CALL FOR ARTISTS – PAID OPPORTUNITY

The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable’s Task Force on Equity & Inclusion (TEI) is soliciting applications from artists of all disciplines and genres to share artwork that addresses the themes of gathering and/or good trouble for our upcoming Artist Salon: Gathering for Good Trouble on Thursday, December 11 at El Puente Brooklyn. This event is an opportunity for members of the greater arts in education community to share their artistic work in a supportive, welcoming setting and engage in meaningful exchange and dialogue with one another. Selected artists will be compensated at a rate of $200.00.

An information session on the RFP will be hosted by the Roundtable on Thursday, June 5 from 5-6pm ET via Zoom. Attendance is encouraged but not required. Register for the info session here!

Themes

How do artists make Good Trouble?
How do artists Gather with other artists and their community?

In 2025, we ask artists to share 2D & 3D artwork, performances, writing, film, video, multimedia and installation-based work that explores those questions. We’re excited about the enormous realm of possibilities, and how artists’ responses may draw upon a range of lived experiences, personal histories, artistic practices and aesthetic genres.

Artists from underrepresented communities are particularly encouraged to apply. This Salon is intended to uplift voices and perspectives that are too often drowned out or excluded.

Salon Vision

The Salon will showcase the work of 3-5 artists exploring issues of equity, inclusion, access and welcoming in their art forms, with a specific focus on the themes of gathering and good trouble.

The Salon themes were selected by the planning subcommittee in acknowledgement that artists thrive by gathering in community, and are often called to make good trouble through their artistic practice. The Salon themes are the pillars that will support an event, atmosphere, and dialogue that center, creativity, community, expression, and justice. They are intentionally broad and open to interpretation by artists who wish to apply.

The art in the Salon may be any of the following: provocative, confrontational, quiet, reflective, unapologetic, humorous, loud, enraged, solo, community-focused (to name but a few descriptors), as long as it ties to the event themes.

The intention is to curate an experience around the themes that celebrates artists’ work and prompts dialogue. That said, we welcome submissions of existing work, revised/remixed/repurposed work, and new complete work. Images from our last artist salon are included below. Registration to attend the event will open for the general public in Fall of 2025.

Submitting a Proposal

Submissions may include any art form, and can be static or experiential. For presentations and experiences, pieces should be limited to 5-10 minutes in length.

Submissions must have minimal needs in terms of setup. As this is a pop-up style event, setup time will be limited to 2 hours and will take place from 1:30 – 3:30pm that afternoon. Applicants are encouraged to optimize their flexibility in terms of setup, presentation, and support. For questions about the venue and setup, please contact Programs Director Kinsey Keck at kkeck@nycaieroundtable.org.

Selection Process & Timeline

Applications will be reviewed by members of the Salon & Socials Subcommittee of the Taskforce on Equity and Inclusion and Roundtable staff members. This group of arts education practitioners spans multiple arts disciplines, career paths, and experience levels and will aim to curate the Salon with a variety of genres and styles, including different perspectives on the themes & questions.

Key Dates

• Application Opens: Wednesday, May 21 at 12pm
• Information Session: June 5, 2025 from 5:00 – 6:00pm via Zoom. Register here.
• Application Closes: Thursday, June 26 at 7pm
• Applicants Notified: by Friday, August 8
• Planning Meeting(s): Fall 2025 (all virtual)
• Salon Setup: Thursday, December 11 from 1:30 – 3:30pm
• Salon Event: Thursday, December 11 from 4:00 – 7:00pm

Payment for Accepted Artists

Selected artists will each receive an honorarium of $200 as the Roundtable honors the work of artists as labor to be paid. Information about the Salon will also be provided on the NYCAIER website and on our social media channels. The Salon will be free and open to the public. Accepted artists will be encouraged to use the event as an opportunity to share their work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of artwork will be considered for the Salon?

Salon artwork may take any variety of forms – we welcome submissions for visual art, digital art, performances, writing, film, video, multimedia and installation-based work, and any other format that explores the Salon themes and can be set up within the hour parameters set forth in the application.

Who is eligible to submit?

The Salon opportunity is intended for individual artists to share their artistry. Organizations are not eligible to submit, and applications that propose education-related lessons or content will not be considered.

Can my proposal include more than one artist?

Yes! A Salon proposal can include a maximum of three (3) artists.

Can I submit more than one proposal?

The Salon application limits each individual to one proposal. However, more than one artwork can be included in each proposal as long as they can be presented together at the event.

Do I need to work or live in NYC to apply for the Salon?

While you do not need to live in NYC to apply for the Salon, accommodation/travel stipends are not available and will be the responsibility of accepted artists if they must commute to NYC for the Salon. Travel within the five boroughs may be available to help transport art to the venue, pending budget restrictions and coordination between the artist and the Roundtable staff.

Who is reviewing the Salon applications?

Salon applications will be scored using a rubric by a panel of Salon & Socials Subcommittee of the Taskforce on Equity and Inclusion and Roundtable staff members.

The rubric will be used to score the following elements of the application:

• Demonstrated understanding of setup and technical needs for the proposed work, and adherence to the RFP request for flexibility in terms of setup, presentation, and support.
• Demonstrated evidence of experience and/or training in selected artistic discipline(s).
• Clarity in being able to articulate details of the proposed work, including its connection to the Salon themes of gathering and/or good trouble.

What is included in the application questions?

We’ve put together a Google Doc version to help you prepare your answers in advance of submitting via the online platform Submittable. Please refer to this document for the full list of questions.

What can I expect in terms of setup time, support, and technical assistance at the Salon?

The Salon will be a pop-up style event, and requires that the artwork featured be portable and simple in its setup needs. Artists will have 2 hours for setup from 1:30 – 3:30pm the afternoon of the event, which will begin at 4:00pm. Artists may coordinate drop off of their materials ahead of time with Roundtable staff.

Support and technical assistance will be discussed with selected artists by Roundtable staff after the application process concludes. El Puente will have mics, speakers, projection, and other technical equipment available for use by the artists.

Accessibility

The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is committed to providing opportunities for everyone to participate in our programming. If you would like to request accommodations for the application process, please submit a request to Programs Director Kinsey Keck at kkeck@nycaieroundtable.org at least one week prior to the application deadline.

El Puente’s Williamsburg Leadership Center is an ADA-compliant accessible venue.

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