City of Seattle: 2017 Public Art Boot Camp

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is offering a free two-day intensive training for visual artists interested in working in the public realm but with no prior public art experience. Up to 30 artists will be selected to participate. Artists chosen for Public Art Boot Camp will receive basic training in public art practice and will be eligible to receive a commission for one of 14 temporary projects in summer 2017.

Public Art Boot Camp is open to artists living in Washington or Oregon who have not received a temporary or permanent public art commission over $5,000. Applicants should have an interest in exploring the presentation of their work in public settings and an interest in community-building or enhancing the built environment. Priority will be given to emerging artists and artists from historically under-represented communities and communities of color. Selected artists must attend two full days of training on Saturday, February 18 and Saturday, February 25, 2017 (approximately 16 hours total) at the Seattle Center Armory lofts, 305 Harrison Street, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Participants will also have an assignment to create a temporary artwork proposal in the week between the two training dates. Workshops will be presented by public art administrators and public artists and will cover public art opportunities, work samples, selection processes, working with architects and design professionals, contracts, budgets, fabrication, and installation.

Application requirements include a 1-2 page résumé, a letter of interest (not to exceed 2,000 characters), 8 images of past work, and an image identification list (not to exceed 500 characters per image). Artists will be selected based on the strength and artistic vision of past artworks, creativity of approach, letter of interest, résumé, and experience with previous art exhibitions or projects. Selected artists will be notified by January 20, 2017. This training is free to all selected participants; travel and lodging are not covered. For questions, contact Marcia Iwasaki at (206) 233-3946 or [email protected], or Elisheba Johnson at (206) 684-0182 or [email protected].