Current Calls and Funding
Public Art Boot Camp
2018 Public Art Boot Campers visit Grass Blades
The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is offering a professional development and mentorship program for visual artists who are interested in the public art realm but have never done work in the field before. Artists will be selected through a competitive process to participate in a series of workshops, seminars, and mentorship meetings focused on the public art practice which will culminate in a commission for a temporary public artwork.
ARTS is invested in training the next generation of public artists who can create culturally relevant artworks that resonate with the diverse population of the City of Seattle. Public Art Boot Camp provides training to artists who are ready to translate their exhibition experience to the public art realm. This is a competitive process so artists must apply to be considered. Up to 12 artists will be selected to participate.
Please see the full call for the full details.
Eligibility
Public Art Boot Camp is open to artists currently living in Washington or Oregon state who have not received a temporary or permanent public art commission over $5,000 (a commission is defined as an artwork that is created by an artist at the request of an entity: public agency, private business, corporation, or individual; and that is/was displayed in a public location).
Applicants should have an interest in exploring the presentation of their work in public settings and an interest in community-building or enhancing the built environment. Applicants should also be committed to learning how to maintain artistic creativity and vision while attending to the demands of the public process. Priority will be given to emerging artists and artists from historically under-represented communities, including communities of color.
Budget
Each selected artist will receive up to $8,600. The budget includes a $7,000 temporary art commission and a $200 stipend for each workshop attended up to $1,600. If the artist cannot complete the program or the temporary art commission the City reserves the right to award the temporary commission to an alternate artist.
Deadline
11:59pm Pacific, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Please allow ample time to complete and submit your application; applications submitted after the 11:59 pm deadline will not be accepted.
Workshop
Get tips on how to submit your strongest application. First time applicants are especially encouraged to attend:
Saturday, June 6, 2020, 1-3:00pm
Please RSVP here
Application
Info
For questions about the program or help with the online application, please contact Project Manager, Rebecca Johnson.
Rebecca Johnson
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rebecca.johnson@seattle.gov
(206) 684-0182
Rebecca “Becky” Johnson has worked in the field of public art for ten years, including the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro Art program, the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture, and public art consulting. Becky received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, a minor in Business from the University of Central Arkansas, and a Masters of Public Art Studies from the University of Southern California. As a new resident of the Pacific Northwest, Becky loves exploring Seattle and the greater area with her partner.
Bridge Artist in Residence: Graphic Novel Artists
The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will select two graphic novel creators for a unique project-based residency within two of Seattle’s iconic bridges. The northwest tower of the Fremont Bridge and the southeastern tower of the University Bridge will become a working studio/office for the artists to use the historic bridge and location as inspiration for their work.
If the residency locations are inaccessible in response to the COVID-19 Public Health guidelines, a remote residency will be agreed upon.
Two artists will be selected for two separate residencies that occur in the same approximate timeframe from August – November 2020. Each artist will determine a schedule of when they are “in residence” and the project will include public sharing the artwork they create as part of this project. New work created as part of this residency shall represent or illuminate some aspect of the bridge and the bridge’s history, be it real or metaphorical.
Copyright of the material created during the residency remains with the artist.
Please see the full call for more details.
Eligibility
This call is open to graphic novel creators that live within commuting distance of Seattle for the residency requirement of this project. This opportunity is for an individual and writer/artist, teams are not eligible to apply. Students over 18 years of age are eligible to apply.
Budget
Each of the two selected artists will receive $10,000 USD ($5,000 for residency, $5,000 for project, presentation, documentation), inclusive of all residency costs, project, presentation, documentation of the work, and applicable taxes. Payment will be made in installments based on benchmarks established by ARTS in consultation with the artist.
Deadline
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 11:59pm Pacific. Please allow ample time to complete your application; applications submitted after the 11:59pm deadline will not be accepted.
Workshop
On Thursday, May 7, we held a virtual workshop to help you turn in your strongest application. Watch a recording of the virtual workshop.
Application
Questions about using Submittable? Submittable maintains an FAQ and offers step-by-step guides on their help platform here. For further assistance with the Submittable online application, please contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com.
Info
For questions about the program or for help with the online application, please contact Project Manager, Maija McKnight.
Maija McKnight
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maija.mcknight@seattle.gov
(206) 684-7311
Maija has worked in the arts field for more than 15 years including serving as the Arts Coordinator for the City of Auburn, Washington and within the education departments of Tacoma Art Museum, Seattle Art Museum, and Seattle Asian Art Museum. With an undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies from Western Washington University and a masters degree in Museum Studies from the University of Washington, this former Montanan enjoys spending time at the beach with her family and making things out of metal in her studio.
Maija also speaks: Mandarin.
Do Something at ARTS at King Street Station
Photo by Benjamin Benschneider
Applications for ARTS at King Street Station are currently on pause.
Please follow us on social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or sign up for email updates and announcements of the reopening of the application and ARTS at King Street Station.
S Surface
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s.surface@seattle.gov
(206) 256-5484
S Surface is a Seattle-based curator of art, design and architecture, and the King Street Station Program Lead with ARTS. Previously, Surface was co-curator of The Alice, an artist-run exhibition space and writers' residency, and Out Of Sight 2017, a regional survey of Pacific Northwest artists. As Program Director at Design in Public, Surface organized the annual city-wide Seattle Design Festival and curated at the Center for Architecture & Design. Trained in graphic design, photography and entrepreneurship at Parsons School of Design, and with a M.Arch from Yale School of Architecture, research coordinator and editor with C-LAB, Volume Architectural Journal, and the Network Architecture Lab at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; and a teaching fellow in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department at Yale University. Surface served on the Seattle Arts Commission and on the board of Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility
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