By Erin Williams—
MUNCIE, IN – MuncieArts is looking for artists to apply to the Public Art Artist Pool.
In 2021, Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MuncieArts) was selected by the City of Muncie to administer $500,000 of new funding for Public Art Projects from the American Rescue Plan. With this funding, MuncieArts is working with the community to implement many new projects in select neighborhoods around the city.
Outdoor public artworks including sculpture, installation, and murals are being planned through 2024, with project budgets ranging between $5,000 to $150,000.
As part of these efforts, MuncieArts has worked with the city and community to develop a new formula for selecting public artists and artworks for the city.
Muncie’s first Public Art Artist Pool is now encouraging artists who would like to create public art in Muncie to apply to the Pool. This database of prequalified artists will be used to determine shortlists for current and future public art projects in the city. All artists working or eligible to work in the United States are welcome to apply. Local and Indiana-based artists are encouraged. Application is free.
Volunteers work on the “More Love” mural.
“We are looking for all types of artists, not just people who have experience in Public Art,” said Erin Williams, Executive Director of MuncieArts. “When the city, a business, or a neighborhood comes to us for help finding an artist for a project, we want to be able to show them a variety of artists and styles so their project can be a success. This includes local, statewide, and national artists.”
How does the Public Art Artist Pool work?
Applicants can go to https://www.munciearts.org/rfq and select either the 2D or 3D artist pool to apply to. If you are an artist that works in both 2D and 3D, pick the category that feels most appropriate to you. Application requirements include a statement of interest, an artist bio, a digital portfolio of work samples, and information about how the artist works with the community. The application will then be reviewed and kept on file if it is accepted into the pool. The pool will be re-evaluated and opened for updates every few years.
When a public art opportunity arises, MuncieArts can use the database to find a selection of artists that cover a wide variety of experiences, styles, backgrounds, and community practices to create a short list for the public art project. This short list will then be turned over to a project selection committee that includes community members who will determine their top 2-3 finalists based on the information submitted by the artist.
The finalists selected for the project will be contacted to create a design proposal and will receive a stipend of $500-$1,500 for their work. The artists not selected as finalists will be returned to the artist pool for future opportunities. Once design proposals are complete, they will be displayed publicly for voting by the community where the artwork will be installed. The vote will determine which final proposal wins the project.
“We are excited about this new process because it is transparent, community focused, and open to anyone,” Williams said. “It is great for artists because they are not asked to design specific project proposals for free. The short list artists will always be paid to create a design proposal and will know the budget for each project ahead of time. This will help raise awareness about the cost of public work and the reasonable rate of pay for public artists. There are also many points in this process where the community can have a say in the artwork that will become part of their neighborhood. It puts the final selection process in the hands of the people.”
Do you have an idea for a public art project in Muncie? Apply to the Public Art Artist Pool to be considered for upcoming projects! You might not hear from MuncieArts right away, but don’t worry, once you are in the pool you are on the radar! Questions about the pool and projects can be directed to publicart@munciearts.org.
The Muncie Arts and Culture Council is the designated Arts Partner for the City of Muncie. MuncieArts supports and celebrates arts and culture in Muncie. For more information about MuncieArts, please go to munciearts.org.
