MetroCommon 2050 Spark Grant Agreement Information and Application
For Graphic, Editorial, Comic, Animation, Video, Other Art
Apply by or before October 3, 2019
Application link at the bottom of this page
General Information
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is Greater Boston’s regional planning agency. We are seeking Boston-area artists to create original works that make key concepts of specified MAPC research papers compelling to a wide audience.
Over the next year, we will enter into a Grant Agreement with up to six different artists, each of whom will be responsible for creating an original work of art for one assigned MAPC research or informational product. We are open to any medium, but artworks will be distributed by MAPC by email and over social media, and so must be effective for this use.
The ideal artworks will command attention. They will be understandable and interesting to a wide audience across the Greater Boston region. They may be translated by MAPC into other languages, but the original artwork will be understandable to English speakers. They, or the documentation of them, will be easy to share or embed in others’ content, and they will be compelling on social media. All artworks will be in harmony with MAPC’s missionand MetroCommon 2050’s values. This project is part of MetroCommon 2050, Greater Boston’s next regional plan, which is under development now.
MAPC’s goal is to amplify the ideas and principles we develop with an for the communities in our region. We have internal capacity to do infographics such as this, which was picked up widely in the press and piqued interest on social media. We believe that the resonance that can be expressed by artists has the potential to heighten and add urgency and clarity to our messaging.
Grant Agreement
MAPC will enter into a Grant Agreement valued at $2,500.00 per recipient, with a $1,250.00 stipend payable upon MAPC’s acceptance of a draft. The remaining $1,250.00 will be payable upon MAPC’s acceptance of a final deliverable. MAPC reserves the right not to publish a final artwork not submitted by the agreed deadline or in the agreed form, and to withhold final payment. Artist is not responsible for delays caused by MAPC.
Application
Application must be through the form you will find via the link at the bottom of this page. The form requires the following:
Application Deadline
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until October 3, 2019. Late applications will not be reviewed. All applicants will receive a preliminary response by or before November 3, 2019.
Selection Process
MAPC will notify artists of preliminary acceptance by or before November 3, 2019. On preliminary acceptance, MAPC will offer the artist 2019/20 publish dates and, if possible, a choice of topics. Final selection will be based in part on artist availability. If an agreement is be reached, a Grant Agreement will be offered to the artist by or before December 3. There is no guarantee that any artist responding to this call will receive a Grant Agreement.
Copyright
Because MAPC is a publicly funded agency, MAPC must retain the ownership rights to all of the intellectual property represented by the art delivered under the Grant Agreement. MAPC guarantees artist attribution. MAPC reserves the right to grant permission to artists to use the artwork for other reasonable purposes upon their written request.
Media Requirements
Final images (photographs, graphics, cartoons, drawings, paintings) will be required in tiff and jpeg format at a minimum of 3456 x 4608 pixels at 300 ppi and might be resized per our design needs. For live action or animated short films, acceptable video file formats (mov or mp4) must be no more than 24GB and five minutes long with minimum dimensions of 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels deep. Videos must be viewable in QuickTime or Windows, and easily uploadable to YouTube. Multiple video files should be numbered in the order in which artists intend them to be viewed.
Editorial Requirements
As a public agency and a mission-driven organization, MAPC has requirements for the artworks we publish. We will select and approve only artwork that meet those requirements, and we retain the right to require adjustments to meet those requirements.
This project, however, is about original voices. We will communicate any possible problems in writing to the artist before approving any draft and allow time for modifications.
Process and Minimum Timing
Schedule to be agreed to by MAPC and artist on a case-by-case basis, depending on artist availability, MPC schedule, and topic area. The below is the most rapid process that would be requested by MAPC. Longer processes are likely.
Translation of this document may be requested. Please write to Karen Adelman atkadelman@mapc.org.
Webinars
Conference calls may be scheduled to explain the application process. Participation or non-participation in such conference calls will have no bearing on artist selection.
If interested in such a call, please contact Karen Adelman at kadelman@mapc.org.