In 2018, Forecast Public Art celebrated 40 years of activating people, networks, and practices to advance the transformational power of arts in public life.
As this milestone anniversary year comes to a close—and in the holiday spirit of giving—we at ArtPlace wanted to share out a few of the many top-shelf resources Forecast offers to the public (or has in the works), all free of charge.
1) GroundWork
To expand its efforts to build the diversity of artists and consultants working in public art, Forecast launched GroundWork, a first-of-its-kind training program for the next generation of public art consultants of color. The four-day, professional-level intensive is offered to Indigenous artists and other artists of color who live in Minnesota and provides an overview of the public art consulting world. It is free to all participants, thanks to an Arts Access grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Following the intensive, participants can apply for paid on-the-ground work opportunities with a Forecast project.
Read about the first GroundWork intensive in fall 2018.
2) Public Art & Healthy Communities Learning Tool
With the American Planning Association, Forecast is developing and piloting a public art and placemaking tool for planners, landscape architects, and engineers who focus on public art and healthy communities in small and mid-sized American cities. Made possible by support from the NEA’s Our Town grants program and the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, two online courses will be the tool’s initial offering.
While it’s in process, readers can mine Forecast’s Resources page, which includes an inspiration index, a placemaking glossary, extensive public art archives, and more—all free to peruse.
3) Opportunities For Artists
Did you know that Forecast compiles public art and placemaking opportunities for artists, then posts the info for all to see? These include Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), grants, and other calls for entry, as well as employment, fellowship, and volunteer opportunities.
Look for the big list at the bottom of Forecast’s Artist Support page, where you can also find information about the organization’s own annual grants, trainings, technical assistance, coaching, and more for artists of all skill levels.
Read about these ArtPlace-funded projects that also received support from Forecast:
- Lanesboro Arts Campus, Lanesboro, MN
- Defiant Gardens for Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo, ND
- New London Riverspace Project, New London, MN