NYC DOT Art Program, Community Commissions 2017, ‘Common Demoninator’ by Anthony Heinz May
Artists are invited to submit public art proposals by Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m.
Selected artists will design and install temporary public art on NYC DOT infrastructure in collaboration with community-based partners
New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced today a call for artists to create temporary public artwork in each of the five boroughs. The agency is conducting the search through a new Community Commissions: Artists Request for Proposals (RFP), a signature NYC DOT Art initiative in which the agency collaborates with community-based organizations to commission artists to design and install temporary, site-responsive public art on NYC DOT infrastructure, including medians, triangles, sidewalks, and asphalt. The agency may provide up to $20,000 to selected artists for production of artwork and other project-related costs. The RFP is open through June 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
“Public art inspires New Yorkers and beautifies our streetscape, and there’s no better way to amplify and support the mission of these local organizations than collaborating to make our public spaces more vibrant,” said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We encourage all local artists to apply for this unique funding opportunity to produce artwork in their neighborhoods.”
NYC DOT is partnering with community-based organizations that will participate throughout all phases of project development, including artist selection, design evolution, community engagement and outreach, fabrication, installation, maintenance, and other project related tasks.
NYC DOT will display artworks for up to 11 months at designated community sites and is interested in proposals for sculptural or two-dimensional work. Artists are invited to propose site-responsive design and installation plans via the Community Commissions: Artists Request for Proposals on Submittable for the following priority sites and partner list:
Bronx
Partner Organization: Concourse House, Home for Women and Their Children
Site: Sidewalk at Grand Concourse and East Fordham Road
Brooklyn
Partner Organization: I AM Caribbeing
Site: Pedestrian space at Washington Avenue and Empire Boulevard
Manhattan
Partner Organization: West Harlem Art Fund
Site: Sidewalk median located at Lenox Avenue and 124th Street
Queens
Partner: Rubin Museum of Art
Site: Diversity Plaza at Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway
Staten Island
Partner: On Your Mark
Site: Corson Avenue and Victory Boulevard
These community-based organizations were selected from a 2023 RFP for their mission and vision in welcoming art that celebrates their communities.
Learn More at Upcoming Webinar
Join NYC DOT Art for a webinar on June 5, 2024, at 12 p.m. to learn about this RFP. This webinar will review the open call for artists to create site-specific, temporary public art in NYC. NYC DOT Art will introduce the partner organizations, discuss the five installation sites (one in each borough), and review the application process. Please register via Zoom.
About NYC DOT Art
New York City Department of Transportation Art (NYC DOT Art) partners with community-based not-for-profit organizations and professional artists to display temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to 11 months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections, and eye-catching sculptures. A variety of public spaces serve as canvases for temporary arts, including sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas, and pedestrianized spaces. Since 2008, NYC DOT Art has produced 450 temporary artworks citywide. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dotart and @nyc_DOTArt.
