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.
The Nebraska State Arts Council is pleased to offer Making It Public in partnership with Forecast Public art. This workshop series, comprised of six 90-minute virtual workshop sessions, covers practical and tactical subject matters in facilitating public art, such as stakeholder considerations, community engagement, calls‐for‐artists, equitable selection processes, contracting, and more. Sessions 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. An additional pre-recorded video session will be emailed prior to each meeting.
Who should register?
For 6 weeks, we welcome Nebraska individuals who would like to learn how to facilitate, commission, and manage public art projects and programs. Individuals might be from nonprofit organizations, local and regional arts councils, creative districts, and units of government (town, city, county), or unaffiliated with any of those entities. We also encourage registrations from college students who are interested in public art facilitation and arts administration.
Artists are encouraged to register for weeks 2+3 for topics that are also relevant for individuals who are interested in creating public art or art in public spaces.
Individuals must be 18 years of age or older. Certificate of completion will be provided for any individuals who attend all sessions they sign up for.
Guest speakers are TBA.
Participants will receive materials (short videos and worksheets) to review prior to the weekly live sessions. As the workshop material builds upon itself each week, we ask that you review the materials even if you are not able to attend that week's session. There will not be time to watch the videos and fill in the worksheets in the weekly live sessions.
Workshop Registration Deadline:
May 5 @ 11:59pm CT
May 8 (9-10:30am CT) Week 1: Welcome and Introduction
May 15 (9-10:30am CT) Week 2: Community Engagement
May 22 (9-10:30am CT) Week 3: RFQ/RFP, Contracts, Insurance, Maintenance
May 29 (9-10:30am CT) Week 4: Public Art Programs
June 5 (9-10:30am CT) Week 5: Public Art Collection Equity Audits
June 12 (9-10:30am CT) Week 6: Conclusion + Parking Lot
The City of Las Cruces is pleased to invite artists in Las Cruces to participate in ‘Making It Public’, a free 2-day, in-person training designed for artists interested in exploring and expanding their public art making practice.
This workshop covers practical and tactical subject matters for artists at all stages of their careers. Session panelists include local and national public artists and administrators. ‘Making It Public’ is facilitated by Forecast Public Art.
The workshop will take place:
- May 4 + 5, 2024, from 10:30am - 4:30pm each day [with a one hour lunch and planned breaks in the morning and afternoon. Lunch and snacks are provided each day]
- Free of cost for participants!
- Held in Las Cruces at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave,LasCruces, NM 88001
- Guest artists and speakers will share information about: community engagement, how to fund projects, and things to think about related to taxes, and include:
Workshop Registration Deadline
April 19, 2024 @ 11:59pm local time
Ask ALICE! Art Smarter, Not Harder workshops are made possible by grant funding from the NM Creative Industries Division.
Forecast Public Art seeks individual artists or artist teams who live, work, or have long-term connections to the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, to join the Bloomington Artist Placemakers, an artist-led engagement team. Those selected will work as part of a team developing and implementing activities to document community input around the Bloomington Citywide Creative Placemaking Plan. These are temporary part-time independent contractor positions. Your appointment would begin no later than early June 2024 and continue through September 2024.
Duties
Selected artists will:
- Work as part of the Artist Engagement Team, with Forecast and the City of Bloomington to host pop-up events. Together the team will build relationships with neighborhood residents, local businesses and organizations who care about the future of Bloomington to ensure awareness of the Creative Placemaking Plan, provide opportunities for feedback and Q & A’s.
- Develop and use arts-based tools to find out more about residents' opinions, hopes, and dreams for the future of the arts in the City of Bloomington.
- Make recommendations to the team and city regarding community supported input.
Compensation
- Individual artists will be paid a total of $5,000 over the life of the project. Teams of up to 4 people may apply. If chosen, the team members would share the stipend.
- Artists will also receive training, mentoring, and support to grow their artistic practice in community and as a group have access to $5,000 in funds to use for their engagement activities/materials.
- PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of this project much of the work will take place outdoors on weekday evenings, weekends, and during the summer months.
Desired Assets, Skills and Abilities
Selected artists should have:
- Familiarity with the City of Bloomington, including time spent living and/or working in the city.
- Experience designing arts-based activities for community engagement. This may include experience in a variety of media including organizing, social practice, drawing/painting, photography, writing, etc.
- Comfort representing the project team at meetings and community events.
- Comfort using computers including: Social Media, email, web browsers, and word processing software..
Artists with experience in and connections to multiple language communities—including immigrant and refugee communities—are particularly encouraged to apply.
To apply: Attach a resume or experience statement and complete our online Application Form!
Questions? Please contact by email Hawona at hawona@forecastpublicart.org
Read Hawona's Bio