bearing witness: public art commission
The City of Frederick Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with the Planning Department, invites qualified artists or artist-led teams to submit qualifications for a site-specific public art project incorporating narrative-based Augmented Reality (AR) technology at City Hall.
This public art call is specifically for an artwork that will be a part of the City’s Bearing Witness: Frederick’s Sites of Enslavement Initiative which seeks to identify, document, and interpret the sites located in the downtown historic district that are linked to the history of slavery. The City has partnered with the African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society (AARCH) to share stories that have long gone untold. Through comprehensive research, the project aims to provide a deeper understanding of the city's past. A Historic Context Report was completed in the spring of 2025 and City Hall, which historically served as the court house, is one of 11 historic sites identified for interpretation. Artwork is critical to the storytelling of enslaved people on the local level, as few photographs are available.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Panel Review: July 6 & 7, 2026
Interviews (if required): July 13 – 15, 2026
Semi-finalist Artist Selection: July 21, 2026
Final Proposal Due: August 21, 2026
Public Engagement Period: through September 18, 2026
Final Artist Selection: September 25, 2026
Contract Execution: September 30, 2026
Research & Engagement Phase: October – December 2026
Installation Completion: May 2027
Public Unveiling: June 19, 2027