Call for Art Recognizing Enslavement
Ends on
Call to artists
Yale’s Committee for Art Recognizing Enslavement (CARE) is seeking artists with experience in public art, socially engaged art, or participatory art to create artistic interventions, permanent and ephemeral, and related programming in New Haven to address Yale’s historical roles and associations with slavery and the slave trade as well as the legacy of that history.
Inclusive programming that fosters reflection, remembrance, discussion, learning, and healing will be essential for each project. The Committee encourages artists to consider the monumental nature of this work and the projected timeline as part of their process in determining interest.
Project options
For selected commissions, CARE would provide…
For temporary artistic interventions, such as pop-ups, performances, or other installations, the artist(s) will have a budget, including:
- an artist stipend
- a production fund for delivering the program
For a long-term or permanent work of art, the artist(s) will receive:
- an artist stipend
- a residency for up to 4 months in New Haven, including a studio/workspace in the city of New Haven
- the selected artist will have access to the resources of the Beinecke Library, University Archives, and other Yale Library repositories; connections with academic centers such as the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition and the Department of African American Studies; and connections with New Haven historical and cultural organizations
- connections to creative networks to support artists in the process of designing their work
CARE will award multiple project grants ranging from $100,000-$500,000 in the next 3-5 years.
What materials are requested in the application?
- CV or resume
- Sample portfolio, past works, or website
- Expression of interest (200 words or less) (Prompts: Describe a work of art or programming you envision designing and producing at one of the priority sites (see link in FAQ below). How is your work connected to one of these sites (see appendix) or to the history of slavery in Connecticut? How are you personally connected to this work or the region?)
- Statement of care (200 words or less) (Prompts: What does care for historical trauma and harm look like? Provide an example. What is one way you practice care for yourself or for others when researching and representing painful histories? How do you envision this work providing spaces of remembrance, reflection, healing, discussion, or learning?)
- Is there anything else you would like the Committee to know about what draws you to this work? (optional)
- File upload (optional)
Selection criteria
How does the selection committee decide on awarding projects?
Artistic merit
- Proposed artwork demonstrates art or design rigor, excellence, or research
- Appropriate for the public realm
- Artist’s past work shows experience with the proposed medium and approach to community participation
Site consideration
- Proposed artwork is suitable for the site based on size, scale, and medium
- Artwork envisions how different audiences will interact at the site
- Artwork connects to and considers the social, historical, architectural, geographical, and/or cultural context of the site
- Artwork illustrates community involvement during design, fabrication, and installation
Public safety
- Proposed artwork considers public safety hazards
- Artwork considers the flow of pedestrian traffic as well as how the site is used
Submission date
This is an open call. Please submit by November 30, 2024.
FAQs
What is the timeline?
- August-November 2024: Applications open
- December 2024: Artist(s) are selected and begin intake of logistics through planning meetings
- Spring / Summer 2025: Artist(s) in residency in New Haven: site discovery, design planning, conceptual model delivered to the Committee
- June 2025 - Spring 2026: Projected fabrication and install (pending City agreements and permits). Note: A large scale sculpture may take six months or more at the fabricator.
Open to other timelines. These dates are aspirational and not fixed.
What are the prospective sites for the long-term or permanent works?
- Artists are invited to submit proposals in response to the list of priority sites that the Committee has identified as important prospective sites of historical events, public accessibility, and current use. A full list will be provided upon artist selection but research of the sites is not required for this stage of the selection process.
- See appendix for priority sites here.
If I'm not familiar with New Haven, are there additional resources I can refer to?
- See the New Haven Cultural Equity Plan and the New Haven Public Art resources.
Additional Questions
- Reach out to care.committee@yale.edu.