BeTheMuseum: YourPublicPark

RPGA Studio invites four artists to create work in public parks across Queens, New York as part of the BeTheMuseum framework while participating in a cooperative endowment.

Among many African, Indigenous, and non-Western peoples, cultural practice lives in homes, on bodies, and in relationship with land rather than behind walls. This open call asks artists to treat public parks as living museums while recognizing soil, water, plants and animals as systems that shape the work.

Examples of past work in BeTheMuseum include composing music for the wind, building with found materials, creating movement, and a ballet for the plants.

Because open calls themselves often rely on competition, scarcity, and bias, BeTheMuseum is intentionally structured to reduce harm. The application is brief; selection includes a combination of panel review and lottery, and the focus is on shared practice rather than winning or ranking.

This call is also paired with an exploration of BeTheEndowment, a structural intervention that invites artists to rethink funding through an endowment coop with a shared pool of $2,500.

Requirements

Application open:
March 6th through March 20th

-50 hours of work for BeTheMuseum: including meetings and
minimal documentation
-10 hours of work for BeTheEndowment: Researching endowments,
learning financial terminology and community investment platforms, creating an investment fund strategy, and participating in 4 online meetings
-Project activities must take place in a public park in Queens, New York
-Park activities must take place between April 1st and May 15th
-Documentation due May 30

Total Stipend: $3,000+
-$2,500 paid for 50 hours of work
-$500 paid for living expenses
-1/5 of $2,500 endowment managed over 3 years for 10 hours of work

Application Instructions

Learn more details and apply through the google forms link.
Application open: March 6th through March 20th