Percent for Art Program & Sidewalk Tattoos
The arts take center stage in Providence
When the City of Providence asked us to establish and manage their $1.3 million dollar Percent for Art Program in 2021, we knew it was an opportunity to bring art to every corner of the city. The work took shape as three distinct projects—each one was community-grounded, results-driven, technically innovative and equity informed. In fact, our work was so successful that we were selected to continue managing the program in 2023.
Industry & Client
Government The City of Providence
Location
Providence, RI
Materials
Cement, fabricated stamps, poetry
Services
Consulting Public Art
WHAT WE CREATED
Landmark Public Art Project
This project features an iconic and site-responsive Landmark public artwork designed for the I-195 District Park. For this city-defining project, Golob Art led an inclusive selection process through public calls for artists. We helped The City of Providence connect with artists, define their selection process, partner with the best-fit artist for the project, and manage the project for the city from beginning to end.
Sidewalk Tattoo
Project
This first-of-its-kind project brought art into the most mundane moment: walking down the street. In partnership with 30 poets, we stamped intricate art and local poetry into the sidewalk—infusing the city with inspiration. The artwork fit seamlessly into the urban infrastructure, meeting high standards for pedestrian safety and material longevity.
Elmwood Community Center Façade Art
As part of the Capital Improvement Project Percent for Art program, we oversaw the procurement and creation of a large facade artwork across Elmwood Community Center. The result? A thriving artist partnership and an iconic artwork for the city.
What does $1.3 million in arts funding look like? A city-wide transformation.
Context
In 2021, Golob Art was selected to lead Providence’s inaugural $1.3 million Percent for Art initiative, embedded within the city’s Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism. This groundbreaking program signifies a strategic commitment to integrating public art into city spaces. In our work, Golob Art emphasized meritocracy and equitable procurement practices, ensuring diverse and talented artists could compete fairly, irrespective of their backgrounds.
Providence, Rhode Island—known as “the Creative Capital”—has long been recognized for its vibrant arts scene and commitment to the creative economy. In 1980, the Providence City Council established the Art in City Life Commission and a Percent for Art funding mechanism to support a new public art commission. Despite this early commitment, it wasn't until decades later that significant strides were made to implement the ordinance. In 2021, Providence allocated $1.3 million from its Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget to implement the Percent for Art Program. This was a historic first for Providence, as the Percent for Art ordinance was never fully implemented. This initiative aimed to integrate meaningful artistic expressions into public spaces, fostering a sense of pride and enhancing the city's aesthetic appeal.
Recognizing the transformative potential of art, the city prioritized equity and community engagement in its planning and execution. Providence then sought management and technical support to create ambitious and novel public art projects.
At Golob Art, we’re known for our commitment to equity and innovative arts practices, making us the perfect partner for Providence. We brought our extensive experience in managing complex public art projects with deep technical and material knowledge. And together, we set out to create a project that involves the community, selects artists fairly, and lasts for years to come.
Process
Golob Art approached the Percent for Art Program in a comprehensive, inclusive, and results-oriented manner. This process included extensive community engagement, proactive artist outreach and recruitment, rigorous project management, and the pioneering use of innovative fabrication techniques. Equity-focused procurement policies were incorporated to ensure fairness, meritocracy, and diversity at every stage, from artist selection to project execution. This methodical approach allowed the projects to deeply resonate with the community and align closely with the city’s cultural identity.
Landmark Public Art Project
Centered in the I-195 Redevelopment District, this $850,000 project was tasked with creating an iconic and contextual public artwork in the heart of Providence. Golob Art, in partnership with the City of Providence, oversaw the selection of the artist, the negotiation of the artist agreement, and the execution of the artwork. Our goal was to ensure community-driven decision-making via public meetings, workshops, and direct stakeholder collaboration.
At every step of the process, equity, contextuality, and impact were at the core of the process. These values were reflected in both the content of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) as well as the actual selection process. The RFQ prioritized artists with a track-record of contextual, iconic artwork with an interest in engaging a project on a site with a complicated and layered history. Meanwhile, a panel of arts experts, community leaders, and site-stakeholders was assembled to review responses. Over two hundred artists from across the globe responded to the Request for Qualifications and five semi-finalists were invited to prepare full proposals. As part of the commitment to supporting artist professional development, rejected artists were offered feedback sessions.
