross-sector partnerships, on the ground research, and deep community engagement, we pilot new ways of working within the field of public art and allied fields.

More Recent Initiatives From Forecast

NEW MINI-GRANTS FOR ARTISTS

Forecast asked artists how we can best help them and their communities NOW. In response, we reallocated $10,000 of our own resources to quickly provide mini-grants to 20 public artists to safely create and share messages of hope within their communities. These twenty grantees began their projects on April 10. Because we received hundreds of incredible applications for our first round of 20 Mini-Grants, we raised funds to support additional artists, and are thrilled to able to fund 10 more projects, which will all be live be June 30.

A TOOLKIT ON CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES TO IN-PERSON ARTS-BASED ACTIVITIES

We created a toolkit with artists, arts organizations, presenting organizations, and others collaborating with artists in mind. It contains strategies for adapting in-person arts-based activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are launching the first iteration of this toolkit now and will continue to develop it based on open-source input from you.

WEEKLY CONVERSATIONS FOR BIPOC ARTISTS WHO WORK IN PUBLIC

We’ve been talking to artists and hear that space is needed to connect with one another as we physically distance and projects are halted. In response, we are launching a series of conversations for BIPOC artists who work in public spaces and/or in community. These weekly conversations will have loose agendas and are open to BIPOC artists around the country.

Learn more about Forecast’s extensive public art consulting and artist support services.