Forecast Public Art activates, inspires, and advocates for public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity.
Forecast supports artists, partners, and communities throughout the entire process of creating public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity. We partner with decision-makers and stakeholders on arts and cultural planning efforts, and support public artists with funding, training, and opportunities to create partnerships and advance their public art careers. We also help others find, select, curate, fund, and commission public artists. Forecast emphasizes access for artists of color, indigenous artists, and groups that are traditionally excluded.
Forecast firmly believes that culture and creativity are important drivers of creating a more just society. As one of the country’s first nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing the field of public art, we are called to advocate for and advance public art practices that advance justice, health and human dignity. We are invested in public art that plays a crucial role in creating a sense of belonging, and supporting people to realize their potential and live healthy lives.
What is public art?
Public art plays a crucial role in shaping our culturally vibrant and sustainable communities. Artists of all disciplines are treating public space as a venue for creative experimentation. Public art offers opportunities for community collaboration, for ideas to shape our environment, and to influence change. The definition is always expanding — performance art, interventions, land art, and wrapped buildings are just some examples — and artists are redefining public art every day.
Resource Team Member - NEA Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program (CPTA) contract with Forecast Public Art
Open Date: January 21, 2025
Close Date: February 26, 2025
Position Title: Resource Team Member, Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program
Number of Positions: Up to 10
Type: Contract, Hourly as Needed
Compensation: $200 per hour
Location: Remote (with occasional travel in the US)
Duration: Up to 60 hours over 16 months
Overview:
Forecast Public Art has been selected by the NEA as the cooperative partner for The Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance (CPTA) Program. This program offers technical assistance and learning opportunities for NEA Our Town grantees and the creative placemaking field. Our Town is the NEA’s creative placemaking grant program that seeks to strengthen local communities through arts, design, and cultural strategies that support economic, physical, and social outcomes.
Forecast seeks experienced practitioners from across the country to serve as Resource Team Members to support Our Town grantees and their project partners. This contract involves providing one-on-one consultations, facilitating workshops and peer exchanges, and offering targeted guidance on integrating arts, culture, and design into community development and creative placemaking strategies.
Resource Team Members will work with a range of communities across the country, helping them harness creative placemaking practices to achieve locally relevant and long-term outcomes. The focus will be on supporting diverse groups and partner entities, including rural, urban, tribal populations, arts organizations, local governments, community leaders, among other populations and entities in navigating and enhancing their creative placemaking projects.
This position is an excellent opportunity for creative placemaking professionals who are passionate about supporting local communities and advancing the transformative power of arts and culture in community development.
Key Responsibilities:
As a Resource Team member, you may be contracted to:
- Provide tailored coaching and mentorship to Our Town grantees, assisting them in developing and implementing creative placemaking projects or connecting them with other resources, and offering guidance on navigating challenges related to funding, local governance, and community dynamics during the lifecycle of creative placemaking projects.
- Facilitate peer affinity groups, supporting grantee conversations in topics of their choosing related to their creative placemaking projects.
- Lead or co-lead Creative Placemaking Workshops, offering practical tools, skills, and strategies for local leaders to successfully carry out their projects.
- Participate in the Creative Lounge, an informal forum where you’ll share insights, celebrate successes, and answer questions from grantees and partners.
- Assist in developing and disseminating materials for the Creative Placemaking Toolkit, helping grantees incorporate best practices in artist partnerships, community engagement, and project evaluation.
Key Qualifications:
We are looking for candidates with:
- Proven expertise in creative placemaking, community development, and/or arts, culture, or design projects that address social, economic, or environmental challenges.
- Experience working with a wide range of communities and places.
- Strong skills in mentorship and coaching, with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to supporting creative placemaking practitioners.
- A deep understanding of project management, including partnership building, community engagement, and navigating the complexities of local governance.
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills, capable of leading virtual and in-person trainings, peer groups, and workshops.
- Commitment to advancing inclusive community engagement and development through arts and culture.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with Our Town grants or other federal grant programs.
- Experience working with peer-learning or knowledge-sharing networks in a professional setting.
- Ability to contribute to the creation of digital resources and toolkits for a broad audience of practitioners.
Compensation:
This is a contract-based role which will begin in April 2025 and end in July 2026. Resource Team Members will earn $200/hour, and the number of hours will vary for each Resource Team Member based on the needs of their Our Town grantee partners.
Application Process:
Please submit your application via Submittable. Your application may include a brief portfolio and/or links to relevant projects and should not exceed 5 pages.
Apply by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 26, 2025.
If needed, interviews will take place the weeks of March 10, 2025
Candidates will be notified by March 24, 2025.
Virtual onboarding will happen in April 2025.
For more information about the Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program, please visit creativeplacemaking.us.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is pleased to invite artists in New Jersey to participate in ‘Making It Public’, a free 5-week virtual training series designed for artists interested in exploring and expanding their public art making practice. The State Arts Council urges artists in New Jersey to utilize this free training opportunity.
This workshop series, comprised of five 90-minute virtual workshop sessions, covers practical and tactical subject matters for artists at all stages of their careers. Session panelists include local and national public artists. ‘Making It Public’ is facilitated by Forecast Public Art Consultant Candida Gonzalez on the Zoom platform. An additional pre-recorded video session will be emailed prior to each meeting.
Workshop Registration Deadline
February 27 @ 5pm ET
March 12 (6-7:30pm ET) Welcome and Introduction
March 19 (6-7:30pm ET) Community Engagement
March 26 (6-7:30pm ET) New Jersey Public Arts Inclusion Program
April 2 (6-7:30pm ET) Managing Your Projects
April 9 (6-7:30pm ET) Conclusion
Did you join us last year? Join us again! What's different:
We will have one guest speaker each for weeks 2, 3, and 4. New guests will join us and will provide more time for group discussion. Week 3 will be focused on New Jersey’s Public Arts Inclusion program.
CONGRATULATIONS on receiving a Midwest Memory grant!
Please fill out this form by 11:59pm on Sunday, January 5, 2025 to help us prepare to promote and celebrate the new grantees.
Please do not share this information until after Forecast has promoted the new grantees. Throughout your grant period, you’re encouraged to share your grant-related work on social media to expand your project’s impact. Please tag us @forecastpublicart [facebook, Instagram, Threads] and @forecastpublicart.bsky.social [BlueSky].
Questions?
Contact Jen Krava jenk@forecastpublicart.org