The semi-finalist artists were brought to Providence for a mini-conference where they were connected with community organizations and stakeholders, offered a site-visit, and introduced to City and research resources. Even in competition, this process was committed to building collaborative processes. To encourage a strong proposal, the artists were supported with weekly check-ins with Golob Art and technical consultant, Rika Smith Sculpture Conservation, to review technical and process components.
To decide between the top five proposals, a community engagement process was put underway, and the Selection Panel was given an opportunity to ask questions of the semi-finalist Artists. After selection of the Finalist artists, an in-depth negotiation process began and a comprehensive agreement was developed between the selected artist and the City.
How does a city incorporate art into everyday life and the built environment? Sidewalk tattoos.
Sidewalk Tattoo Project
The Sidewalk Tattoo Project introduced an innovative approach to public art by embedding intricate artistic imagery and poetry into concrete sidewalks throughout Providence. How does a city incorporate art into everyday life and the built environment? The answer was found in sidewalk art—permanent, stamped concrete featuring locally created poetry and artwork placed thoughtfully across neighborhoods.
We were inspired by the concrete pressing technique originally developed for sidewalk poetry in St. Paul, Minnesota by artist Marcus Young. We expanded the concept by introducing non-sans-serif fonts and detailed artistic designs. In collaboration with fabrication company Fourth Dimension Signs, we developed an innovative, first-in-the-nation method to produce intricate, implementable, and ADA-compliant sidewalk art.
To refine the “sidewalk tattoo” technique, we did extensive material research and experimentation to ensure durability and accessibility. We collaborated closely with technical experts, material specialists, local poets, and artists to achieve optimal outcomes. Thirty local artists and poets were selected in a competitive selection process by a jury of community leaders and expert poets and designers. The theme was “Ode to Providence.”
During the installation phase, Golob Art coordinated seamlessly with city departments and contractors, ensuring the artistic interventions were integrated harmoniously within urban infrastructure, meeting high standards for pedestrian safety and material longevity.
To increase the artwork’s reach and ensure its documentation, Golob Art collaborated with Providence-based printing and publishing studio, Binch Press, to create a hand-made book of each poem and design. The book was then distributed to every public and private library collection in the city of Providence along with the City of Providence archives. In this way, the Sidewalk Tattoos can be shared with more community members.
Elmwood Community Center Façade Art
With a community center renovation underway, the City of Providence and the Department of Public Properties were seeking ways to infuse art into this major public project. Golob Art, as part of the Capital Improvement Project Percent for Art program, oversaw, from start to finish, the procurement and creation of a large facade artwork across the building.
The procurement process chosen was a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This involved assembling a selection panel that included community heroes, project stakeholders, and arts experts. The call was open to artists of all backgrounds and mediums to allow for murals alongside other forms of creative expression, including light installations and metal art. Three artists were selected to prepare a proposal, and artist, AGONZA, was selected to create a stunning community-informed mural across the property.
After the artwork and artist were selected, Golob Art oversaw contract negotiations with the artist, and then coordinated between the artist and site stakeholders to provide a smooth art creation experience.
The result is a thriving cultural hotspot with art in every corner.
Outcome
Through Golob Art’s visionary leadership, strategic project management, technical innovation, and commitment to inclusive artistic practices, the Percent for Art Program has significantly enriched Providence's cultural landscape and is poised to continue for years to come. These initiatives strengthened community pride and cohesion, elevated the city's aesthetic appeal, and continued Providence’s work as a leader in the arts.
The work has resulted in a stunning mural along the Elmwood Community Center, the ongoing work to install a major Landmark Public Art project, the development of a new artistic technique, and the creation of 30 Sidewalk Tattoos across the city. Moreover, Golob Art’s work on these projects has been so successful that the Percent for Art program is now being funded for another round of projects, to deliver even more art across the city.
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