Request for Proposals: ART on THE MART Guest Curator
DEADLINE: 9:00 AM CT on Monday, March 6, 2023
ART on THE MART seeks to appoint a guest curator specializing in time-based media art to a temporary, 18-month position. The selected curator would be appointed with a view to both contribute to both ART on THE MART’s long-term curatorial strategy and ART on THE MART’s programming through a commission of new work by an artist or artists working in the field of digital video and/or video mapping. The commissioned work will be exhibited on the ART on THE MART platform in the context of its nightly public art program. The guest curator will collaborate closely with the Executive Director (ED) of ART on THE MART and its curatorial advisory board on both objectives. This is the first iteration of a recurring opportunity.
ART on THE MART invites applicants for the 2023-24 guest curator cycle, especially curators experienced with time-based media and artists with a related robust curatorial practice. Candidates based in Chicago and in remote locations are all welcome to apply. There is no preference based on location.
The guest curator will receive an award of $40,000 USD. In addition, the ART on THE MART will provide a separate commissioning fee for artwork recommended by the guest curator and confirmed by ART on THE MART. Through the creation of this curatorial prize and the related investment in artists, ART on THE MART intends to actively contribute to cultural diversity through access to opportunities and by bringing new global perspectives to the platform.
ART on THE MART is the largest permanent time-based media art projection system in the world and an innovative platform for public art that covers nearly three acres of the river façade of the iconic MART in downtown Chicago. Its mission is to provide free, public access to site-specific, relevant, non-commercial digital artworks exhibited on THE MART. ART on THE MART amplifies the expressions of the broadest range of artists and partners to realize the power of public art to inspire positive community engagement along the Chicago Riverwalk, throughout Chicago and beyond.
The transformative project, privately funded by Vornado Realty Trust and through the ART on THE MART Foundation (501c3), launched with an inaugural set of projections on September 29, 2018, attracting more than 32,000 people. It has quickly emerged as a major international cultural destination. Artists such as Nick Cave, Barbara Kruger, Charles Atlas, Diana Thater, Petra Cortright and others have exhibited new and site-specific works on the platform. ART on THE MART is active one hour each night, 9 months a year, based on a 30-year agreement with the City of Chicago.
For more information, visit www.artonthemart.com, especially the FAQ page in the About section, and view its highlights video: https://vimeo.com/642361329.