City of Lynn Announces Major Public Art Opportunity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 3, 2020

Carolyn Cole, Downtown Lynn Cultural District
(781) 586-6762
director@lynnculturaldistrict.org / ccole@lynnma.gov

City of Lynn Announces Major Public Art Opportunity

Call for Art: up to $75,000 grant award

Lynn, MA – The City of Lynn Mayor’s Office, the Lynn Department of Community Development, the Downtown Lynn Cultural District, and the Lynn Public Arts Commission, through a technical assistance award from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, are seeking an artistic concept for a signature work of art at the Mt. Vernon and Exchange Street Plaza in downtown Lynn. The goal of this project is to install artwork that reflects the spirit of Lynn, enlivens the gateway to the Cultural District as a destination and increases use of the Plaza as a gathering space.

The awarded concept will be eligible for funding up to $75,000. The Call for Art will be released nationally via Call for Entry at: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6647

Artists local to Lynn and the North Shore are strongly encouraged to apply. You can view all the information in PDF form by clicking here.

As a result of this expansive collaboration, a process that prioritizes public input on the criteria and selection has been created. This model of public engagement will not only inform the City of Lynn’s public art strategy moving forward, it will act as a regional model for other municipal/artist partnerships to follow.

“I am excited that Lynn continues to act as a model for the region through this public art installation process emphasizing community engagement. I encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas and to work with the artists’ proposals to reinvigorate this underutilized space,” said Mayor M. McGee. “I want to thank both Carolyn Cole, the Downtown Lynn Cultural District and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council for their hard work to make this opportunity a reality.”

The Call for Art opens on Monday, March 3, 2020 with a submission deadline of April 30, 2020. In the interest of equity and accessibility, physical copies of submissions can be delivered to Carolyn Cole, Director of the Downtown Lynn Cultural District, c/o Lynn City Hall, Dept. of Community Development, 3 City Hall Square, Room 305, Lynn, MA 01901.

About the Downtown Lynn Cultural District: In 2012, the Massachusetts Cultural Council designated a portion of Downtown Lynn as one of the Commonwealth’s inaugural Cultural Districts. Although appointed in 2012, the history of arts & culture activism in Downtown Lynn goes back decades. Countless individuals and organizations have contributed their time and energy to downtown Lynn. The DTLCD is a keeper of this movement and collaborates with cultural partners, both new and well-established, to foster a shared creative and cohesive vision for the city’s cultural community.

About Lynn’s Department of Community Development: The mission of Community Development revolves around effectively utilizing time, energy and resources in planning, promoting, rehabilitating and enhancing the City of Lynn and its natural and manmade resources.

About the Metropolitan Area Planning Council: The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is the regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston. Their mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration.