The Northampton Arts Council is re-opening the competition for a new public art project which will be located on the railroad trestle bridge over Rt. 9, near Market Street. The selected piece will replace Leland Johnston’s “Dream” mural, which was installed through a similar process in 1991. The Arts Council board accepted the recommendation of the public art selection committee comprised of artists, business people, and educators to begin the process anew after the artist chosen during the initial competition decided to withdraw his project.

Initial Artist’s proposals are due on May 23, 2011. 

The new Request For Proposal (RFP) is available click here.

Proposals may be submitted by artists living and/or working in Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and Berkshire counties. Artist’s proposals are due on May 23, 2011.  Please refer to the RFP on the Arts Council website for detailed information about submissions. The Arts Council plans to announce the selection of a finalist on August 1, 2011, and expects the installation of the piece in Fall of 2011 (dates are subject to change). The award of up to $20,000 will be commensurate with the complexity and scope of the piece.

The Arts Council is grateful for the creative efforts made by artists who submitted proposals in the last round, and also wishes to express its great appreciation for the work of the selection committee, for the ongoing financial and technical support from Chartpak, the generous support of an anonymous donor, and for the valuable assistance provided by those from the many city departments and boards whose contributions remain vital in all stages of the process.