Heritage Arts
HERITAGE ARTS NEWS
We are issuing this RFW for the design and creation of a mural for the new community garden space at Heart, Love & Soul.
The Grant Aims To Transform Streets And Public Spaces in the North End Community of Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, NY) — Niagara Falls is one of 26 U.S. cities across the country to be selected to receive a $25,000 Asphalt Art Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The grant application was submitted by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area (NFNHA) in partnership with the City of Niagara Falls. It aims to infuse impactful community-driven advocacy and development in the North End of Niagara Falls by enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists, improving public spaces, and installing vibrant crosswalk murals at intersections. “We are so excited for this opportunity in the North End community, a neighborhood with a legacy of creativity, resilience and courage. It’s an extension of our ongoing work with the community to bring attention to the City’s Underground Railroad history and local stories”, says Ally Spongr, Interim Director of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, an organization working in partnership with the NFNHA and NF Murals. “This is excellent news. In our predominantly Black community here in the North End of Niagara Falls, active community participation in these art projects have enhanced a sense of pride, ownership and has given a voice to our community’s authentic identity,” says Saladin Allah, project coordinator for the NF Murals, the public art initiative of the NFNHA. The partnership of the NFNHA and the City of Niagara Falls has pointed to three specific locations that form a triangle in the North End: three major intersections connecting high traffic areas to the widely used Legends Park recreational basketball courts, the Niagara Falls Public Library, Henry Abate Elementary School, and the Niagara Falls Transportation Authority Portage Road Transportation Center. “As Bloomberg Philanthropies points out,” says Mayor Robert Restaino of the City of Niagara Falls, “Vibrant public artwork and smarter street design can inspire residents and have tangible impacts on improving safety and the lives of our residents. These creative initiatives are important to enhance Niagara Falls, strengthen our pride, and bring enthusiasm for something better to come.” The planning for the project will begin in Fall 2021 with implementation in Spring 2022. More information on the Asphalt Art Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, visit link. About Niagara Falls National Heritage Area & NF Murals The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area (NFNHA) is one of 55 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Designated by the United States Congress in 2008, its mission is to preserve, protect and promote the historic, natural and cultural resources of the area stretching from Niagara Falls to Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York. The NFNHA facilitates partnerships between artists, public and private organizations, and community members and stakeholders to envision and create public art, impacting the cultural landscape with pieces that reflect and honor the history and legacy of Niagara Falls. Learn more at discoverniagara.org & nfmurals.org. Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative provides cities with grants of up to $25,000 each, as well as technical support, for projects that use art and design to improve street safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage residents of their communities. The Asphalt Art Initiative responds to the growing number of cities around the world embracing art as an effective and relatively low-cost strategy to enliven and improve safety in their streets through interventions on crosswalks, plazas, and other transportation infrastructure. It is inspired by work done to improve pedestrian safety and revitalize New York City streets during Michael R. Bloomberg’s mayoralty (2002-2013) and the work of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ pro bono consulting arm Bloomberg Associates advising cities on implementing asphalt art projects.
The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is seeking four to six artists to paint murals on Main Street and Depot Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY. The NF Murals Project on Main Street & Depot Avenue is entering its third and final mural making phase following completion of sixteen murals to date since 2019. Murals feature stories of freedom and champions of change in the Highland Community of Niagara Falls. The Main Street & Depot Avenue corridor is adjacent to the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. More information on the current murals can be found on our NF Murals website, nfmurals.org . The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area’s NF Murals Project unites artists with the community in a collaborative process, rooted in historical and contemporary themes, that will transform our public spaces and inspire our local citizens. Through our work, we take a creative approach to projects with the objective to foster pride of place and support for our community. We believe that art creates change, transforming public spaces and individual lives by improving the neighborhoods we live and work in, and by convening messages of hope, empathy, compassion, and social justice. The murals continue to encourage visitors to extend their stay in the City of Niagara Falls and assist in the long-term revitalization efforts of the Highland Community of Niagara Falls. Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 15, 2021 Mural Project Background Here in the Highland Community, many people are the most recent in a long line of Black residents whose presence in Niagara Falls made it one of the most important places of courage and resistance to oppression in the United States from the time of the Underground Railroad to today. These stories of heroism are documented and told at the adjacent Underground Railroad Heritage Center. The NF Murals Project will continue to share these stories and others as it relates to theme of freedom, and specifically what freedom means to the residents of Niagara Falls. Project Specifications Any artist residing in Western New York or Southern Ontario are eligible to submit their qualifications for consideration. Experience with public art and/or large murals is preferred but not required. Upon selection, artists will be given a stipend for the project and all necessary materials will be provided by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. Artists may specify materials needed for their work. Each mural may range from in size and will be executed on a prepped and primed concrete wall surface along Main Street and Depot Avenue. Artist Responsibilities Each selected artist will design and complete a mural which is responsive to community input. Artists will work with the project team to develop the concept of the mural. Artists may be asked to participate in public programming around the mural making process. Timeline To be considered, artists are required to complete the application below and submit all necessary materials by Sunday, August 15, 2021. Qualifications will be reviewed by the selection committee and applicants will be notified by September 3, 2021. Selected artists will be required to schedule and complete their mural between September 15 – October 31, 2021. Submission Requirements Artists must submit their materials and answer the application questions via Google Form. The link can be found below: https://forms.gle/CqSrPbu87JtwDya87 A complete application must include typed and submitted responses to all the questions included in the Google Form, most current resume, 5-10 images of artwork and portfolio link if applicable. For any issues with using the Google Form, please contact Ally Spongr, ally@discoverniagara.org.
PROJECT MAP
The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is one of 62 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Designated by the United States Congress in 2008, its mission is to preserve, protect and promote the historic, natural and cultural resources of the area stretching from Niagara Falls to Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York.
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716-286-8579info@discoverniagara.orgPO BOX 1940Niagara University, NY 14109
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