Art Vault 2025 Call for Artists

Call for Artists: Art Vault 2025
A Temporary Art Project from the City of Albuquerque Public Art Program

Deadline: September 23, 2025 at 3:59 p.m.

Submit Application   

The City of Albuquerque’s Public Art Urban Enhancement Division invites local artists to submit proposals for immersive, site-specific installations in the Art Vault, a temporary exhibition space located within Gallery One at City Hall.

In 2024, the Public Art Urban Enhancement Division moved into new offices on the first floor of City Hall, establishing Gallery One as a space to foster connection between Albuquerque artists, the community, and City government. Gallery One seeks to engage new and diverse audiences while providing exhibition opportunities for emerging local artists. Within Gallery One is the Art Vault, a converted former Treasury vault that now serves as an intimate installation space for experimental and experiential works.

The first Art Vault installation was created by Adrian Pijoan, who continued his 2019 City Brights Project Take Me with an immersive experience featuring ambient sound, lighting, and a 3D-printed sculpture accompanied by an imagined City of Albuquerque Department of Unexplained Phenomena phone line. Subsequent installations included Caroline Liu’s The Chinese Garden, inspired by a farm owned by Chinese immigrants in Southern New Mexico, and Marie Alarcon’s American Archipelago, featuring a deconstructed video sermon accompanied by sound.

The Public Art Urban Enhancement Division seeks proposals from artists in any medium or discipline to create an immersive installation that transforms the Art Vault in their own unique style and theme. Artists are encouraged to challenge traditional artistic mediums and use the intimate scale of the vault to create impactful, unconventional experiences.

Public Art Program staff are available to mentor artists in developing strong proposals, and to support selected artists through documentation and promotion. All Art Vault projects will be documented and included in the City’s public art records.

Project Intent

The objectives of the Art Vault are to inspire artists to create new and exciting temporary installations.

• Develop quality temporary installations that exhibit a wide range of artistic styles and disciplines.
• Provide a physical space for artists to experiment and expand their creative and artistic practice and mediums.
• Activate the Art Vault as an immersive, experiential, and interactive space.
• Support diverse local artists, especially emerging artists, in the management of a small-scale public art project.
• Provide opportunities for artists to advance professional and creative skills.

Project Timeline

• August 2025: Post Call for Artists
• September 2025: Artist proposals due
• September 2025: Art Selection Committee selects Artists
• October 2025: Artists notified
• November 2025: First installation opens in Art Vault

 Eligibility and Funding

Eligible artists must reside in New Mexico and be 18 years of age or older. Approved project funding of up to $5,000. The included budget should outline funding and its use for all materials, equipment where applicable, transportation, labor, and artist design fee.

Criteria

Art Vault installations must be accomplished through innovative design and materials, craftsmanship, appropriateness to theme and character of the site. The artists must demonstrate their ability to successfully complete their project based on:

• Artistic merit of the proposed work, including:
  • Idea to be conveyed, suitability of media to idea, visual impact and relationship to existing physical and social setting
• Evidence of financial project planning through a project budget
• Technical competence and craft experience
• Feasibility of the proposed work, including:
  • Durability during the installation period, public safety, and maintenance

Proposals for works of art that include subject matter such as the apparent representation of violence, inappropriate nudity, denigration of individuals or cultures, or appropriation of or desecration of significant cultural symbols, will be reviewed for their appropriateness for public display. Proposals for works of art that include religious subject matter or symbols may be placed in a public space as long as it is not in a location where it can be revered and is solely for the purpose of exhibiting cultural or historical traditions.

 Site Information

The Art Vault is an 8 foot x 8 foot x 8 foot cinderblock cube with a drop down ceiling (about 12 inches from the concrete roof). The drop-down ceiling cannot be removed, but the grid can hold some weight, not to exceed 3 lbs/sq foot. There is one 20 amp outlet on one wall and there is one light switch for a 24 inch square fluorescent lighting box in the drop-down ceiling. The vault has limited WiFi availability. There is one fire suppression nozzle in the ceiling that cannot be touched. There is no exhaust fan or air circulation when the door is not open. The Art Vault door code can be changed to any six-digit number in order to gain access inside. No person can ever be locked inside the vault as the inside door handle opens under any condition.

Installation of approved projects will be overseen by the Public Art Program staff.

Liability and Documentation

Responsibility for the artwork, including installation, loss or damage of the artwork due to vandalism, and clean-up/de-installation, is assumed by the artist. Artists will need to sign a Public Art Agreement. The City will not own any materials utilized for the installations.

Artists are required to submit a set of professional quality photographs of the installed/activated temporary public artwork and a <1,000 word project description to the Public Art Program coordinator, within 30 days of the project’s completion. Artists are encouraged (but not required) to submit video, drawings and/or other media documenting the project.

Notification

All selected artists will be notified by email by October 20^th, 2025.

Media/Press Releases

The Department of Arts & Culture and the Public Art Program will promote each Art Vault installation through various press networks, social media, and public mailing lists. The Public Art Program must be notified of any artist-initiated media releases prior to distribution. All publicity must acknowledge that the project is funded by the City of Albuquerque Public Art Program.

Payment

Payment will depend on the budget of the proposed project. Payment will be made to artists in two phases: 85% of the project amount upon signature of the contract, and the remaining 15% of the project amount upon the Public Art Program’s receipt and approval of the project narrative and professional quality photographic documentation of the temporary installation.

Submission Materials

Due by September 23rd, 2025 by 3:59 p.m. through the Public Art Wufoo Link.

• Project proposal including a description of the work, its conceptual intent, how the project engages the site; a description of the intended audience experience is required.
• A proposed budget of anticipated expenses, not to exceed $5,000 (PDF).
• Preliminary sketches or mock-ups of the installation. Application may also include images of previous work if it informs the proposed installation. (1-4, JPG or PNG).

All submission materials should be submitted electronically and uploaded to the Public Art Program Wufoo Application site.

For technical questions or issues, email: [email protected] Emails regarding technical issues received after noon the day before the deadline may not receive support or a reply. Artists will be expected to provide all their own materials for installation, unless otherwise agreed upon.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for proposal application is September 23rd, 2025 at 3:59 p.m.

Questions

Questions about the project may be directed to the Albuquerque Public Art Program: 505-768-3566 or by email at [email protected]