Public Art for Spatial Justice

At NEFA, we believe public art has the power to shift public culture and change the future, for the better.

Public Art for Spatial Justice aims to support public artmaking that helps us see, feel, experience and imagine spatial justice now, while we are still on this journey towards realizing more just futures for our public spaces and public culture.

How It Works

Massachusetts-based artist(s) and Massachusetts-based organizations working with artist(s), are welcome to apply for a project grant. Projects must take place in Massachusetts and creatively cultivate expressions or embodiments of spatial justice through public artmaking. All artistic disciplines are welcome to apply. 

Public Art for Spatial Justice grants range from $15,000-$30,000, for up to two-year grant period beginning March 2025 through February 2027. 

About NEFA's Public Art Program

Public Art for Spatial Justice is one of NEFA’s grant programs supporting artists in the field of public art. 

For more information about other elements of NEFA’s Public Art programs: 

VISIT THE public art PROGRAM PAGE

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible

Lead Applicant must be based in Massachusetts.

Lead applicant may a be…

• Massachusetts-based Artist(s). Individual artist applicants must be 18+ years old. Artistic collaborations may be a group of artists informally working together for this particular project, or an artist collective that regularly works together on projects.
• Community-based organization in Massachusetts, working in collaboration with a particular artist(s)

Recognizing the intersectionality of identities, we acknowledge that artists may also identify as cultural practitioners, activists, and community-rooted collaborators, and may be self/community-taught, institutionally trained, or a combination of both. All are welcome to apply.

Proposed public art projects must:

• Be located in Massachusetts.
• Engage the public realm and/or be available to the general public to happen upon.
• Cultivate expressions of and/or embodiments of spatial justice through public artmaking. Projects of all artistic disciplines –visual, performative, rooted in ritual, etc.-- are eligible.

Not eligible

• Lead applicants based outside of Massachusetts.
• Proposed projects based outside of Massachusetts.
• Current PASJ grantee (lead applicant) who has not completed their respective grantee report.
• Past PASJ Grantees are not eligible to apply to PASJ again for a full calendar year from completing their grantee report (e.g., If you submit a PASJ grantee report on June 1, 2023 that is approved, you are not eligible to submit a new application for PASJ till June 1, 2024 or after). 

Funding Criteria & Priorities

Public Art for Spatial Justice aims to support public art that helps us see, feel, experience and imagine spatial justice now, while we are still on this collective journey towards realizing more just futures for our public spaces and public culture.

To learn more about spatial justice check out this blog for more context. 

Eligible projects will be reviewed according to the following funding criteria:

• Public Artmaking: There is a lot of spatial justice work that may not be public artmaking. Through PASJ, NEFA is specifically funding public artmaking that embodies and expresses more just possibilities for public spaces.  
  We define public artmaking as artistic and culture expressions of all artistic disciplines – including visual, performative, and those rooted in ritual – that engage and/or activate public space. We define public space as places that are open and available for the general public to happen upon. 
• Relevance: Context is important in public artmaking. Why this project? Why here? Why now? Public spaces are not neutral. And public art made in public spaces is not neutral. Reviewers are looking to understand the context of the project as well as the lead applicant’s intentions for public artmaking.
• Integrity: Public art practices that reduce people, places, and stories to tools for artmaking are harmful. Reviewers are looking for projects that are built on trust, accountability, and reciprocity and honor the integrity of the people, places, stories, and ideas – past, present, and future -- engaged in the artmaking.  

Priority will be given to projects that are:

• Led or co-led by Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), and more specifically BIPOC artists and creatives. We believe the path to dismantling the legacies of racism and white supremacy culture includes centering BIPOC-led creative exploration and expression in public spaces.
• Rooted in community and/or demonstrates a deep relationship to place – particularly rural places, and/or places where folks are experiencing/have experienced displacement.
• Disrupting harmful historic narratives that uphold structural inequities; decolonizing and/or indigenizing spaces; and/or centering BIPOC creativity, imagination, and expression in public spaces.

As we lean into risk-taking with our grantees, we recognize feasibility of projects may vary. We ask that artists/lead applicants are realistic about feasibility with their understanding of the context of place and space, while acknowledging that aspects of the project may need to evolve during the grant period.

Application Process & Deadlines

The deadline for Public Art for Spatial Justice was December 2, 2024, 11:59 PM ET.

Applications are accepted through our online grant portal.

Applicants will be notified of awards in late February 2025, with the grant year beginning in March 2025. 

Grantees will have up to 24 months from the beginning of the grant period to implement projects. 

PASJ grant payments will be released in 3 installments:

• 45% upon signing the grantee agreement at the beginning of the grant period
• 45% upon completing an interim check-in with program staff (zoom call)
• 10% upon approval of the final grantee report.

Note: Public Art for Spatial Justice grants are taxable income to individual recipients and reportable to the IRS. All grantees will receive a 1099 from NEFA.

Grantee Requirements & Reports

Upon receiving a PASJ grant, program staff will schedule an initial check-in to discuss any shifts in project plans, schedule an interim check-in based on the project timeline, and answer any questions grantees may have about the grant.

Reminder: PASJ grants will be released in three installments:

• 45% upon signing the grantee agreement at the beginning of the grant period
• 45% upon completing an interim check-in with program staff (Zoom call)
• 10% upon approval of the final grantee report

Interim Grantee Check-In

Grantees are required to complete an interim check-in with program staff to receive the second payment (45% of grant total). The date/time of the interim grantee check-in will be agreed upon but NEFA staff and grantee at the beginning of the grant year. Grantee will be asked to share an update on the project, including but not limited to major changes related to the project workplan, timeline or budget.  

Note: The interim grantee check-in will be conducted as a recorded virtual conversation with program staff.

If unanticipated delays occur in your project timeline or major changes need to be made to the scope of your project, please contact the public art program staff to discuss next steps as soon as possible. 

Final Grantee Report

Preview Grantee Report Questions

Grantees are required to complete a final grantee report 40 days after the project is completed.  Approval of final grantee report is required to receive the third and final payment (10% of grant total). Grantee report can be found in the online grant portal:

Log in to NEFA’s grant portal

Grantees who do not submit a grantee report will not be eligible for future Public Art for Spatial Justice grants.

Note: If the timing of the payments presents an economic hardship, please contact the Public Art Team as soon as possible to discuss options.

Public Art for Spatial Justice Webinar Series

Overview of Eligibility, Funding Criteria + Grant Priorities 

Webinar 1 reviews the specifics of this grant opportunity and the eligibility requirements, funding criteria and priorities that will determine whether you can move forward to apply for this grant. We recommend starting here if you are new to PASJ. 

Navigating the Online Application + Tech Tips 

Webinar 3 guides you on how to navigate the grants portal where you can access the application. We will offer tips for how to do this successfully and how to avoid technical difficulties along the way. We recommend this video if you are new to applying for grants and specifically applying for NEFA grants through the online grants portal. 

Read the Video Transcripts

* Note: These videos were made in 2023. For any discrepancies, please refer to the updated sections on our website and contact NEFA’s public art staff if you have any questions.