Vine + Liberty
NATIONAL ARTIST CALL · CINCINNATI
A permanent public sculpture. An original artistic vision.
Applications due December 10, 2026 · 11:59 PM EST
Applications are open. Go to the application →
Before you apply
Prepare your contact information, artist introduction, chosen thematic direction, original concept, response to the site and preliminary visuals. Part A is required; Part B and examples of previous work are optional. Each previous-work and Part A upload field accepts up to 10 images or documents. Follow the accepted formats and size limits shown by the upload field.
The Opportunity
Black Art Speaks (BAS), in partnership with 3CDC, invites artists and artist teams nationwide to submit original artistic concepts for a permanent public sculpture at Vine + Liberty. The work should offer a compelling artistic response to the site, its cultural and historical context, and the perspectives of the surrounding community.
This is a CONCEPT-FIRST opportunity. Artists with or without prior sculpture, public art, fabrication, or installation experience are welcome. Artists may submit a concept without proposing to build it. All applicants are evaluated on artistic merit, not their ability to fabricate or manage installation.
Thematic Directions
The site is being redeveloped as a public surface parking lot. Over-the-Rhine (OTR) is a National Register historic district with one of the country’s largest surviving collections of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture. Its history includes German immigrants who settled north of the Miami and Erie Canal in the mid-nineteenth century, as well as later generations of Irish and German immigrants, Appalachian families arriving from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee, and Black families who moved into the neighborhood after urban renewal and interstate construction displaced residents of the adjacent West End.
The sculpture will be located at the northwest corner of Vine Street and East Liberty Street, at 1518 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, in Over-the-Rhine. The site is a high-visibility intersection at the northern edge of the neighborhood’s business district, with substantial vehicle and pedestrian traffic and connections between North and South OTR. The sculpture should mark this corner, give the public parking facility a civic presence, and contribute to the neighborhood’s public realm—not to the parking use itself.
Each applicant must identify which of the following three thematic directions their concept pursues. The directions are equally valued; no direction is preferred, and choosing one over another will not improve or reduce a concept’s evaluation.
Direction One — The Flying Pig
Cincinnati’s pork-packing history earned it the name “Porkopolis,” and the winged pig has become one of the city’s best-known civic symbols. Artists may use the flying pig as a point of departure, interpreting, abstracting, fragmenting, or reframing the motif. Literal reproductions of existing winged-pig sculptures, or concepts that appear derivative of prior installations, will not advance. Consider how this familiar symbol might be reimagined at a working parking lot and neighborhood threshold rather than a ceremonial riverfront setting.
Direction Two — The Immigrant Spirit of Cincinnati
This direction may explore Over-the-Rhine’s layered histories of arrival, displacement, work, and belonging—from the German immigrants who gave the neighborhood its name, to Irish and German immigrants, Black families who moved north during the Great Migration or were displaced from the West End, Appalachian families, and more recent immigrant communities from Latin America, West Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Concepts should engage these histories with care and authenticity, recognizing that displacement from this specific neighborhood remains within living memory. Immigration treated only as decorative iconography will not advance.
Direction Three — Open
Artists may propose any concept that responds meaningfully to the site, the neighborhood, and the project’s evaluation criteria. This is not a lesser option and carries no disadvantage. Clearly explain what the work is about and why it belongs at this corner.
Site & Neighborhood Context
The existing building will be replaced by a public surface parking lot, and the sculpture will be placed on the corner of Vine and Liberty.
Community Conversations, Surveys & Historical Resources
BAS will facilitate surveys, stakeholder discussions, neighborhood conversations, and historical research during the application period. ALL prospective artists and artist teams are invited to attend public conversations as they occur. Attendance is encouraged but not required and is not scored.
The PROJECT WEBSITE is the central source for evolving information. Applicants should check it regularly for conversation invitations and schedules, community survey updates, summaries of discussions, a two-to-three-page Historical and Cultural Context Brief, and other relevant materials. Information will be posted on a rolling basis as engagement occurs, rather than only at the end of the process. Artists who cannot attend will have access to the same published materials. Artists should explain how the available information informs their concepts.
Who May Apply
Individual artists and artist-led teams across the United States, including emerging and established artists, are eligible. Artists from a wide range of media are welcome if their concepts can reasonably be developed into durable, site-appropriate public sculpture. Prior public art commissions and existing fabrication partners are NOT prerequisites.
Application — Two Parts
PART A: ARTISTIC CONCEPT — REQUIRED FOR EVERY APPLICANT
Artist or team name, contact details, location, and brief introduction.
Original concept narrative: artistic vision, inspiration, intended meaning, visitor experience, and the thematic direction pursued (Flying Pig, Immigrant Spirit of Cincinnati, or Open).
Preliminary visual(s): sketches, diagrams, collages, digital illustrations or comparable materials; professional renderings are not required for the initial application.
