Call Description

Call for Artists- Digital Design for Glass Tiles at the Station Access 

Artists must be a New Jersey Resident living and/or based out of Newark, NJ (evidence of Newark residency or proof of art studio rental in Newark will be required). 

Artists from Newark’s South Ward are highly encouraged to submit for consideration. For this project, we are seeking completed, 2-dimensional, still artworks in a digital format for reproduction onto glass tiles by the Port Authority of NY & NJ (“PANYNJ”) glazing contractor.  

Artists should submit images of previously completed artworks for consideration. We are not seeking new designs, tourism-type posters or draft/idea sketches for this project. Artists must be willing to accept payment in return for granting permission to PANYNJ to replicate the selected work(s) on glass tile, which will be part of the interior of the Station Access escalator area.  

Selected Artists must work in a timely fashion with the project coordination team to ensure the final work files provided are the correct file type (either JPEG or TIFF), of high quality for replication, and appropriate for public display. 

See eligibility criteria section below for full details. 

Details on Station Access Facility

The EWR Station Access project will increase public transit access to Newark Liberty International Airport, Penn Station Newark, and New York City for communities in Newark and Elizabeth, including a one-seat ride to New York’s Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall on NJ TRANSIT. Additionally, it will provide access to points along the Northeast Corridor through Amtrak’s rail services. Local residents also will be able to utilize rail to connect to PATH train service from Newark Penn Station for enhanced access to job centers in Jersey City, as well as downtown and midtown Manhattan. The project includes a westward extension of the existing pedestrian bridge over platforms and tracks at the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station to a new public access area off Frelinghuysen Avenue. The public access area will include a pickup/drop-off point for private vehicles, taxis, buses and for-hire vehicles, along with bicyclist and pedestrian access. The new entry point is expected to open in 2026. 

See more at: https://www.portauthoritybuilds.com/redevelopment/us/en/ewr/projects/ewr-station-access.html 

Station Access Glass Tiles Location Details 

The interior escalator/stairs area is specified to be clad in glass tiles to cover a surface area of approximately 400 square feet . The selected art will be digitally printed onto glass tiles and each image may take up multiple tiles within the overall 400 square feet surface area. 

Curatorial Themes of interest:  

Curatorial themes identified for the glass tiles project include: 

Connection of people and places across distances 

Transnationalism 

Mapping 

Welcoming others to the Newark community 

Arts Inclusion Project Budget 

For rights to reproduce and use an artist’s work, PANYNJ will pay a fee of $3000 per artist. Contracts will be provided for artist review prior to artist providing files for replication. Upon selection and final design approval, the artist must complete a contract with PANYNJ for stipend payment in the amount of $3,000 per artist. Selected artists will have 30 days from contract receipt to complete all contract requirements, including providing ACH payment information with banking details. Failure to meet this deadline may result in cancellation of the offer to participate in the project. 

*Important note about artwork that cannot be considered:  

-Work will be displayed in highly public spaces, and as such, work that could be interpreted as promotion of political issues or candidates, or that is sexual or violent in nature will not be considered. 

-Works including logos or business signage of existing businesses, corporations, and the like cannot be considered. 

-Moving images (films, animations, etc.) and performative work will not be considered for this call.   

-We are not seeking new designs, tourism-type designs/posters or draft/idea sketches for this exhibition.  

-Submissions that do not meet the curatorial themes, eligibility requirements or guidelines listed above will not be reviewed by the selection committee. 

Arts Inclusion Project Budget 

One (1) or more selected artists for the Station Access Glass tile art call will receive $3,000 and must grant permission to PANYNJ to reproduce the selected work on glass tile for long-term installation in the Station Access interior escalator area. 

Selected Artists must work in a timely fashion with the project coordination team to ensure the final work files provided are the correct file type (JPEG or TIFF), of high quality for digital use, and appropriate for public display. 

Artists will coordinate with PANYNJ for submission of all digital files, contract documents and project close out materials.   

Anticipated Process:   

The committee will rate each artist and their proposed artwork based on the following criteria: 

Artistic quality of submitted work samples, and alignment to the curatorial themes 

Appropriateness of proposed artwork to the site and objective of the project 

Appeal of the artists’ style to EWR passengers and community members 

Submission: 

All artists interested in the project shall utilize the callforentry.org application and answer several required questions about their eligibility and connection to the city of Newark.  

Interested artists must submit one (1) to four (4) images of previously completed artworks through the Café system at www.callforentry.org. Submissions will not be accepted through any other method. Images submitted will be the works considered for inclusion. 

Finally, artists shall provide a brief one paragraph bio, including their artistic accomplishments.   

The Art Selection Committee will review and score all submissions, and the highest scoring works will be recommended to the Port Authority of NY &NJ for consideration to be included in the project. All artists who submit work for consideration will be informed of the outcomes of their submission by January 9, 2026.  

Anticipated Timeline 

Sept. 28, 2025 – Deadline to respond to this Expression of Interest in CAFÉ  

Artist Notifications – No later than January 9, 2026 

PANYNJ executes NDAs and contracts with selected artists, final digital files delivered to PANYNJ for fabrication and installation by January 15, 2026  

While the project timeline will be prioritized, all dates are subject to change. 

Application Requirements

Submission Requirements 

Responses to application questionnaire about artist’s eligibility and connection to Newark, as well as optional demographic information.  

Images of previously completed artworks- minimum of (1), maximum of (4)  

Brief artists’ bio outlining the artist's experience (learn more here: artist bio)  

Note that if selected, files must be submitted to PANYNJ in high resolution format in either JPEG or TIFF extensions. Selected artists will need to be prepared to turn around contracts, payment information, and high resolution files quickly. Please review the timeline above. Selected artists who cannot meet the required timelines may have their invitation to participate rescinded. 

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria 

Under N.J.S.A. 52:13D-19, employees of the State of New Jersey and PANYNJ , (including PATH) are not eligible to submit work for this procurement.  

This project is open to artists/artist teams who are at least 18 years of age, legally able to complete a contract with PANYNJ, and meet the eligibility criteria stated in this call for artists.  

Artists must be a New Jersey Resident living and/or based out of Newark, NJ. Artists from  Newark’s South Ward are highly encouraged to submit artwork. (Evidence of Newark residency or proof of art studio rental in Newark will be required). 

Artists must be able to work effectively and collaboratively with the PANYNJ team to provide needed files, contracts and other information as requested. Further, artists should consider the project timeline expectations prior to submitting work for consideration. Artists who are not able or available to provide the necessary files to complete the installation of artwork on time are not eligible for this project. See the timeline section above.  

Questions?     

Technical assistance using CAFÉ is available at:  https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/    

Please use CAFÉ help resources for assistance setting up a CAFÉ account, and submitting through the CAFÉ platform.  

Please do not apply to this call if you do not meet the eligibility criteria. Eligibility will be verified. No jurors will review ineligible submissions. 

Please direct any other questions regarding this opportunity to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts: 

PublicArtsInclusion@sos.nj.gov 

Tel: (609) 292-6130 

 NJ Relay: 711