NOTICE OF ACCOMMODATIONS

Interpretation, translation, and disability accommodation services are available to you at no cost in English | Español | Kreyòl ayisyen | 繁體中文 | Tiếng Việt | 简体中文 | Kriolu | العربية | Русский | Português | Français | Af Soomaali here. 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Galleries and Exhibitions Manager via email at mariana.rodriguezrey@boston.gov

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OVERVIEW

The City of Boston invites artists, collectives and art organizations residing, working, or creating in the Greater Boston area to submit proposals for 2D and 3D installations in the Mezzanine Gallery at Boston City Hall. This prominent space, visible to all who enter the building through the main entrance, offers a unique opportunity for artists to engage with a diverse audience. 

Four proposals will be selected for exhibitions lasting 8-12 weeks each, scheduled during the following periods: August - October 2025, November 2025 - January 2026, February - April 2026, and April - July 2026. Selected applicants will receive one stipend of $700 per exhibition to support production and transportation costs. Selected applicants will get assigned an exhibition slot.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 18, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST

ABOUT THE MEZZANINE GALLERY

The Mezzanine Gallery at Boston City Hall is a highly visible space, serving as the first encounter with art for many visitors entering the building. This unique location offers selected artists the opportunity to engage with a broad and diverse audience. Furthermore, the selected exhibitions will be in dialogue with Yu-Wen Wu's powerful long-term installation, “We Belong”. Artists are encouraged to consider how their proposed work might interact with and complement the themes and visual language of this piece, creating a cohesive and thought-provoking experience for visitors.

ABOUT THE BOSTON CITY HALL GALLERIES

The Boston City Hall Galleries showcase contemporary emerging and mid-career local artists and art organizations. The galleries aim to nurture Boston’s local art scene by displaying a variety of mediums and perspectives that reflect the city’s diversity. Our mission is to provide spaces that present memorable, groundbreaking, concept-driven exhibitions that engage local communities, spark conversations on social issues, and inspire a sense of belonging within Boston City Hall.

We acknowledge that our galleries are built on the traditional homeland of the Massachusett people and the home of the neighboring Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. Along with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, we believe the arts play a crucial role in driving social change and creating a thriving, healthy community for all.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applications are open to individual artists, collectives, art organizations and groups of artists.
• Applicants whose work explores themes such as social issues, civil rights, climate change, housing accessibility, equity, or identity are encouraged to apply.
• Only one submission per applicant will be accepted.
• Applicants must reside, work, or create in the Greater Boston area (Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, or Suffolk County).
• All applicants must be at least 18 years old.

EXHIBITION DETAILS

• Selected applicants will receive a $700 stipend to assist with production and transportation costs.
• All media are welcome, subject to installation requirements and space limitations. We recommend reviewing the examples of previously exhibited works, which can be found here: Mezzanine Gallery - Examples.
• Submitted artwork may be in progress or finalized.
• Selected proposals will be on view on exhibitions lasting 8-12 weeks each, scheduled during the following periods: August - October 2025, November 2025 - January 2026, February - April 2026, and April - July 2026. 
• Selected proposals will be assigned an exhibition slot. 

ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS

• 2D artwork cannot exceed 100 in. in height and 35 lbs in weight.
• 3D artwork cannot exceed 100 in. in height and 50 lbs in weight.
• Please take into consideration that the artworks will be seen from a distance, ideal dimensions should be between 50 to 100 in. on each side.
• Video works must be silent and have high contrast to be projected during the day.
• Please note the concrete walls cannot be drilled into. Artworks must adhere to the weight limits and be hung from wires. While all mediums are welcome, the space is best suited for lightweight works such as works on paper or fibers. Please refer to the installation guide available here: Mezzanine Gallery Installation Guide.

COMMITMENTS

• Selected applicants are responsible for transporting their artwork to and from the gallery and assisting with installation.
• Selected applicants are responsible for providing all necessary installation hardware unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
• All participating artists must sign a waiver, available in the submission form. The City of Boston and Boston City Hall Galleries are not responsible for any damage to artwork while on display.
• All artwork must remain installed during the exhibition period agreed on. 
• Selected applicants will be required to establish a Vendor ID with the City of Boston before payment is processed.

