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, in partnership with Ramsey County and project collaborators, invites artists and artist teams to apply for three temporary public art commissions at the RiversEdge site in downtown Saint Paul.
This call is part of a larger effort to transform underutilized riverfront land into a vibrant, connected, and culturally meaningful public space. RiversEdge represents a major public investment in the future of Saint Paul and will link downtown to the Mississippi River while creating new opportunities for gathering, storytelling, and shared civic life.
Artists are invited to propose temporary projects that respond to this moment of transformation before construction begins, and help shape how people experience and connect to the site during its ongoing development, and get them excited for what’s coming in the future.
OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW
Three (3) artists or artist teams will be selected to create temporary, site-responsive artworks at RiversEdge.
Artists must select one (1) site location (Site 1, 2, or 3) as part of their application.
All artworks should:
- Have a theme that includes some sort of connection to the Mississippi River (through visuals, storytelling, movement/form, etc.)
- Tell a story or share a message about this place: Saint Paul, the riverfront, the Mississippi River, the bluffs, etc.
PROJECT SITES
Detailed maps and images are included in the application materials. Artists must select one (1) site and develop a concept that responds directly to its specific conditions and priorities.
Site 1: Kellogg Edge – Jersey Barriers & Chain Link Fence
Theme: Visibility, Geography, and Connection to the River
This site is experienced at speed and from multiple vantage points, including Shepard Road and Kellogg Boulevard. Proposals should prioritize strong visual impact at scale and help establish a clear relationship between downtown and the river.
Successful proposals will:
- Create high visual impact from both near and far viewpoints
- Emphasize connection to the river as a central idea
- Respond to the concept that “geography is here”, making the presence of the river legible from the street
- Work at scale, reading clearly across a long linear condition
Artists are encouraged to consider:
- Bold, large-scale gestures or repeated elements
- Graphic, sculptural, or spatial approaches that carry visual distance
- Strategies that transform barriers into a visible gateway or signal
Site 2: Bluff Retaining Wall
Theme: Flow, Color, Movement, and Story
This site should emphasize fluidity, vibrancy, and layered storytelling, transforming the wall into an expressive and connective surface.
Priority qualities include:
- Flow: Avoid rigid compositions; emphasize movement and continuity
- Color: Strong, vivid use of color is highly encouraged
- Kinetic: Suggest or incorporate motion, rhythm, or change over time
- Connective: Link people, place, and experience across the site
- Cultural Storytelling: Reflect narratives of place, identity, and community
Artists are encouraged to consider:
- Dynamic compositions that move across the wall
- Color-forward approaches that shift perception of the site
- Layered storytelling—abstract, symbolic, or literal
- Work that engages both passersby and those spending time nearby
- Please note that as it is structural, we cannot attach anything to the wall and since it is temporary, cannot apply the art directly to the wall (like paint).
Site 3: Ground Plane at the Base of the Bluff
Theme: Perspective, Scale, and Multi-Level Experience
This site should operate across multiple vantage points, including views from above (Kellogg), at grade, and from a distance including from and across the river.
Priority qualities include:
- Aerial experience: The work should read strongly from above, in addition to ground level
- Perspective: Consider how the work changes from up close vs. far away
- Scale / Visibility: Ensure the work is legible at a distance while still engaging at human scale
Artists are encouraged to consider:
- Large-scale ground-based or spatial interventions
- Works that reveal different readings depending on viewpoint
- Pattern, form, or composition that is legible from elevation
- Strategies that engage movement through and around the work
People will not be able to access the site to engage with the artwork. The piece should allow for circulation at the site after installation.
PROJECT GOALS
Selected artists will contribute to:
- Strengthening connections between people and the Mississippi River
- Supporting downtown Saint Paul vitality
- Reflecting layered cultural, ecological, and historical narratives
- Activating the site during phased development, and creating excitement for what is to come at RiversEdge.