Organizer Information
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by artists in 1977, serving as a venue for the exchange of ideas through thoughtful contemporary art programming. RoCo supports and exhibits artists who address pressing social issues through their work, presents both renowned and emerging artists from New York State and beyond, and provides exhibition, educational, and networking opportunities for artists. The organization also initiated and administers First Friday Citywide Gallery Night for the City of Rochester and fosters collaborative partnerships with other regional arts organizations.
Title & Description
Call for Art: 2D Temporary Public Art Installation
RoCo invites artists to propose three images for a temporary public art installation at its main facility, offering a simple submission process for incisive, surprising, and unique imagery intended to enliven the East Avenue neighborhood. RoCo is particularly interested in projects that connect visitors to the location, community, and/or history of the neighborhood, challenge visitors and passersby, and address important social and political issues. RoCo welcomes visual artists of all genres, and also invites visual artists to collaborate with literary artists, as previously shown at this location. This call for submissions is open twice per year.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Public Art
- Photography
- Digital
- Mixed Media
- Literary Arts (for visual/literary artist collaborations)
Eligibility
- Open to local, national, and international artists
- Artists who have previously exhibited in other RoCo exhibitions are eligible to apply
- RoCo may occasionally give preference to submissions from Rochester artists to help local 2D artists first exhibit their work in public space
- Open to visual artists of all genres; visual artists may also collaborate with literary artists
Program Benefits & Awards
- $400 stipend and use fee for exhibiting preexisting images
- All production and installation costs are covered by RoCo
- The selected series of three images is exhibited to the public 24/7 for 4–6 months, with duration determined together with RoCo staff based on season and project concept
- Artwork will be displayed free of charge to passersby at a site visited by an estimated 300–600 people weekly, with neighborhood festivals attracting additional visitors
- Artists interested in creating new works (rather than exhibiting preexisting images) are invited to contact RoCo directly
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Email Submission (single PDF sent to info@rochestercontemporary.org)
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 15 September 2026
- Artist Selection: by October 15 (and April 15, for the other cycle)
- Installation: prior to December First Friday (and prior to June First Friday, for the other cycle)
Location
Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14604, United States
Additional Details
- Prior to submission, artists are encouraged to visit the installation site both during the day and at night, and to learn about the history and context of the location and neighborhood
- A high-resolution floor plan with dimensions is available for download in Spanish via a linked PDF on RoCo's site