Mayor Walsh announces pop-up: Franklin Park Art Grove`

Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Office of Arts and Culture announced Pop-Up: Franklin Park Art Grove, a call to artists to submit proposals for temporary, site-related art work. The three-tiered program will include a selection of outdoor art interventions, public talks, and artist-led youth workshops, sited in Franklin Park’s Wilderness Picnic Grove during the month of August 2015. Pop-Up: Franklin Park Art Grove is a collaboration between the Boston Art Commission, Franklin Park Coalition, the William Monroe Trotter Institute, and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. Selected proposals will receive up to $1,500 in funding.

“The artistic community in Boston is a vital aspect of our city,” said Mayor Walsh. “This is an exciting opportunity to showcase the community's talent and enliven one of Boston's premier public spaces. I encourage artists from across all disciplines to make a submission, and look forward to seeing this theme expressed in a multitude of unexpected and creative ways.”

The theme of Pop-Up: Franklin Park Art Grove is endurance. This theme can be broadly interpreted, from the literal endurance of nature as it renews itself every year to the endurance of cities and cultures over time. Priority will be given to interactive proposals that are rooted in this theme, fostering connections between the local community, the natural resources of the area, and the cultural context of Franklin Park. Artists working in any medium are welcome to apply. Accepted media may include sculpture, fashion design, installation, music, painting, drawing, performance, or dance. Collaborations between artists working in different media are encouraged.

Proposal Details

Proposals are due by Monday, May 4, 2015 at 11:59pm.
The theme of Franklin Park Art Grove is endurance. Successful proposals will address this theme in some way.
Proposals must be sited in Franklin Park’s Wilderness Picnic Grove.
Artists/collectives must submit a budget detailing all artist fees and project expenses. Selected proposals will receive up to $1,500.
All proposals must be able to withstand extended public interaction and exposure to the elements.
Works will be exhibited outdoors for the duration of the event (August 8-31).
Please see the online application for installation restrictions and requirements.
Franklin Park Art Grove opening weekend will be August 8-9. Artists must attend the opening weekend to interact with the public. Artists are encouraged to present a public workshop or performance during this time.
An information session for interested applicants will be held at the Franklin Park Clubhouse on April 23 from5-7pm. Please see publicartboston.com for updates.

Submission Details

All proposals must be submitted through the online form available here.
Please consult the online application for the submission checklist and terms of agreement.
Selected artists will be announced mid to late May 2015.
For additional information, please contact art@publicartboston.com

Mayor Walsh believes the arts are crucial to both expressing and achieving his vision for Boston as a thriving, healthy, and innovative global leader of the 21st century. In his first year in office, Mayor Walsh doubled community arts funding by committing to match the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s annual grant to the Boston Cultural Council; took steps to improve the artist permitting process; revived the poet laureate program, naming Danielle Legros Georges Boston’s Poet Laureate; and appointed Julie Burros the City’s first Chief of Arts and Culture in more than two decades, elevating the conversation about the arts to the highest level of City government.