Community Arts Initiative Artist Project Seeks Lead Artist

U.S. National Deadline: January 17, 2025 – The Artist Project is a collaboration between the Museum of Fine Arts and twelve after-school community organizations in the Boston area. Each year a new experienced artist with a passion for community arts is selected to plan and lead a project with children between the ages of six and twelve. The lead artist guides the children and helps them create a collaborative work of art inspired by the Museum’s encyclopedic collection.

VENUE & STIPEND
The completed project is exhibited in the Edward H. Linde Gallery (168) in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art at the MFA.

The MFA provides the selected artist with a stipend of $50,000 and a budget of $5,000 for materials. The Lead Artist works with MFA staff and collections and is recognized across all exhibition materials including postcards and the MFA website.

ELIGIBILITY
Experienced artists with demonstrated ability to complete large-scale projects involving different elements, community partners, and groups of children.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Judges review applications for:

• Engagement – The Lead Artist engages visitors and participants with the MFA’s collection and uses a variety of media in innovative, creative, and exciting ways.
• Creativity – The project draws from the MFA’s collections and reflects the Artist’s style.
• Feasibility – The project can be completed within the time frame and materials budget provided.
• Clarity – The Artist conveys a clear vision of how the final work of art will be exhibited within the gallery space.
• Flexibility – The project allows for multiple participants and considers after-school variables such as children leaving a session early, arriving late, or only participating in one session.

APPLY ONLINE – No Fee

DATES

• Application Deadline: January 17, 2025
• Notification: March 21, 2025
• Initial Planning Meetings: July 2025
• Sessions Begin: October 2025
• Sessions End: April 2026
• Installation: April/May 2026
• Artist Project Exhibition Opening: May 2026

About:
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston serves a wide variety of people—from school children to adults—through direct encounters with works of art. In addition to housing renowned collections, the Museum also offers numerous exhibitions and opportunities for learning and community engagement.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115