SELECTION PROCESS

Proposals will be reviewed and selected by a committee of the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture staff. They will be scored based on the criteria found on this rubric. Decisions will be notified by June 13th.

BACKGROUND

The City of Boston recognizes the critical importance of Downtown Boston to the entire City. It has long been the heart of the city’s history and identity—a place where revolution and innovation shaped the nation. In the 21st century, Downtown can once again lead as a beacon of creativity and innovation by bringing a resurgence of the creative economy to  the neighborhood . This effort can foster a thriving cultural and economic hub in Downtown that celebrates Boston’s creative talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and technological advancement. By reimagining underutilized spaces, fostering arts-tech innovation, and providing accessible venues for artists, we will cultivate a vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking Downtown. Downtown can act as a testing ground for other Boston neighborhoods to follow this model in the future. 

The long-term  vision for Creative Enterprise in Downtown Boston will attract diverse creators, residents, and businesses, fostering a community that both preserves Boston’s heritage and pushes the boundaries of what the city can become. Through collaborative partnerships, public programming, and incentives, new creative enterprises in Downtown Boston can redefine urban creativity, drawing in locals and visitors alike while reinforcing Boston’s role as a leader in the global creative economy.

Downtown Boston, with its central location, walkability, and proximity to cultural and innovation hubs, is ideally suited for a hub of creative enterprises. By uniting landowners, creatives, and city planners under a shared vision, we hope this can catalyze a long-term transformation, making Downtown a dynamic space for the cultural economy, commerce, and community and culture to reaffirm Boston’s identity as a city of creativity and progress.

Downtown Boston has long been a space of convergence—a meeting point of history, commerce, and culture. Now, it’s time to reimagine its potential as the heart of Boston’s creative future. Making Space for Culture is an invitation for visionary ideas to shape Downtown into a vibrant home for Creative Enterprise where arts, culture, and innovation thrive together.

We are seeking bold, transformative concepts from operators, cultural organizations, creative enterprises, and landowners to unlock Downtown Boston’s potential. Whether you’re an artist collective, an arts-tech innovator, or a property owner looking to breathe new life into your space, this is your opportunity to collaborate in revitalizing one of Boston’s most dynamic neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVES

• Economic Revitalization: Increased foot traffic, business opportunities, and new job creation in the creative industries.
• Community Gathering Spaces: Enhanced public spaces and community pride through active, accessible cultural programming.
• Innovation Ecosystem: Attraction of talent and investment from tech and creative sectors, solidifying Downtown as a cultural and economic leader.

View the RFI for Space for Creative Enterprise in Downtown

Accessibility and Accommodations 

Interpretation and translation services are available to you at no cost in English | Español | Kreyòl ayisyen | 繁體中文 | Tiếng Việt | 简体中文 | Kriolu | العربية | Русский | Português | Français | Af Soomaali here. You can view our Notice of Language Interpretation (available in multiple languages) for more information.

If you need accommodations or assistance with your application, please contact the grants team at artsgrants@boston.gov with subject line “NDAG, round 5,” or leave a message at 617-910-0048, and someone from the grants team will be in touch with you. 

BACKGROUND

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s (MOAC) believes artists have a crucial role in creating a thriving, healthy community for all. Furthermore, MOAC is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to creative expression through lifelong arts programming across all Boston neighborhoods. To support this vision, the Neighborhood Activation Grant program was established to fund community-focused arts, cultural, and creative activations in public spaces that foster joy, strengthen community wellbeing across, and advance placemaking across Boston neighborhoods. 

Who can apply?   

This round of the Neighborhood Activation Grant program is open to individuals and nonprofit organizations working alongside community partners to implement small to mid-sized creative activations in Boston, with a priority for projects that center communities who have been impacted by long-standing systemic inequities. If an organization or community group does not have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, they can apply with a nonprofit fiscal sponsor. 

