Artwork Wanted For Maplewood Pedestrian Tunnel

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - With a $10,000 budget amassed by a successful GoFundMe campaign, the Maplewood Arts Council (MAC) and the Township of Maplewood are asking for request for proposals for artwork to transform a pedestrian tunnel running beneath the NJ Transit railroad tracks in Maplewood.

The tunnel is a hub of commuter and pedestrian activity in Maplewood, connecting the Ricalton Square parking lot on Maplewood Avenue with the train station on Dunnell Road.

Now that the money is in place, officials said the search is on for artists who can create this transformation.

“We’re encouraging artists of all ages, and artists working in diverse artistic styles and media, to submit proposals,” said Marcy Thompson, chairperson and co-founder of the MAC.

Artists are welcome to apply as individuals or as teams. Each artist or artist team will be paid $1,000 (i.e., the award will be $1,000 per artwork), and the cost of materials will be covered.

The Request For Proposals (RFP) asks artists to submit ideas for realizing two central goals: 1—to INSPIRE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE, and 2—to represent Maplewood as a VIBRANT ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY. The artwork should capture the vitality of this busy passageway, and should have the potential to bring artists and commuters into a conversation about what it means to be a part of our community.

Based on proposals received, the MAC will choose up to eight artists or artist teams, each of whom will create one 4’ by 8’ horizontally-oriented panel, to be hung on the tunnel walls. Artists are invited to submit proposals in a variety of media, including paint, mosaic, textile, photography, and graffiti.

Preference will be given to artists who live in the Maplewood/South Orange area, but applications will also be accepted from artists along the entire Morris & Essex Rail Line, from NYC to Gladstone/Dover.

The deadline for submissions is MARCH 22, 2019. To access the RFP, go to the Maplewood Arts Council website: http://www.maplewoodartsandculture.org/station-artwork/. Awards will be announced on April 5, 2019.

For further information, email: Tricia Tunstall, co-founder and member, Maplewood Arts Council at tricia.tunstall@gmail.com or Marcy Thompson, co-founder and chair, Maplewood Arts Council at marcythompson@me.com.

(Photo courtesy of the Maplewood Arts Council)

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