Making it Public 2023

NEFA’s Public Art team is excited to continue partnering with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Arts and Culture Department and Forecast Public Art (FPA) to co-host Making it Public in 2023. Through this unique partnership with MAPC and FPA, NEFA aims to foster a community of practice that is inspiring more vibrant and just public spaces and culture through public artmaking across Massachusetts. Making it Public is a five-week workshop series initially designed and facilitated by FPA to support both equitable processes for supporting temporary public artmaking while also strengthening artists’ capacity to expand their public art practice.  

In 2023, we will host the dual track workshop series:

Making it Public for MA Municipalities

Making it Public for Massachusetts Municipalities is designed to equip administrators in strengthening local capacity to support, create, and promote more vibrant and just public art making. FPA has facilitated Making It Public across the nation for almost a decade. This particular series has been tailored specifically for Massachusetts municipalities in partnership with MAPC’s Arts & Culture Department and General Counsel. Through an open application process earlier this fall, the following 11 cities and towns were selected to participate in the Spring 2023 Making it Public: for Massachusetts Municipalities cohort: 

• Acton, MA 
• Brockton, MA 
• Chelmsford, MA 
• Chelsea, MA 
• Concord, MA 
• Devens, MA 
• Erving, MA 
• Greenfield, MA 
• Holyoke, MA 
• Middleborough, MA 
• Revere, MA 

Each participating municipality receives $15,000 to put their new skills to work by conducting a Call for Temporary Public Art in 2023.  

Making it Public for MA Artists

Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists is designed to support artists of all disciplines in exploring and expanding their public art making practice. Making it Public: for Massachusetts Artists will cover practical and tactical subjects including site analysis, stakeholder considerations, community engagement, funding opportunities, contracting, insurance, and more! Sessions will include guest public art professionals, both local and national, adding a depth of knowledge about the field of public art, the profession, and its contemporary issues. 

Artists in Massachusetts: Are you interested in public artmaking? Registration is now open through Monday, February 13, 2023, 11:59 PM for Making it Public: for Massachusetts Artists 2023!  

2023 Making it Public for MA Artists workshops: 

• Tuesdays, March 14 through April 11, 2023 | 5:00-6:30 pm ET 
  Live, Virtual-Sessions with Guest Speakers
  (Zoom information will be provided after registration confirmation) 

For more details, visit www.nefa.org/MakingItPublic.

Participants for Making it Public for Massachusetts Artists will be accepted on a rolling basis. A confirmation email will be sent to registrants by the week of February 20, 2023 to confirm participation. If registration reaches capacity, artists may be waitlisted for Making It Public 2023. 

By supporting both municipal staff in developing more equitable public art processes, while also equipping more diverse artists in responding to calls for public art, NEFA strives to foster a more robust community of practice in Massachusetts.