What is a creative activation? 

Specific to this grant, a creative activation is an arts, cultural, and/or creative experience in a publicly accessible space that imagines and explores new possible uses for that space, contributing to placemaking efforts. This includes experiences that: 

• Transform the Space: Result in permanent or temporary changes to the physical, social, or atmospheric components of the space.
• Highlight Community: Center the social fabric, traditions, norms, and conversations within the community, showcasing its existing strengths and history.
• Incorporate Multiple Creative Elements: Demonstrate a variety of creative elements, cultural traditions, artistic disciplines, and community engagement processes.
• Engage and Benefit Residents: Are designed, planned, and executed in partnership with residents, local organizations, business owners, and workers, aiming to benefit those within and surrounding the space. 

This grant is open to both existing creative activations that are ongoing and new activations that are being launched for the first time. General examples of creative activations include (but are not limited to): site-specific performance art, immersive arts installations, community celebrations, interactive theater productions, film screenings with conversation, cultural festivals, arts and cultural markets, community dialogues that center the arts, a digital arts festival, and more. For examples of selected grantees in previous rounds, please see here. 

Please read through the full grant description prior to applying. A strong application will fit the full criteria outlined in this description. 

THE BASICS

Contact: For questions regarding the Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grant, please email artsgrants@boston.gov with subject line “NDAG, round 5”. If phone is preferred, please leave a message at 617-910-0048, and someone from the grants team will be in touch with you. 

Funding Source: City of Boston Operating Budget

Total Funds Available: $200,000

Size of grants: 

• Cultural Festival: $5,000
• Small-Scale Activation:  up to $10,000
• Mid-Scale Activation I: up to $15,000 
• Mid-Scale Activation II: up to $20,000

Application Deadline

May 8, 2025

Additional Information

• Events and programs of small and mid-sized scales will be considered. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a budget that is commensurate with their proposed activation. 
• MOAC will make every effort to fully fund approved proposals within the selected tier of the total requested grant amount.
• Please note: There is a limit of five grants total available at the $20,000 tier. This tier will be more competitive, and while up to five projects may be selected at this level, the selection committee may award fewer based on the quality and alignment of submissions. 
• If you are applying as a Cultural Festival, your application will also be considered for the Cultural Affairs Grant Program. To be considered for the Neighborhood Activation Grant, you must submit your application through this program. By doing so, you will automatically be entered into the Cultural Affairs Grant pool as well. Applicants who apply only to the Cultural Affairs Grant Program will not be considered for the Neighborhood Activation Grant. Cultural Festivals will only receive funding from one of these programs, with a maximum grant award of $5,000.

ELIGIBILITY, CRITERIA, AND PRIORITIES  

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants need to meet all of the following criteria to be eligible: 

• Be an individual artist, cultural worker, non profit arts organization, or community group with a non-profit fiscal sponsor
• Have a direct relationship to the community or area in which the activation or program is taking place. This can include being from that community, having spent a significant amount of time working and building relationships in that place, etc. 
• Have not received more than $20,000 in total from previous rounds of the Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grant (former name)

Project Requirements

• All projects and related programming are located in the City of Boston and are free and open to the public.
• Have a concrete location(s) in which the activation(s) will take place, even if the  place(s) is not yet confirmed. Project ideas that list entire neighborhoods will not be considered. 
• Demonstrate strong alignment with MOAC’s definition of creative activation. 
• All events and programs funded by the Neighborhood Activation Grant are required to be accessible for persons with disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including additional accommodations to be made available upon request of any person who requires alternately formatted materials, auxiliary aids, or other accommodations.
• An evaluation plan to document and communicate the impact of the program to the public.
• Permitting: All activations supported through this grant must secure any required permits independently, as permitting is a separate process from this grant program. Receiving a grant does not guarantee permit approval. Grantees are responsible for applying for and obtaining the appropriate permits for their project. For more information about permit requirements and how to apply, please go here.

