How can we build healthier communities – as people, as artists, as friends, as a country? 

Call for Public Art Engagements in Utica, MS, due November 15th at midnight.

Community members are coming together in Utica, Mississippi to explore this question as part of Arts for Everybody, a national campaign from One Nation/One Project (ONOP). Working in partnership with the Town of Utica, Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Centers, and the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production (Sipp Culture), Utica residents are focusing on a series of initiatives considering the culture of food in the history, contemporary life, and future of Utica – agriculture, family meals, food access, shared stories, and more. These initiatives will culminate in the Homegrown Utica Festival on July 27, 2024 celebrating our relationship with food and the power of working together in community.

The ONOP Utica Community Advisory Group is inviting proposals for mid- to large-scale public art produced in collaboration with our community. Artists will consider opportunities for community codesign and collaboration in content and production in works which may blend or range from sculpture, mural, installation, and social engagement. Proposed works may be temporary or permanent. 

Artists will receive direct funding paid in two to three installments with not less than 30% being received upon completion of the work. Awards may range from $3,500 – $15,000. Proposals will include desired payment installment schedule. Award requests should be inclusive of all associated materials, fees, and travel costs. For applicants residing in areas too far for daily travel, housing accommodations are not included and must be secured by the applicant and detailed in their application.

This opportunity is for artists living in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. 

Sipp Culture and the ONOP Utica Community Advisory Group (CAG) are able to provide community organizing support to facilitate local participation in the artwork. This support may include community introductions, local logistics, and needed permissions for public sites. 

Artists who are best positioned for successful proposals have a track record of working collaboratively with groups of community members to make their stories and visions visible in public space. Competitive proposals will consider the community creative experience, ways in which the artwork is present or has an expression at the July 27th festival, and the lasting impact of the work in the Town of Utica.