SUMMER STREETS BACKGROUND

The New York City Department of Transportation’s (NYC DOT) mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, environmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary customers, City residents. Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space – our streets.

Summer Streets takes place on select Saturdays from the morning to the afternoon. Miles of NYC’s streets are open in both directions for people to play, walk, and bike along while taking a break at the route rest stops to enjoy free activities. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation.

In recent years, Summer Streets expanded to the five boroughs creating nearly 20 miles of car-free streets. Exact dates and times for 2025 will be announced at a later date.

Find examples of past activities in the Summer Streets Art Interventions RFP PDF.  Visit the Summer Streets web page, nyc.gov/summerstreets for event information and visit NYC DOT’s Flickr for images of past Summer Streets events, flickr.com/nycstreets.
 

PROJECT SCOPE

NYC DOT invites all professional artists to submit proposals for new or existing artwork to be installed along the Summer Streets event routes at sites designated by NYC DOT as a one-day installation throughout all five event dates. The display structure and attachments must be compliant with the requirements stipulated. The majority of available sites for art installations are concrete sidewalks or asphalt street spaces. Up to two artists may be selected.

Selected Artists shall be responsible for the following:

• Installing one (1) final artwork on site of each event. Locations will vary across events.

• Being available to meet and coordinate with NYC DOT throughout all project phases from June

through August.

• Attending each event to monitor artwork and engage with the public.

• Providing a signed and sealed technical memo prepared by a NYS licensed engineer.

• Installing and removing the installation after each event date is completed. Installations may not

remain installed from one event to the next at any given site.

Selected artist(s) may receive up to $20,000 to cover all expenses; large-scale installations with potential to be displayed at all seven locations across all five weekends may be eligible for a budget of up to $50,000. Installation budgets must cover all expenses to design, fabricate, and present the artwork, including costs associated with the following: artist fee (up to 20% of budget), labor, materials, fabrication, engineering, installation, equipment rental, storage, and transportation. Project funding will be determined by NYC DOT Art based on the complexity of the project and overall proposed budgets.

More information on artwork types can be found in the Summer Streets Art Interventions RFP PDF.
 

APPLICATION AND DEADLINE

Artists are invited to submit proposals by Sunday, April 27, 2025, 11:59 pm EST. Artists are only eligible to receive one commission per fiscal year.

Please submit applications through our Submittable portal at nycdotart.submittable.com/submit.

By submitting an application, all selected artists agree to enter into a contract with NYC DOT In advance of the event and shall receive funding following participation at the events. 

Incomplete applications or applications that do not meet the requirements will not be considered.
 

SELECTION PROCESS

The NYC DOT Art Advisory Committee and project specific selection jury shall review and rank all submissions based on the criteria below. A strong proposal will be inclusive and consider the access needs of all attendees.

Summer Streets Goals

• Interactive: Engage Summer Streets participants mentally, and potentially, physically.

• Activate: Reimagine the routes and become a destination for event participants.

• Event Enrichment: Enhance and draw attention to Summer Street’s mission to celebrate New York

City’s streets.

Artistic Merit

• Proposed artwork demonstrates art/design excellence and is appropriate for the public realm.

• Artist’s past work demonstrates proficiency in the proposed medium including design, fabrication,

and implementation.

• Artist has exhibited in the public or private realm and participated in team and/or community-based

art projects.

• Previous experience demonstrates connection to Summer Streets’ mission.

• Previous experience demonstrates ability to collaborate on a team-based project.

Site Suitability

• Artwork is suitable for the public realm based on size, scale, and form. Proposal considers the variety

of audiences at the event.

• Proposal considers the social, historical, architectural, geographical and/or cultural context of the site.

• Artwork is moveable and/or can be easily installed and removed each event date.

• Artwork does not introduce any safety hazards for pedestrians and cyclists on the route.

Artwork Durability

• Artwork will be made of durable materials to withstand outdoor weather conditions. The events will be

held rain or shine.

• Artwork is carefully planned ensuring sound fabrication and installation.

Public Safety

• Proposal does not present any public safety hazards.

QUESTIONS

All inquiries regarding the Summer Streets Art Interventions RFP should be sent to arts@dot.nyc.gov.

Other inquiries regarding the event and programming should be sent to summerstreets@dot.nyc.gov.