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.
Forecast Public Art seeks four artists or artist pairs with connections to Saint Paul's Rice Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to John Ireland Boulevard, including time spent living and/or working in or around the Frogtown, Rondo, Downtown, and/or Lowertown neighborhoods.
Project: Capitol Rice Street Visioning and Reconstruction
Positions Available: 4 (open to artist pairs)
Artist Stipend: $10,000 per artist or artist pair
Materials: $8,000 across all artists
Applications Due: Friday, January 3, 2025, no later than 11:59pm CST
BACKGROUND
Ramsey County and the City of Saint Paul are working in coordination with the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board (CAAPB) to design and construct a community-driven vision for Rice Street near the Minnesota State Capitol from John Ireland Boulevard to Pennsylvania Avenue. This project will build off the connections formed during the visioning and construction of Rice Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Wheelock Parkway throughout the past five years (2019-2024) and is also being coordinated with Metro Transit’s METRO G Line BRT project and CAAPB plans for the area.
This area of Rice Street is a hub of activity near downtown Saint Paul that serves a diverse mix of residents, visitors, businesses and modes of travel. The existing roadway is aging with safety and traffic concerns, and there is the need for strengthened community development, business vitality, bike and pedestrian connections, public safety, livability, and compatible land uses in the corridor. Dialogue between the community and the project team will help to deliver a successful project with a solution that was constructed by the very people who live and use the area.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Public engagement is a key part of the Rice Street Capitol Area project!
The project engagement team, working under the direction of Ramsey County and the City of Saint Paul, consists of Bolton & Menk, Forecast Public Art, and 4RM+ULA. As the project team’s arts-based public engagement lead, Forecast Public Art is seeking individual artists and artist pairs with connections to Saint Paul's Frogtown, Rondo, Downtown, and/or Lowertown neighborhoods to join our Rice Street Artist Engagement Team.
DUTIES
The Rice Street Artist Engagement Team, consisting of four selected individual artists and/or artist pair, will:
- Collaborate with Forecast to co-develop and implement an arts-based community engagement plan.
- Staff community events, alongside the larger project team, to build on existing relationships with neighborhood residents, local businesses, and organizations who care about the future of Rice Street. The goals of these events include ensuring awareness of the project planning and design process, and providing opportunities for Q & A’s.
- Develop and use arts-based tools for activities, activations, or engagements that connect with the communities surrounding the project for 6 pop-up events and 4 open house events.
BUDGET
$10,000
Each of the four (4) individual artists and/or artist pairs in the Rice Street Artist Engagement Team will be paid a total of $10,000, in eight quarterly payments, over the life of the project. Artists will receive mentoring and support to grow their artistic practice as a group. The entire Rice Street Artist Engagement Team will have access to $8000 in funds to use for their engagement activities.
Due to the nature of this project, please note that much of the work may take place at a variety of times including early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
ELIGIBILITY
Selected artists should have:
- Familiarity with the Rice Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to John Ireland Boulevard, including time spent living and/or working in or around the Frogtown, Rondo, Downtown, and/or Lowertown neighborhoods.
- Experience designing arts-based activities for community engagement. This may include experience in a variety of mediums including social practice, drawing/painting, photography, writing, etc.
- Comfort representing the project team in meetings and community events.
- Comfort using technology including, but not limited to
- Communicating in a timely manager via email or telephone
- Online research tools
- Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Because of the rich cultural diversity of the community, artists with foreign language skills and connections to and/or experience working in historically-underrepresented communities - including immigrant and refugee communities present in the project area - are particularly encouraged to apply.
TIMELINE
These are temporary part-time independent contractor positions funded early 2025 through 2027.
Interviews will take place in January 2025.
Contracting and onboarding for the Rice Street Artist Engagement Team will begin in February 2025.
Artists with experience in and connections to multiple language communities -- including immigrant and refugee communities present in the neighborhoods, are particularly encouraged to apply.
To apply: Fill out our online Application Form
Questions? Please contact us by email at RiceStreetArtists@ForecastPublicArt.org no later than Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
Please note our office will be closed December 19, 2024 until January 2, 2025.
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.