Call for Artists: Stories of Connection Project

Location: MN — Twin Cities Metro
Type: Call for Submissions
Categories:
Public Art

Deadline: 03/21/2025

Apply

The Loppet Call for Artists: Stories of Connection Project

More Info: loppet.org/stories
Call type: Indoor Exhibition, Public Art
Eligibility: Local / North Minneapolis, Minnesota
Selection: 3 – 5 Artists
Fee: No entry fee
Commission: $2,240 each (includes design, community engagement, materials and installation)
Entry Deadline: Monday, March 10th @ 11:59 p.m.
Artists Selected Notified by: Friday March 21th, 2025
Final physical artwork completed & installed by: Tuesday, July 1st, 2025
Expressed timeline for artwork completion: Roughly 3.5 months
Artist Info Session:
Zoom: Tuesday, February 18th, 2025, 6 – 7 p.m. (Google Meet Link)
In-person at the Trailhead: Wednesday February 19th, 2025 12pm – 1pm.

Background: The Loppet engages 20,000 people annually through opportunities that align with our Mission: “Connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community.” Recognizing that access to nature and the outdoors has been easier for some Minneapolis residents than others, The Loppet has partnered with communities and
organizations to increase park usership, reverse underrepresentation in accessing green spaces, and include anti-racism efforts.

For more information on The Loppet, how to engage with Wirth Park and the Stories of Connection Project, visit: loppet.org Project Description: The Loppet / Stories of Connection (SOC) is a multi-year project funded by the state’s LCCMR grant (Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources). The project concept is to gather stories of connection to nature and Theodore With Park (TWP) from BIPOC communities in North Minneapolis through interviews, focus groups, forums, and community research. The first phase of the project will present an indoor art exhibition highlighting themes that emerged from these collected stories. Combined, these stories represent the joys, memories, hopes, challenges, underrepresentation, and inequities of access & engagement facing BIPOC residents. SOC aims to celebrate BIPOC experiences in nature along with re-connect BIPOC residents to the parks, increase their usage of urban green spaces, and affirm their presence as valued and welcome. This Call for Artists proposal seeks individuals or teams to create artwork that will coherently illustrate these overarching themes and stories.

This project also carries an environmental education component with an emphasis on environmental justice programs, and environmental leadership pathways for high schoolers and young adults. Artists with experience in environmental justice are encouraged to apply.

Project Themes:
Stories have been previously collected through North Mpls resident interviews, focus groups, and community forums. Prospective artists should be prepared to center their proposed artwork around one of the following themes:
● Shifting the Narrative about North Minneapolis
● The Fight for Liberation
● Nature as a Social Phenomenon
● Finding Growth and Healing in the Outdoors
● Nurturing Reconnection
Our goal is to have artists/teams produce artwork that will creatively introduce these themes to the community.

Project Details and Parameters:
● Open to individuals or a team of artists. We recommend teams of no more than 3 artists. The commission amount is the same for individuals or teams.
● Ideally, Artists/teams will have previous experience completing collaborative work in public spaces.
● Artists/teams need to be prepared to design and create pieces with Stories of Connection themes in mind and should consider how these themes correlate to community, connection, nature, healing, belonging, access and North Minneapolis history.
● Artists/teams should express how they might include nature/environmental perspectives in artwork for public spaces.
● Artists/teams should prepare to attend one Stories of Connection event where they will be able to engage with and listen to community input.
● We encourage artists to draw inspiration from cultural heritage, personal experiences, and global perspectives.
● Areas available for the indoor art installation(s) include specific spaces within the 14,000 sq ft building. The location of the art spans the entrance and can extend into the main hall and can potentially include wall space, fireside room, pillars and window space. Contracted artists/teams should consider where their work will serve to inspire everyone who uses and visits the Trailhead. (This is an indoor exhibit, however, there is potential for limited use of outdoor space).
● Art must last a minimum of 5 years, and have mobility capabilities.
● We are interested in supporting projects led/created by BIPOC artists who are from or connected to North Minneapolis.
Eligibility:
● Open to all BIPOC individual artists/teams who reside, work, or are connected to North Minneapolis. *Applicants not residing in North Minneapolis should be prepared to elaborate on their connection to North Minneapolis.
● Able to meet key dates listed in the timeline.
● Artists/teams should be able to explain how they will include project themes and community feedback in their artwork.
Note: Upon commissioned selection the artist or team must agree that The Loppet will maintain ownership of created art pieces, and are permitted to use the art in any way that best aligns with SOC programming, exhibition(s), use as curriculum and/or for venues. Artwork will be kept in a ‘mobile status’ for up to 5 years. Artists or teams are required to sign and submit their release of authorization prior to commencing work.
Selection Process:
From submitted responses to the call, a panel of The Loppet staff, advisory board members and community members will select the artists/teams to receive commission. Artist/team selection will be evaluated by a:
● Scoring metric value. This metric value will ensure a fair, and equitable scoring system meant to level the selection process. This numerical score will indicate how well the applicant meets or exceeds project expectations.
Site Specific Considerations (if applicable): ● The exhibit will be housed indoors at the Trailhead (1221 Theodore Wirth Pkwy), with potential areas outside of the building available for artwork. ● These works will strategically be placed to interact with the community. ● Artworks must be able to travel to other sites in North Minneapolis for display.
18ft x10
81/2 x 3ft
7’5”x11’8” 11’x8’
’
12’8”x6’ 6’4”x 6’4”
6”x 6’ 140 cm x 250 cm
12’x4’ 4x 25ft
Applicant Information – Please include the following information:
A. Contact information: name, email, phone, address, pronouns, website/social (if applicable).
B. If part of a team, please select a designated primary contact. List info for additional artist/team members. Note: other artist/team members must also meet all eligibility requirements.
Written materials: B – D should be combined into one PDF to be uploaded with application. Title your file name lastname_written material.pdf
B. Narrative
Answers to questions 1- 4 should be about one page. Please use question titles as headings when writing your answers.
1. What is your connection to North Minneapolis?
2. Artwork and approach. Describe your approach to creating art and how you might engage with the project themes and community stories in creating your work. Tell us about the steps you (and your team) would take from initial concept to installation.
3. Nature Connection. Describe how you might use your experience interacting with nature in your artwork.
4. What excites you about this project? Tell us why you are specifically interested in this opportunity.
5. For teams only – (no more than one additional page) Detail how your team will work collaboratively on this project.
C. Resume – Maximum 2 pages per artist – combined into PDF with answers to Narrative questions.
D. Work Samples List – Create a work sample list that includes the following information for each sample:
● Name of file (lastname_imagenumber.jpg)
● Title of your work
● Year
● Materials
● Short description (optional)
E. Work Samples – Upload up to 5 work samples. Please include work samples of similarly completed projects that demonstrate skill level and the artist/teams ability to execute the proposed project. Images must be under 5MB and are recommended to be 1920 pixels on the longest side. Title your image lastname_imagenumber.jpg
Best Practice Application Submission Process:
1. Read Call for background, eligibility and application process. We highly recommend you attend/view one of the Artist Info Sessions.
2. Complete and compile items A-E to prepare for submitting to Google form at the same time. The Google form will not save your incomplete application. Submit by 11:59 pm Monday March 3rd, 2025.
3. Find the call and link online application at loppet.org/stories
4. We will be in touch if there are any questions about your submission.
5. Questions can be directed via email to: stories@loppet.org We thank you for your interest in The Loppet: Stories of Connection Project! We look forward to reviewing your application.