Flaherty Square-Shirley Ave Lighting

The City of Revere seeks to install a temporary lighting exhibit at Flaherty Square, located at the intersection of Kimball Ave, Beach Street, and North Shore Road in the Shirley Ave neighborhood. The goal is to install a piece that emphasizes a main access point into the diverse and vibrant Shirley Ave commercial corridor and activates a soon-to-be renovated outdoor space. The Shirley Ave neighborhood is a multicultural commercial district with more than 30 small, mostly immigrant-owned businesses. This call for art is a direct response to the 2023-2024 Shirley Ave Public Realm Improvement Participatory Budgeting process in which the community voiced support for creative public art lighting and a "gateway" element to increase awareness of the commercial district. Acceptable project types include lit sculptures, overhead lighting features, neon lights, projections, luminous paint, laser art, and similar work.

The City issues a call for art through a two-part application process. In Phase 01, applicants submit Concept Proposals including an overview of lead artists and/or artist teams, concept design, and description by October 10, 2025. Up to three artists or artist teams will be invited to submit Phase 02 Project Proposals by January 9, 2026, which must include a project budget (up to $12,000), implementation overview, and illustrative renderings. Following selection, the design will be formalized through a design process that includes review with affected property owners and at least two design discussions with the community. The selected artist(s) will manage project installation in coordination with the City's Department of Public Works. The project site includes the public right-of-way and public open space undergoing renovation in 2025-early 2026. Event dates are August 1, 2026 through December 1, 2026. Up to three finalists selected in Phase 01 will each receive a $1,000 stipend for Phase 02 participation. The selected artist or team will receive $12,000 for project implementation.