Rochester applied for a public art grant to help young people dealing with trauma
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The city of Rochester is competing with other cities for funding to pay for public art that elevates the personal stories of young people.
In February, the city of Rochester applied for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, which provides cities with up to $1 million for temporary public art. The philanthropic project is intended to revitalize local areas, encourage public-private collaborations and celebrate creativity. Bloomberg Philanthropies was founded by billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The city's proposal is titled "Centering Youth: Acknowledging Trauma and Healing Through Public Art." Art created and displayed would address issues and trauma Rochester youth have experienced due to violence, poverty and educational disparities.
Along with the proposal, the community-wide initiative is designed to cultivate multiple installations and performances created and inspired by city youth. Artists and organizations that are interested in participating in this initiative will need to submit a request for qualification by 5 p.m. Monday, April 3.
In 2014, the program launched and mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more have been encouraged to collaborate with local artists and arts organizations to develop these projects in hopes to improve the quality of life in their cities.
Organizations that are interested in participating must have one or more of the following in their programming:
Arts management
Art therapy
Youth development or engagement
Community outreach
Project management
What are the roles available in Rochester's Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Arts Challenge proposal?
The city's main goal, according to its proposal, is to prioritize collaborative effort for this project and welcome contributions from organizations in order to enhance this project.
Opportunities for participation in the city's plan include:
Partner Type | Role, if selected | Paid or Volunteer | How to Apply |
Lead Partner - artists and organizations focused on arts management, art therapy, youth development/engagement, community outreach, or project management | - Work with the city to further develop the project- Be part of the team submitting a Phase 2 application later this spring- Help administer and implement the project during 2024-2025 | Paid | |
Project Artist | Work with youth and other community partners to create one or more artworks (artistic medium TBD) in 2024-2025 | Paid, with some opportunities for other artists to collaborate as volunteers | Respond to a later Call for Art.Note that artists selected as Lead Partners will be eligible to respond to the Call for Art, provided they have not participated in the specific task of developing the Call for Art, thus avoiding a conflict of interest. |
Supporting Partner -organization or individual | Various opportunities to support and collaborate with the City, Lead Partners, and Project Artists such as:- Providing spaces for art installations or performances- Helping promote the project- Providing support to facilitators and organizers-Participating on the project steering committee | Volunteer/in-kind contributions, with the possibility of some paid opportunities. | Contact Heather Anderson to discuss partnership opportunities: heather.anderson@cityofrochester.gov.No commitment is needed at this time, nor are the details of this role. |
Supporting Funder - organization or individual | Provide additional funding to the project to make it even more robust. | N/A | Contact Heather Anderson to discuss partnership opportunities:heather.anderson@cityofrochester.gov. |
According to the city's website, in the event that the city is awarded the Bloomberg grant in the fall, Partners selected through the process may be required to enter into a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with the city, which must be approved by City Council.
Click here to view the City’s PSA template.
What happens if Rochester is awarded a Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge?
If the city is rewarded with the grant, selected partners will help manage the project over the course of the two-year grant term and artists selected will help further develop the project proposal. Artists who are only interested in creating the public artwork are encouraged to respond to the Call for Art that will be issued at a later date.
The anticipated timeline for this application process is as follows:
Activity | Date (all times EST) |
RFQ Release | March 3 |
Pre-Submission Conference | 10 a.m., March 16 |
Deadline for Questions | 5 p.m. March 22 |
Responses Circulated | by March 24 |
Qualification submissions due | 5 p.m. April 3 |
Partner selection and Notification | Week of May 8, 2023 |
Finalists are announced and second-round applications are due | Spring 2023 |
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces winners | Fall 2023 |
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester applies for Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge
