About the Public Artist Roster

Status: Open

Application Deadline EXTENDED: June 25, 2026

Budget for Artwork: $100,000 and below

Managed by: publicart@artsfoundtucson.org

Submission link: https://artsfoundtucson.submittable.com/submit

Eligibility EXPANDED:

Open to artists and artist teams that meet all the following criteria at the time of application: 

• Applicant is at least 18 years old. 

• Applicant resides in Arizona. 

• The applicant may be at any stage of their career, including emerging or established. 

• Applicants may work in any artistic discipline or medium. 

• The application must be completed solely by the artist or team lead artist.  

• Current and prior Roster artists must reapply to appear on the 2026-2028 Public Artist Roster. 

Project Description: Public Artist Roster

What It Is: The Public Artist Roster is a standing list of pre-qualified artists or artist teams selected through open competition who work in various public art media. It is used as an optional artist selection process for public art projects with budgets of $100,000 or below. The call opens every two years, and selected artists remain on the Public Artist Roster for a two-year term.

When It Is Used: The Public Artist Roster is only available for small-budget Public Art projects ($100,000 or less). It is an alternative artist selection process used to expedite low-budget projects, and not all projects under $100,000 utilize the list. The City or County has discretion to use the roster, provided it meets the budget criteria.

How It Is Used: The Public Artist Roster will be reviewed by a project-specific public art panel comprising community members, city/county employees, artists, and arts professionals. For each project, the panel using the roster selects three finalists for interviews and presentations, after which an artist is selected.

How to Apply:

Carefully review the eligibility, expectations, and scope of this opportunity prior to submitting your application.

We highly recommend using the Public Artist Roster Application Worksheet; this will allow participants to have everything prepared as a Word document, which they can easily check for word count and cut and paste into the application after a complete review.

1. Prepare your artist statement: The statement must describe your qualifications for any of the following: site-responsive work, architecturally integrated, community-engagement artwork. Your artist statement is a key part of the review process. We encourage you to be thoughtful and intentional when writing. 

2. Prepare six (6) samples of your artwork.