New Jersey Transit and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts are pleased to present the TRANSITional Art Project Atlantic City. This exciting opportunity is open for proposals from visual artists, age 18+,  who live or work in the 8 southern NJ Counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, or Salem, who are current residents of the State of New Jersey. Preference will be given to artists with a connection to Atlantic City. Qualified artists are encouraged to submit a proposal for a temporary art project in an Atlantic City New Jersey Transit space- in either the Rail Terminal or the Bus Depot. Artists should submit a plan that is clear, concise and considerate of the ridership and public nature of temporary art in transit spaces. Because Transit spaces are comprised of a variety of public, restricted and strictly safety-regulated areas, some project proposals may require changes in order to be approved. The New Jersey Transit TRANSITional Art Selection Committee (TASC) will review each application received and respond to the artist with either an approval, a tentative approval with conditions for required changes, or a denial.

Applications must be submitted no later than Midnight on Monday, March 9th via www.callforentry.org (CAFÉ).  Only one proposal per artist may be submitted.  No extensions to the deadline will be granted.

Refer to the provided “Approved Locations Plan” (click on “Floor/Site Plan” in CAFÉ to view) for specifications about the currently available New Jersey Transit Atlantic City locations for public art projects. Because Transit spaces are varied in their locations, public access, safety concerns, permit requirements, etc. artist proposals for this program should utilize the already vetted locations listed on the “Approved Locations Plan”. These are locations that New Jersey Transit determined are most appropriate for public art projects, and can be readily approved for access with a minimum of agency approval processes. Use the “Approved Locations Plan” to determine which spaces are available for your proposed art form.

Artist submissions should include a narrative, of no more than two pages, (10 point font or larger, 1.5 spaced) which describes the proposed project, its scope and the artists’ desired outcomes. Include the basic who, what, when, where and how in this narrative. Please be clear so that the TASC committee can best determine if your project is possible, or what changes could be made to make your project feasible. For instance, if your project requires access to non-public areas, or is highly site specific, or requires specialized equipment, knowing all the details may allow the TTA committee to suggest changes to help your project be approved.  You should also mention sketches or preliminary work samples you are providing, and how they fit into your proposal. See specifics on work samples below.

Submissions must be accompanied by a proposed budget, inclusive of all known costs and required resources. See provided sample budget format. The TRANSITional Art Project will provide a stipend to the artist of $1,000 per project, which can be used toward project costs and artistic fees as needed. New Jersey Transit may, at its discretion, provide additional equipment and in-kind services for the project. For instance, printing of posters and banners, marketing and promotional costs, access to a projector, speakers, podium, microphone, etc. Please be as thorough as possible when listing out resources required for the project. New Jersey Transit reserves the right to make available only the resources they are able to provide- there is no guarantee that all submissions will be able to be implemented as described. The Selection Committee may offer you alternative options or solutions to proposed resources, and we encourage you to be flexible in thinking about strategies for working with public agencies for art in public spaces.

Artists will be notified of the outcomes of their submission in late-April. No appeals of the selection committee’s decision will be accepted.

TRANSITional Art projects will be scheduled for installation beginning in early-May 2020 and will be on display  through the end of July 2020. The Selection Committee, and the New Jersey Transit Art Program staff will work with selected artists to schedule, plan, implement, document and promote the selected projects.

The goals of this program are to connect NJ Transit riders and the Atlantic City community with new, stimulating art experiences in their daily lives and to provide New Jersey Artists both exhibition opportunities and a supportive experience creating public art in transit spaces.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1.       Artistic excellence of the proposed project

2.       Potential for positive experiences or interactions with the proposed work by NJ Transit riders and the local community (the intended audience of the work)

3.       Safety considerations of the proposed project

4.       Feasibility of the project as proposed or with minor changes

Artists who are successful and create a TRANSITional Art Project will retain any materials or artifacts from the work. Artists are responsible for cleanup and removal of their projects within 24 hours after the agreed-upon exhibition end.

Questions requiring response in CAFÉ:

This opportunity is open for proposals from visual artists who live or work in the 8 southern NJ Counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, or Salem, who are current residents of the State of New Jersey. Preference will be given to artists with a connection to Atlantic City. Please describe how you meet this criteria.

Three separate uploads are required: 1. Narrative Project Proposal 2. Brief Artists Bio 3. Basic Project Budget

ATLANTIC CITY RAIL TERMINAL STATION APPROVED LOCATIONS (See Linked “Floor/Site Plan” in CAFÉ to view images and list)

 Interior

• Banners (suspended from ceiling)
• Column wraps (vinyl)
• Glass applications (vinyl)

Exterior

• Column wraps (vinyl or yarn)

ATLANTIC CITY BUS DEPOT STATION APPROVED LOCATIONS (See Linked “Floor/Site Plan” in CAFÉ to view images and list)

Interior & Exterior

• Murals (vinyl / mesh)

Narrative upload #1

Please upload a narrative project proposal, of no more than two pages (10 point font or larger, 1.5 spaced), which describes your proposed project. Please be sure to include the “who, what, when, where and how” of the project as you envision it. If you have selected a specific location, or time frame, or require access to non-public areas, specific sites, or seek access to specialized equipment or assistance, please specify in your narrative.

Narrative upload #2

Please upload a brief narrative bio that highlights any previous public art projects, exhibitions, publications, etc.  This information will both inform the selection committee of your experience, and will be used for PR purposes for selected artists. Bio should be no more than two paragraphs or approx. 250 words.

Narrative upload #3

Please upload a brief budget for your project in the following format:

You may not need all of the above budget areas, but please follow this simple format as closely as possible. It’s ok to write $0 in the cost column for areas you do not intend to incur expenses.

Please note: The $1000 stipend is the only funding available from New Jersey Transit or the State Arts Council. Additional expenses are the responsibility of the artist. Please use the Budget Narrative to describe any other sources of income expected. Outside income is not required, but if the project budget exceeds the available funds, you should describe your plan to pay for expenses.

Work samples, sketches, etc.

Please provide no more than 4 samples of your work, and up to 2 examples of sketches, diagrams, or other visual, video or audio work that will help the panel understand your proposal. You are encouraged to mention these examples specifically in your narrative (for instance “please see uploaded sketch #1 for design idea” or “Please view work sample “blue velvet cake” for previous public mural sample”…)

All Applications should be submitted through www.callforentry.org (CAFÉ), a free website for artists to submit to public art calls. You may upload images in café, and audio and video work samples, but no more than a total of 6 samples can be submitted, regardless of file type. You must upload your narrative, bio and budget documents on the appropriate upload page in CAFÉ.

Whatever format you choose to provide your work samples, please do not supply more than a total of 6 samples of completed work and sketches, and clearly label which samples are completed and which are sketches.

Questions?

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

Please direct any questions about the space, project or program to Christine Blanco, Manager of New Jersey Transit’s Transit Arts Programs at cblanco@njtransit.com or by phone 973-491-8243.

Please direct any other questions regarding this opportunity to Danielle Bursk, Director of Artist Services, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, at Danielle.bursk@sos.nj.gov or 609-633-1184.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria