Civil Rights Summer 2024: 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

The City of Topeka is seeking artists and artist collectives for a summer-long civil rights commemoration in 2024 marking the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. The project will create collaborative and meaningful artwork centered on critical discussion of both the historic and contemporary heritage of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, serving as the centerpiece of a creative, multi-disciplinary, multi-site experience that seeks to create meaningful conversation about equity and justice.

The project is facilitated by ArtsConnect in collaboration with the City of Topeka, Visit Topeka, Inc., and other local partners. Three artists or artist collectives will be selected through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to develop full project proposals. The project budget is expected to range from $200,000-$350,000. Selected artists will receive $2,500 each for proposal development, paid in two installments ($1,250 upon signed agreement and $1,250 upon proposal delivery).

Applicants must submit 6-10 images of their work (with up to 4 optional videos no longer than 3 minutes each), artist resume(s) emphasizing public art projects, a letter of interest (no longer than 2 pages) describing their interest and approach to the project, and professional references for up to 3 past installations or commissions. The RFQ deadline is December 5, 2022. Selected artists will develop full proposals due in January 2023, which must include artist statement, overall concept, description of proposed works, timelines, budget, site plans, visualizations, and details about keystone experiences, multi-site programming, local artist engagement, family-oriented activations, and 2024 programming timeline. The opportunity is open to US-based artists and artist collectives with experience in socially-engaged, cross-disciplinary public art suitable for outdoor display.