Explanation of how the concept responds to the site, historical resources, and community perspectives available at the time of submission.
Initial thoughts on scale, materials, placement and physical form, to the extent known.
PART B: FABRICATION & INSTALLATION APPROACH — OPTIONAL
Artists or artist teams interested in leading or coordinating project execution may also submit Part B. It is optional for everyone and will NOT influence scoring of Part A.
Proposed design-development, fabrication and installation plan.
Whether execution would be managed directly or through qualified technical, engineering, fabrication and installation partners.
Preliminary materials and fabrication methods, with major technical assumptions or risks.
Preliminary itemized budget covering artist fees, design/engineering, fabrication, transportation, installation, contingency and related costs.
Preliminary schedule demonstrating a feasible route to April 30, 2027 completion.
Part B is a preliminary proposal, not a binding fabrication quote or guaranteed contract. BAS and 3CDC may request additional technical information after concept selection.
Finalists & Compensation
Up to four finalists will be selected on the quality and merit of Part A. Finalists will then be invited to refine their concepts under one of two defined paid scopes:
$500 — CONCEPT-ONLY FINALIST: refined concept, visual representations and supporting narrative.
$1,000 — CONCEPT + EXECUTION PROPOSAL FINALIST: refined concept and visuals PLUS a more developed fabrication/installation approach, preliminary budget and schedule.
Applicants will not receive a stipend for submitting an initial application. Stipends are reserved for selected finalists and are contingent upon completion of the agreed-upon finalist deliverables. Finalists may choose the applicable scope when invited; neither payment tier gives an advantage in concept evaluation. The $1,000 stipend is not payment to fabricate or manage the completed sculpture.
How Concepts Will Be Evaluated
Originality and creativity — 30%
Connection to community perspectives and historical context — 30%
Visual impact and suitability for the site — 25%
Clarity and strength of artistic vision — 15%
The review panel will include historical expertise. Prior fabrication experience, professional credentials, existing teams and project-management capacity will not be scored. Site safety, feasibility, approvals, schedule and budget will be assessed separately before a final execution agreement.
Artistic Concept Selection vs. Fabrication Contract
Selection of the preferred artistic concept does NOT automatically award fabrication or installation work. After concept selection, BAS may: (1) contract with the originating artist/team for execution if qualified and interested; (2) pair the originating artist with qualified technical/fabrication partners; or (3) negotiate acquisition or licensing of the concept for realization by another qualified team.
Artists retain their rights unless a separate written agreement expressly provides otherwise. Application or finalist stipend payment alone does not transfer copyright, permission to fabricate, or ownership. Any license/purchase, alterations, credit, artist involvement and additional compensation will be separately negotiated. Submitting Part B does not guarantee an execution contract; submitting only Part A does not reduce the chance of concept selection.
Project Timeline — Target Dates
At website launch — National call opens
Through November 30, 2026 — Community surveys and conversations; rolling website updates
December 10, 2026 — Part A required and optional Part B applications due
By December 18, 2026 — Up to four finalists identified; refinements due December 30
January 5, 2027 — Preferred artistic concept selected
January–April 2027 — Rights/contracting, design, engineering, approvals, fabrication and installation
April 30, 2027 — Target project completion and closeout
Project Budget & Conditions
The total not-to-exceed budget for this engagement is $90,000, inclusive of the Black Art Speaks services and all costs associated with the artist commission. All project expenses must be covered within this total amount.
The $90,000 budget must cover the following:
Black Art Speaks and Administration: Black Art Speaks management fee, staff time, administrative costs, and expenses, including developing, issuing, and marketing the artist call and convening the selection panel.
Finalist Stipends: Up to four finalists, with $500 for the concept-only scope or $1,000 for the concept plus execution proposal scope.
Artist Commission and Project Delivery: All costs associated with the artwork’s design, engineering, fabrication, and installation, including the artist’s fee; structural engineering and sealed documents; materials and finishes; shop drawings; delivery, rigging, and installation; design reviews and permitting, including application and permit fees; traffic control; insurance; travel; subcontractors; documentation; and preparation of a maintenance manual.
Community Engagement and Dedication: Costs associated with community engagement activities and the project dedication event.
The $90,000 is a total project budget, not a guaranteed artist commission amount. The amount ultimately available for the artwork and its design, fabrication, and installation will depend on Black Art Speaks fees, finalist stipends, and other project expenses. All proposed allocations and scopes are subject to review and approval.
The final scope of work and associated costs will be confirmed during contracting, considering site conditions and constraints, technical and engineering requirements, insurance, permitting, installation, and ongoing maintenance requirements. Project dates, budget allocations, and related requirements are subject to approval and may be updated as the project progresses.
Apply & Stay Informed
Application deadline: December 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST
BAS membership is not required.
Applications are open. Complete the application below. For questions or access accommodations, email info@blackartspeaks.com.