Artists Sought for City, County Arts & Culture Plan
The City of Rochester and Monroe County are seeking artists from underrepresented and underserved communities to serve on an Artist Engagement Team. The team will work to develop and implement community engagement strategies for an arts and culture plan for Rochester and Monroe County which will serve as the blueprint for investing in and improving the local creative ecosystem. The Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan identified an arts and culture plan as one of the actions to achieve the goal of supporting, growing, and sustaining the creative economy.
“Those facing challenges in accessing community arts participation opportunities can help us remove those barriers," said Mayor Malik Evans. “We’re searching for artists to help develop innovative outreach methods for creative people and arts supporters in Rochester with limited access to information about available and upcoming arts programs and initiatives.”
To promote equity and inclusivity in the arts, the City will use a $20,000 grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the City’s Percent for the Arts program to contract with three to four artists who will assist the Project Team in developing an outreach plan and carrying out specific outreach and community engagement tactics. Typical work activities will include tracking participation, documenting feedback, and attending regular meetings.
“Artists and arts and cultural institutions drive our creative economy; they make Rochester and Monroe County a more active and vibrant community. As we build our Arts and Culture Plan, it is imperative that we engage the very artists whose work allows us to brand ourselves a community of the arts,” said County Executive Adam Bello, “I am grateful to the Rochester Area Community Foundation for their generosity and partnership to fund artist participation and outreach as we build this plan.”
To apply, artists must respond to the City’s Request for Qualifications, which can be found at www.cityofrochester.gov/arts. Qualified artists with experience in community engagement or a passion for utilizing their creative skills for community involvement are encouraged to apply. Artists from all creative disciplines including literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts, who reside or have a studio or office in the city of Rochester are eligible. To determine whether a specific address is located within the city of Rochester, visit https://maps.cityofrochester.gov/propinfo/.
A virtual information session will take place, 11 a.m., Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 via Zoom to provide clarification on, and answer questions about the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).
To review the RFQ, register for the information session, and submit application, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/arts. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.
