RFP - Community Tunnel Public Art at Artscape 2027

Create Baltimore is seeking proposals from Maryland-based artists and artist teams for a bold, innovative, and whimsical temporary public art archway that will create a welcoming “community tunnel” for the 2027 Artscape festival.

Throughout its history, Artscape has been a place where artists transform the city through large-scale, immersive, and interactive installations. For Artscape 2027, we want to see your weird, your whimsical, your otherworldly, and your wildest ideas. We’re looking for an unforgettable temporary installation that invites festival-goers to walk through, interact with, and experience art in a new way.

This year's theme, Inside Out, is about subverting expectations, embracing contradiction, revealing whats underneath, and highlighting the beauty in what makes us different. 

Project Overview

Artscape 2027 will take place Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-30, in downtown Baltimore near City Hall. Create Baltimore will provide funding to selected artists to design, fabricate, and install a large-scale temporary public art archway. Together, these archways will serve as a "community tunnel", inviting festival-goers to enter, explore, and walk through the art. 

We are especially interested in projects that:

• Tell a clear story reflecting the theme "Inside Out",
• Invite participation and interaction, 
• Embrace creativity, whimsy, and imagination, and
• Utilize recycled or repurposed materials.

Goals & Objectives

Large-scale installations have long been a hallmark of Artscape, giving festival-goers opportunities to encounter art in unexpected places. The community tunnel will serve as both a functional passageway and an artistic destination - creating a moment of awe and wonder for visitors as they move through the festival.

Through this call for proposals, we hope to showcase a wide range of bold and original ideas from Maryland artists and artist teams that visitors can walk through. The selected project(s) will together create an immersive community tunnel public art experience that reflects the spirit of Baltimore. 

Header Image: Copyright: © Nicki Evans Photo

Eligibility 

This request for proposals is open to all professional artists over the age of 18, legally living or working within the State of Maryland. Baltimore-based artists will be given preference in the instance of identical scoring.

Artists can apply individually or as an artist team. 

Current employees of Create Baltimore and the Mayor's Office of Arts, Culture, & Entertainment (MOACE) are not eligible to apply.

Requested Qualifications 

Artists must submit all of the items below. Applicants who fail to submit all of these items will not be considered. 

• Artist’s Statement (100 words or less)
• Resume/CV (PDF; 5 MB or less)
• Project Description
• Proposed Budget 
• Inspiration Images (optional)

Selection Process 

A panel of professional creatives and community stakeholders will join Create Baltimore and MOACE representatives in evaluating and choosing the selected artists.

In considering some applications, we may ask for additional information. The email address you provide is the email address we will use to contact you if more details are needed. 

All artists will receive a decision no later than February 12, 2027. 

Budget

Budgets of up to $10,000 will be considered. The final project budget must include an artist contingency of 10% and an artist fee of at least 15%. 

Timeline

• The application deadline is January 15, 2027, at 5:00 PM
• Artists will receive a decision by February 12, 2027. 
• Installation will begin the week of May 24, 2027. 
• Artscape is Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-30, 2027. Festival hours are 11AM–9PM.