Public Art School

Overview & Purpose

Arts Council New Orleans in partnership with Prospect New Orleans has launched a new training initiative, Public Art School. Public Art School will teach artists how to translate their studio practice to public spaces and will provide them with the skills they need to respond effectively to public art calls. Public Art School will also equip artists with knowledge about critical civic issues to prepare them to create public art that is site-specific and relevant to communities.

We believe in the power of artists, public art, and arts-based practices to engage residents, increase awareness, and motivate action surrounding critical civic issues. Artists should play a central role in all aspects of community development and city-making. To this end, Public Art School seeks to:

• Provide local artists with the knowledge and skills to create public art that addresses critical civic issues our community faces;
• Provide opportunities for peer-to-peer mentorship, networking, and collaboration between local artists;
• Draw on Prospect’s local, national, and international network of contemporary artists to offer additional perspectives and mentorship;
• Connect artists with professional development and public art commission opportunities.

Why Participate in Public Art School?

Public Art School kicks off in November 2019 with a focus on the foundations of public art and environmental resilience. The two trainings are specifically designed to prepare artists to apply for approximately $200,000 in funding for upcoming public art commissions in the Gentilly Resilience District. Collectively, these projects are intended to excite the public imagination, engage residents, and raise awareness about New Orleans’ climate vulnerability, resilience efforts, flood mitigation, and green infrastructure improvements while offering new amenities and recreation opportunities.

The first step in the Gentilly Resilience District project is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to install public art at key locations adjacent to the London Avenue Canal. The Arts Council is currently accepting submissions to the RFQ through December 20, 2019. More detailed information about the RFQ can be found on the Arts Council’s website: https://www.artsneworleans.org/opportunity/request-for-qualifications-gentilly-resilience-district-public-art/.

We recognize that the public art process may seem daunting to many artists -- Public Art School is intended to reduce the barriers that local artists may face in proposing, designing, and installing public art.

• Regardless of whether you apply to the RFQ, the Public Art School trainings will provide you with valuable information about public art and environmental resilience. Trainings are open to all artists and community members who are interested in these topics.
• Attendance at the Public Art School workshops is not required to submit qualifications for the Gentilly Resilience District project. We highly recommend it to applicants who are unfamiliar with the topics to help them prepare better applications.

November 2019 Training Workshops

We are offering two different Public Art School trainings to provide foundational knowledge about the public art proposal process and context about the Gentilly Resilience District.

Public Art 101 will provide artists with critical tools necessary to successfully navigate the competitive proposal process, and offer guidance on best practices for engineering and fabricating projects that meet and exceed stakeholder expectations. This workshop will be led by public artist and designer, Joel Breaux.

Water and Community Resilience 101 will provide artists with information about issues and challenges surrounding water management and climate vulnerability in New Orleans, including land subsidence, flood mitigation, and green infrastructure development. Artists will explore ways in which public art and creative placemaking can build community resilience and environmental stewardship. This workshop will be led by the Water Leaders Institute.

Workshop Schedule & Cost

We are offering a weekday and weekend session of the Public Art 101 and Water and Community Resilience 101 workshops. The same material will be covered in both sessions.