The DC Office of Planning (OP) received a grant of $250,000 from an unprecedented new private-public collaboration, ArtPlace. Its aim is to drive revitalization across the country by putting the arts at the center of economic development. Each project supported by ArtPlace has been selected for developing a new model of helping towns and cities thrive by strategically integrating artists and arts organizations into key local efforts in transportation, housing, community development, job creation and more.
OP will create Arts and Culture Temporiums in four emerging creative neighborhoods, where vacant and/or underutilized storefronts and empty lots would be transformed into an artist showcase/village for three to six month periods. The target neighborhoods - which leverage completed Small Area Plans and the Creative Action Agenda - are: Brookland, Anacostia, Deanwood, and 14th Street Corridor from Spring Street to Longfellow Street, NW. Artists would transform spaces in these neighborhoods into multi-dimensional and multipurpose uses (i.e., gallery for visual artists, performing arts space, production space, etc.). The goal is to find two to four blocks with both vacant buildings and empty lots in proximity that could be completely transformed and promote artist entrepreneurship and community building in the process.
Request for Application: Through this Request for Applications (RFA), DCOP seeks to select two qualified project managers/curators to create Arts and Culture Temporiums in two emerging creative neighborhoods (Brookland and greater Deanwood), where vacant and/or underutilized storefronts and empty lots would be transformed into an artist showcase in each neighborhood for 3-6 months. This effort leverages OP’s completed Creative DC Action Agenda and Small Area Plans, Studies for those neighborhoods. Funds up to $75,000 (per neighborhood) are available to support the grant to be awarded under this RFA. The RFA will be available within two weeks on OP's website, and the OPGS District Grants Clearinghouse. OP reserves the right to suspend or terminate the application process at any time. Applications are due no later than 5 pm on Friday, April 13.
The selected applicant will be responsible for developing and launching the Arts and Culture Temporiums by June 2012. To be eligible for an award, applicants must have experience in securing appropriate locations; developing events in vacant spaces; curating art and managing artists; marketing and promotion; and overall project and budget management. Applicants will be required to identify three to five specific locations for each proposed Arts and Culture Temporium and must certify the property owners have approved the use. Details on the types of desired locations will be in the RFA. The Arts and Culture Temporiums should be active for a minimum of ninety days, which can be divided among consecutive weekends. Preference will be given to applicants licensed to do business in the District of Columbia and based in the District of Columbia.
For more information about this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) please call Kimberly Driggins at OP at (202) 442-7600. No additional information about the Request for Applications (RFA) is available at this time.