publicart
atnjpac
about the initiative
NJPAC – an anchor cultural institution for the city of Newark and state of New Jersey – is building a brand new downtown neighborhood on the parking lots surrounding our theaters. When it’s completed, our campus will include new mixed-income residential buildings, retail spaces, parks, education, rehearsal and community space.
To activate this redeveloped campus and contribute to Newark’s thriving public art scene, NJPAC is commissioning thirteen new public artworks to be installed in locations across our campus, both indoors and out. We look forward to inviting artists, particularly those with community-engaged practices, to create these pieces and help envision and energize this new neighborhood. We hope these works of art will capture both the spirit and mission of NJPAC and the energy of our home city, Newark.
Opportunities
Virtual Artist Information Meeting
A virtual artist information session will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 3:00 – 4:30 PM to provide an overview of the program, share current opportunities, and explain the application process. Interested artists can sign up below. Questions about the program can be sent to rfp@njpac.org.
RSVP
Preguntas más frecuentes
NJPAC is commissioning a wide range of public artworks at multiple sites across the new campus. Please click on each opportunity above to download the unique brief. Opportunities include:
- ArtSide | Retail Windows
- ArtSide | Underpass
- NJPAC East Facade Mural
- 31 Mulberry St. Installation
- Cooperman Center | Floor 1 | Reading Room Frieze Mural
- Cooperman Center | Floor 1 | Vestibule Mural
- Cooperman Center | Floor 1 | Interior Elevator Mural
- Cooperman Center | Floor 2 | Vestibule Mural 1
- Cooperman Center | Floor 2 | Vestibule Mural 2
- Cooperman Center | Floor 2 | Corridor Murals
- Military Park Garage | Level 1 | Escalator Landing Mural
- Military Park Garage | Level 2 | Escalator Landing Mural
- Military Park Garage | Level 3 | Escalator Landing Mural
Applications are due January 19, 2026.
Applications must be submitted through Submittable at projectforemptyspace.submittable.com.
This public art commission is open to individual artists or artist collectives based in New Jersey or New York. Individual artists must be 18 years or older, and collectives must designate a lead artist or representative. Full-time employees of the commissioning organization, selection panel members, and their immediate families are ineligible.
To verify eligibility, applicants may provide documentation such as an active home or studio lease, a current utility bill, a current letter of employment, or a letter of reference from an arts organization, gallery, or community arts program confirming artistic practice in New Jersey or New York. Applicants must also demonstrate the capacity to execute projects on time and within budget.
Eligibility may be verified at any stage of the selection process.
NJPAC identified core themes through community meetings, surveys, and roundtables. Applicants are encouraged to engage with these themes or introduce new narratives to expand and deepen stories that empower public spaces. Themes and context notes are outlined at the top of each site brief, which can be downloaded by clicking “learn more” under each opportunity above.
Nota: Submitted proposals should not include realistic renderings or likenesses of notable living public figures. Artists are encouraged to approach concepts using their distinct visual language, symbolism, abstraction, layered narratives, or other conceptual methods.
NJPAC is convening a jury composed of NJPAC leadership, external stakeholders, and creatives with expertise in public art. Two separate juries will review submissions: one for The Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center and another for the ArtSide and NJPAC main campus installations.
Yes. Applicants may submit to multiple opportunities; however, selected artists will only be awarded one project.
Some projects offer preset budgets and fixed honoraria, while others require applicants to submit a holistic, comprehensive budget that includes a detailed line-item breakdown of anticipated expenses. Artist honorariums range from $7,500 to $25,000. Holistic project budgets range from $50,000 to $75,000, and each application includes guidance and a template to help you structure your budget.
Community engagement is strongly encouraged but not strictly required. Projects that meaningfully involve the public—whether through local partnerships, workshops, youth collaboration, performances, or the use of community archives—are typically more competitive. Applicants who choose to incorporate engagement should clearly describe how community members will participate and how their involvement will shape or support the final artwork.
Questions can be directed to rfp@njpac.org. Please also join us for the virtual artist information session on December 10 at 3PM. RSVP.
Artists will be notified of the jury’s decision by March 2026.
Stories in Sound, Movement and Community is created in partnership with Project for Empty Space
This new public art program, created in partnership with Project for Empty Space, weaves together stories in sound, movement, and community – vital elements of all of NJPAC’s work both on stage and off – using installations and interactive experiences to illuminate the cultural life of our community. Each work traces a story of evolution—stories of past, present and tomorrow carried forward through the lens of music, spoken word, dance, and performance. In Newark, these traditions continue to flourish through grassroots arts programs, youth initiatives, and public gatherings, sustaining a vibrant dialogue between generations. Through this layering of history, rhythm, and movement, Stories in Sound, Movement, and Community illustrates an institution, a city and a community in constant evolution.