SALISBURY – Temporary public art pieces are being sought ahead of the National Folk Festival.
Officials with the Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District are calling on artists to submit their ideas for public art pieces that will be displayed at the National Folk Festival, which will take place in downtown Salisbury Sept. 7-9.
“We are hoping they would be placed in and around the area of the National Folk Festival, but it all depends on submissions,” said Jamie Heater, executive director of the Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District.
Heater said public art pieces could include sculptures, murals, lighting displays, projections and even wheat paste.
“It’s up to the artists,” she said. “Because it is temporary public art it could be a variety of things. We are generally looking for artists of skill. We want to see what they do best. We want them to impress us.”
Interested artists must submit an application form, examples of their work, a brief artist statement and a design proposal by June 15. Designs must be appropriate for public display and should not include religious, political or sexual content, corporate logos or advertising.
“After the folk festival, if it’s something they built they can keep it,” she said.
Heater said Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District’s primary objective is to produce events for the City of Salisbury. She noted, however, that money raised from certain events are used to fund public art projects downtown.
In March, for example, the organization opened artist applications to design and paint four electric utility boxes in the downtown area. Heater said temporary art pieces that are on display during the National Folk Festival will be an extension of their public arts initiative.
“We enjoy watching Salisbury get creative,” she said.
Heater said four artists will be selected by June 30 and will be paid $250 for materials and $250 upon completion.
For more information, or to receive an application form, contact Jamie Heater at [email protected].
“I think this is something we want to continue to do,” she said.
