2023 Call for Artists

RISE is kicking off the 2023 Call for Artists for the initiative Art Underneath the Elevated, to commission two artists to envision, produce, and exhibit temporary public artworks or installations underneath/adjacent to the elevated A train in Far Rockaway (Queens), New York.

This exciting initiative will use art and creative placemaking as catalysts to temporarily transform and animate this fragmented and underutilized roadway into a vibrant and active public space. RISE hopes to inspire the community to reimagine the potential of Rockaway Freeway to reconnect the peninsula and serve as an adaptable civic space.

Project Background
Located below the elevated A-line subway tracks, the five-mile long Rockaway Freeway currently acts as a de facto community corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists. As part of our Project Underway Initiative, RISE has been working since 2012, in partnership with residents, local stakeholders, NYC DOT and HPD, to reenvision this much needed, yet underperforming and dangerous, underpass into a safe and inviting public space that has the potential to serve as an important cross-peninsula connection for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Artists interested in applying for the commission should review the RFP below for details.
Proposals must be submitted to Alana Danieu, RISE Community Program Coordinator, at adanieu@riserockaway.org by Monday, May 1, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). Selected artists will be notified in May.