Call to Artists: Un-monument | Re-monument | De-monument

Don't miss any important information! Please read the full Call to Artists.

The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (MOAC) searched for proposals from artists or artist-led teams for new temporary monuments, as well as “un-monuments” that transform public places to reflect the city’s cultural vibrancy in dialogue with Boston’s collection of existing monuments.

Across the nation, communities have been in the process of asking themselves how we should tell our stories through monuments. Here, in Boston, we have made significant changes to our commemorative landscape by:

• Planning for new artworks that fill some of the gaps in our storytelling,
• Deinstalling works after extensive community organizing and public meetings,
• and commissioning temporary artworks and murals to support artists creating works that are socially responsive and experimental.

With that momentum, we want to take a creative approach to our discourse on monuments, centering community, artists, and experimentation through temporary art, interpretation and education, public talks and engagement events.

Artists are uniquely suited to pose difficult questions, challenge misconceptions, and question misrepresentations as they embrace different ways of thinking and provoke looking at our monuments and what they represent anew.

With the support of the Mellon Foundation’s Monument Project, we are collaborating with partners across the City, who have been deeply engaged in this work for years. Together, we are now in the process of commissioning transformative art and monuments and planning free public talks and events.

This Call was open to all professional artists—local, national, and international—with a strong preference for those with experience in public art, site responsive design, project management, and community engagement

Potential artworks could include but are not limited to:

• Temporary sculptural installations and interventions
• Murals and re-creation or restoration of existing murals*
• New media, including augmented reality 
• Social practice and community-engaged cultural practices
• Other, including interior installations or performances visible and/or audible freely to passersby in the public realm

*With permission from or in collaboration with the original artist, if it’s not you.

Site criteria

• Projects may take place in any City of Boston diverse neighborhoods. 
• Projects may take place on public or private property, if accessible.
• Artworks must not interfere with the accessibility of sites or public safety. For example, no art should be proposed to impede public movement through pathways, streets, or bike lanes. 
• Artworks must be removed and the site restored to previous condition.
• No existing masonry or infrastructure at the site can be impacted by the temporary installation. No installation should be done in a manner that negatively impacts vegetation including tree canopy or critical root zones. Proper protection should be taken to prevent any damage caused by equipment necessary to install and remove the installation.

We held virtual Q&A sessions on Wednesday April 10, 2024 at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET on Zoom. You can now watch the Zoom recording or read our FAQ document.

Q&A Session Recording

FAQ document

1. Artist Description
   • Bio, resume, CV, or other documents that describe the artist’s background and experience. For teams, include information for all team members. Please name a lead artist for the application process. Five files maximum; PDF, DOC, or DOCX.
2. Project Partners
   • Please share the bio, resume, CV, or other documents that describe any non-artist project partners’ background and experience. For teams, include information for all team members.
3. Project Year
   • Propose temporary public art for 2024 or 2025.
4. Project Medium
   • Please select the medium that best describes your project: Sculpture, mural, new media , social practice, or other.
5. Statement of Interest and Initial Project Concept
   • Narrative describing an initial artistic concept, why you’re interested in this opportunity, what connection you have to the site and/ or neighborhood you propose, and any specific or unique processes you might use for the project. 
   • In this section, you should show us that your proposal shows consideration of the neighborhood, physical site, and related social and cultural history; informs Boston’s public art landscape and dialogue going forward; and is socially responsive and transforms public space to reflect the city’s cultural vibrancy, including the people, ideas, histories, and futures of Boston.
6. Community Engagement Plan
   • A description of your community engagement approach for the project and site(s) you propose.
7. Project Site
   • Projects may be proposed for public or private property but must be free and publicly accessible.
8. Proposal Permissions or Plans for Permissions
   • Please indicate whether the site owner or any other important stakeholder has approved your proposal and, if they have not, share a plan for attaining their support and approval. 
   • All artist selection is pending property-owner approval of proposal, installation and de-installation plan, and proof of insurance.
9. Relevant Work Samples
   • Up to ten images of completed past work that you feel is relevant to this proposal. 
   • One image per file; jpg, tiff, or MP4 file types; limit videos to two minutes or less. 
10. Visual Concepts (Optional)
    • In addition to the initial written project concept, you have the option to include up to five initial visual concepts. 
    • One image per file; jpg, tiff, or MP4 file types; limit videos to two minutes or less. 
11. Annotated Image List
    • An Annotated image list with title, media, dimensions, location, date, brief description, your role in the project (lead, assistant, etc.) and any other information that might be relevant. PDF, Doc, or DOCX.
12. Budget Tiers
    • We are looking for artist-led temporary art proposals in four project tiers: under $9,999, $15,000-$30,000, $30,000-$60,000, $60,000-$100,000. MOAC expects to allocate the majority of grants to the Under $9,999 tier.  
      • Applications requesting under $9,999:
        • Applicants in this budget tier must explain how they will spend the grant funds, but a detailed spreadsheet is not necessary
      • If selected, grant recipients in this grant tier will not be required to sign a formal grant agreement. 
      • If selected, grant recipients in this grant tier will be able to receive their grant payment upfront in a lump sum. Invoicing will not be required. 
    • All applications requesting $10,000 and above:  
      • Applicants in these budget tiers must provide a detailed budget narrative, as well as a proposed budget spreadsheet. 
        • Your budget must cover everything needed to bring your project to life, inclusive of but not limited to: all artist fees and costs associated with project requirements including administration, labor, research, designs, engineering, community engagement materials and sessions, meetings and presentations, fabrication, supplies, equipment, travel, transportation, transport of work to the site, installations, insurance, permits, and documentation. Limited technical support will be provided.
    • If your project is awarded partial funding, a revised budget will be requested.

All response and information submitted in response to this Call to Artists are subject to the Massachusetts public record law, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 66, s. 10, and Mass. Gen. Laws c. 4. s. 7(26), and will become property of the City. 

• Call released: Friday, March 29, 2024, at 4 p.m. ET
• Call closed: Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET
  • Please note that this opportunity will open again in 2025 for new applications.