City of Milwaukee Arts Board seeks proposals responding to the role of the arts and artists in civic engagement

The City of Milwaukee Arts Board Public Art Subcommittee invites organizations and artists to submit proposals for nonpartisan public art projects that demonstrate the importance of public art either in motivating people to participate in civic activities, or shaping and reflecting democracy. Up to $25,000 will be awarded by the MAB to one or more projects after a two-step application process.

This is a separate pool of funding in addition to the MAB’s traditional New Work application cycle, which will open the first week in January.

“This investment in the arts comes at a crucial time for increasing civic engagement in our community,” said Ald. Michael Murphy, MAB Chair. “In an ever polarized nation, this grant provides Milwaukee residents with more opportunities to come together through local art and artists. I am excited to see this artwork shared on a national level as the Democratic National Convention approaches.”

Various forms of public art will be considered. These can include traditional forms of public art, such as sculpture, as well as more ephemeral forms, such as performance, video projection, or participatory projects. The public art subcommittee will work with successful applicants to locate their projects downtown by July 1, 2020.  Projects will remain on view through October 2020.  Projects that can transfer to neighborhood locations after the grant period are encouraged.

The deadline for preliminary applications is Jan. 31, 2020. They will be reviewed by the public art subcommittee Feb. 11.  Successful applicants will then be invited to submit a full proposal by Feb. 29, 2020.  Full details on how to apply are available on the MAB website.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.