Calling North End Artists: North Square Public Art Project Submissions Sought

The city is seeking artists from the North End to submit proposals for a new public art installation in the Boston's North Square.

You can apply via the City's Supplier Portal, and can find more information through BAC website for more information. The deadline is Jan. 4.

The art installation is part of the of the city's planned revitalization of North Square by developing an open space with multiple urban uses.

"At completion, North Square will be a livable, walkable, multimodal, green and sustainable square, accommodating all users of this historic space," according to the RFP.

It's an iconic corner of the North End, home to numerous neighborhood festivals and a draw to tourists following the Freedom Trail to the historic Paul Revere house and Sacred Heart Church. The city is seeking an art piece that speaks to its multiple contemporary roles and long history.

Here's how the RFP puts it:

North Square is a much-loved open space nestled amongst tight cobble-stoned streets and three/four-story brick buildings. Closely adjacent to the Mariner’s House, an inn reserved exclusively for the men and women who worked at sea, the Paul Revere House, Rachel Revere Park, and the Sacred Heart Church, the Square’s boundaries are marked by heavy black maritime chains.

The City of Boston’s cultural plan, Boston Creates, calls for public art that embraces a neighborhood’s identity and adds to a strong sense of place. Based on community feedback shared at a public meeting, a successful proposal will honor the past and contemporary use of the Square by preserving open space, encouraging community gathering, and highlighting navigational or nautical themes.

The community would be open to proposals that include a central object, artistic street furniture, or the incorporation of artistic elements into other aspect of the square, such as paving, benches, planters, lighting, a pergola, or other infrastructure. Although history is integral to the site, proposals that balance historic references and context with a more contemporary perspective are also encouraged. These proposals may choose to respond to the urban design character of the space or the neighborhood’s dynamic identity.

Think that's your speed? Apply soon! The deadline to apply is Jan. 4, 2017.

Image courtesy City of Boston