What does More Art do?

More Art fosters collaborations between professional artists and communities to create thought-provoking public art and educational programs that inspire broad discourse regarding social and cultural issues. Visit our mission page, here.

What makes More Art unique?

Through presenting public art to diverse communities, More Art ignites sparks for critically considering our society as a whole, and our place within it. Through accessible programming, artist talks, and a range of educational workshops surrounding each piece, More Art supplements viewers’ public art experience with a critical understanding of relevant social themes and art’s potential to serve as a communicative and expressive vehicle, often promoting positive change.

What is public art? What is socially-engaged art?
(What makes public art “public”?)

For art to be truly public, it can’t be available just to those who generally have access to cultural institutions. If art is to truly inhabit the public sphere, it has to meet communities in geographic and social locations that bridge socio-economic, racial, and ethnic boundaries.

By producing museum quality projects and programs in parks and plazas as well as in spaces such as homeless shelters and outer borough community centers, More Art ensures that commissioned artworks are made for, with, and seen by the public at large.

What happens when you take art out of conventional spaces?

Taking art out of conventional spaces enables More Art to engage new audiences – people who often do not have access to high quality cultural programming. By doing so, we create an opportunity for our projects and programs to be accessed on a more capillary scale from people of all walks of life. Further, by commissioning work that grapples with larger societal issues, More Art facilitates constructive public debate.

More Art’s mission brings art to people in public spaces and, in the process, incites ideas, challenges preconceived notions, and inspires the minds of many.

Who do we work with? Who are our partners?

To directly engage a diversity of communities, More Art partners with numerous grassroots organizations to organize and implement workshops, events, and interventions that provide a platform for new audiences to meaningfully engage with contemporary art. Past partner organizations include Hudson Guild; Greenwich House, Senior Center on the Square; Judson Memorial Church; Turning Point Brooklyn; and Center for Family Life Brooklyn, among many others. More Art also actively partners with public schools across New York City.

In addition, More Art works with municipal agencies such as the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Department of Education, The New York City Department of Transportation, as well as private institutions, and local businesses to present new works of public art.

Are More Art programs free of cost?

Yes. We believe that in order to make public art truly public, it has to be accessible to everyone, regardless of economic circumstances.

Where does More Art work?

More Art is based in New York City. We have presented public art projects in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. We are now considering to expand our projects nationally and internationally.

How do we work with artists?

More Art collaborates with emerging, mid-career, and established artists across all media to produce vibrant, relevant, and topical works of socially-engaged public art.

As an arts organization, we give primacy to artists’ ideas, visions, and practices. As much as More Art’s commissions seek to deeply engage the larger public, provoke thoughtful conversations, and strive to promote social change, we believe that aesthetic considerations are crucial and a vital component of socially engaged art.

What is our artist selection process?

Although we always welcome artists’ proposals, our public art projects are primarily by invitation only. We invite emerging, mid-career, and established artists to start a conversation with us, and ultimately submit a proposal. Projects are selected based on their artistic merit and relevance to contemporary dialogue about social justice and progressive change. Through extensive research with the community, project incubation, and sustained partnerships with local organizations, all projects effectively engage the community through public workshops, events, and panel discussions.

More Art’s Engaging Artists Fellowship Program, however, hosts an annual open call for emerging artists with a socially engaged practice. For more information on Engaging Artists, click here.

What makes Engaging Artists a unique fellowship program?

Engaging Artists provides an opportunity for emerging artists to immerse themselves in critical social issues through potential partnerships with community organizations. This is just another way that More Art engages the public with the arts like no other organization. The artists receive professional development through a intensives, monthly speaker series, periodical curatorial reviews, group presentations, and project support opportunities. For more information on Engaging Artists, click here.

Are you an artist, school, arts organization, or community organization? Would you like to work with More Art?

We are always looking to establish new partnerships with schools and community organizations across NYC. Contact us at info@morear.org for more information.