2020 Fall for Arts Festival: Call for Artists

Call for Artists

On Saturday, September 26, 2020, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) will present its annual Fall for Arts Festival on Roosevelt Island. This community festival, entering its 15^th year, has a tradition of celebrating creativity and the changing seasons. The event combines performance and traditional arts through the creation of free-standing murals during the Festival. The theme of this year’s event is: “Social Justice: Reclaiming Our Time”. RIOC is looking for artists who are seeking to create works that reflect their vision to raise social justice awareness, create change, and encourage community activism. 

This year’s event will be adjusted for the COVID-19 pandemic, with only socially distanced mural making and other distanced art activities. We look forward to bringing back the music and amusements next year!    

The Opportunity:

Mural Painting: Each mural artist will paint one of several 6’ high by 8’ long or 6’ high by 16’ long murals outdoors during the festival from 9 AM – 5 PM* at one of three locations on Roosevelt Island:

• Southpoint Park (South of the Cornell Tech Campus)
• The Meditation Lawn (501 Main St.)
• Lighthouse Park (North end of the island)

*Artists are free to arrange an earlier time to begin their work, if needed. Please note that, due to social distancing restrictions, we will only allow 1-2 artists per mural panel at a time, unless additional artists are from the same household. Masks will be required for check-in. 

Motorgate Atrium Installation: We are also requesting submissions for a new Black Lives Matter art installation in the Motorgate Atrium. The selected design will become the inaugural piece in this new initiative, which will grow within the Motorgate Gallery space, as a three-dimensional centerpiece that focuses on uplifting and representing black voices from a global perspective. Organized groups are encouraged to submit sketches of your fully realized 3-D design. Further details on the space and other requirements can be provided by reaching out to the below email 

Please submit a sketch of your mural or installation design (submitted in jpeg or PDF), or any inquiries, along with a title and short description of the concept and technical method, based on this year’s theme. Mural sketches should be sized according to a 6’ high x 8’ long or 6’ high x 16’ long ratio. Submission does not guarantee selection.

Deadline: Please submit your sketches no later than Friday, September 11^th to jessica.cerone@rioc.ny.gov.

Participation in this event is free; basic paints, brushes, and a primed surface are provided for mural painting! Once complete, murals will stay on display on the lawn for several weeks.  

After the Festival: Selected murals will be displayed at Roosevelt Island’s Motorgate Atrium Gallery starting in April 2021. The Black Lives Matter installation will remain in the Gallery, with new art pieces added throughout the year. All artwork will remain RIOC property and may be displayed on Roosevelt Island to beautify the community in the future.

We welcome your participation and creativity. Good luck!