Considerations and Priorities

Projects that include some or all of the these elements will be prioritized:

Location: 

• Priority will be given to activations that occur or include the following neighborhoods: Mattapan, Roxbury, Dorchester, Hyde Park, East Boston, and Chinatown.

Public participation / co-creation: 

• Going beyond the public as an audience and strategically building opportunities for the public to contribute to the vision, creation, and enjoyment of the activation. 

Youth participation and training:

• Integrating outcomes for young people (ages 14 to 24) into the activation, facilitating opportunities for young people to inform and lead work, including opportunities to learn specific skills or gain career exposure.  

Partnerships and Collaborations:

• Authentic partnerships and collaboration that bring communities into conversation and cross-neighborhood collaboration with each other.  

What this does not fund:

• Due to limited funding and the goal to partner with a diverse range of arts stakeholders, the following are ineligible for this grant:           
  • Previous Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grantees who received over $20,000 in total (former name) 
  • Recipients of the FY25 Opportunity Fund – individual artists and cultural workers may apply for both the Opportunity Fund and NAG, but if selected, they can only receive funding from one.
• Fundraising events, advertising, or any activity that is primarily for the commercial benefit of one entity 
• Inherently religious programming
• Ticketed events that have an entry fee (ticketed free events are eligible)
• Other foundations or grant-giving organizations
• Events that have taken place prior to July 7, 2025
• Employees of the City of Boston

Evaluation and Reporting Requirements 

Once the activation(s) proposed is complete, grantee partners will be asked to complete a brief final report form, as well as a survey about the grant process. This will allow MOAC to improve our grantmaking processes in the future to better support community work. Grantees may be required to meet with the Grants + Programs team periodically. 

APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE 

The application is available on Submittable here. Funds will support activations starting after July 7, 2025 and take place before July 1, 2026. Grants over $10,000 will be disbursed in at least 2 installments with the full amount distributed no later than August 2025.

A condensed application process is as follows:

• Submit application via Submittable
• Review of application by the Grant Review Committee
• Final approval based on Grant Review Committee review process

Application Support

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture will host two virtual office hours for applicants to discuss the NAG and its application. Office hours will be held on the following dates and times (dates include links to the office hour):

• Thursday, April 24, from 2-3 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 30, from 3-4 p.m. 

Due Dates

The deadline to apply for this grant is May 8, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Applications submitted after 5:00 p.m. on May 8, 2025 will not be accepted. A member of MOAC will inform all applicants on the status of their application within 8 weeks of the due date. If approved, payment can take up to 30 days to process. 

Grant Review Committee

MOAC is committed to implementing transparent, equitable and inclusive grantmaking practices, including the way we determine and distribute funding. The Grant Review Committee (GRC) is a diverse cohort across age, race, cultural backgrounds, professional and lived experiences, artists and community members, ability, gender identity, and more. It is comprised of MOAC staff members and community members, positioning community members as decision makers on systems and structures that ultimately have the power to shape their lives and the well-being of their communities. 

Review Application Questions

Applications will be accepted through the application below. If you would like to review application questions, you can see a PDF version of them below. Please be sure to read through the grant description in its entirety before applying, including criteria and project priorities, to assess if your activation proposal is a good fit for this grant program.  

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• Application Questions for Individual Artist(s)
• Application Questions for Nonprofits or Fiscally Sponsored Groups

Interested in creating public art in Boston?


Why am I completing this form?
The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and the Boston Art Commission believe that public art is any artwork installed in publicly accessible spaces where they can be experienced by everyone for free. In order to install art on public property, you will need approval from the Boston Art Commission and the department that owns the site.
Complete this form to start the approval process! Once you submit your application, the public art team will be in touch but you can reach out to us with questions at anytime! Please email us at BAC@boston.gov.

Please check out our website to see calls to artists and other opportunities! This form is not an application for funding but there are a couple of different options for finding funding through the city. You can also apply for the Opportunity Fund.