About the Program

Budget: $10,000, inclusive of all costs related to the project, including but not limited to artist fee and expenses, supplies and installation. Payment will be made in two installments of $5,000.

Release date: December 22, 2023

Deadline: January 26, 2024 (11:59pm EST)

Shortlisted artists will be notified by February 16, 2024

Eligibility: Any artist living and working within New York City

We particularly welcome submissions from artists in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx. We are strongly committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women to apply. There is no fee to apply.

>> APPLY HERE <<

Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute is seeking an artist to produce commissioned work for our “Art in the Education Lab” program.

Background

Now in the 5th year of our Art in the Education Lab program,  Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute seeks an artist to create a work that will invite and inspire community members to explore science through an artistic lens. Artists will be invited to spend time meeting with scientists at the Zuckerman Institute to inspire the creation of artwork that helps bring science to the public in novel and inspiring ways. We particularly seek artwork that will engage our local community in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx. 

At Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute, we believe that understanding how the brain works and how it gives rise to mind and behavior is the most urgent and exciting challenge of our time. Our mission is to bring about advancements in medicine as well as greater insight into creativity, decision-making, perception, and language, in order to enrich and ultimately transform a wide range of endeavors — from computer science and the arts, to economics, law, and social policy. To meet this pivotal challenge, we have assembled a team of world-class neuroscientists, engineers, statisticians, psychologists, and other scholars from across Columbia University.

The Education Lab, a custom-built street-level space located in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center at 605 W 129th St, is where science and community come together for public and education programs. We host in-person programs in the space and in partnership with local organizations such as the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Arts and Minds, and the Studio Museum in Harlem, for students, teachers, and the general public. Our aim is to invite our community to access and enjoy science in fun and inventive ways.

Project expectations

Artists are invited to submit a proposal for an artwork to be presented in the Zuckerman Institute Education Laboratory, located on 129th Street and Broadway. The piece is to reside in the Education Lab on display for the general public for at least one year. It will be viewable from the street. We encourage digital art as well as free-standing pieces that can be placed in the windows. Due to the limitations of the space, we may not be able to accommodate works that need to be hung or mounted. Digital artwork may also be presented via our web page or other digital formats (for planned presentations, which may include talks, workshops, or interactive events). 

The piece must be an original work appropriate for programming in a public space, visible from the street.

In the case of a free-standing piece (e.g., sculpture or painting on display frame), the piece would reside in one of the Ed Lab windows, which measure 54” between the mullions.

In the case of digital art, the content should work as a silent “video-only” presentation, legible at a large scale, and able to be cropped and modified for various aspect ratios to fit the dimensions of different screens. (Visually speaking, successful submissions often contain saturated and/or high-contrast colors. Sustained bright white content should be avoided.) Project proposals are welcome to include sound. However, the content must be fully successful without audio as the default. We may experiment with various strategies for providing sound to the public for planned events.

The selected artist will meet with scientists and produce an artwork proposal based on conversations with the scientists. The final proposal must be completed by the end of March 2024. The artwork itself must be completed by June 30, 2024, and will be publicly displayed for a minimum of one year. The selected artist may also be invited to participate in one or more public events or workshops, for which additional compensation will be offered.

Selection Process

The Public Programs team and a selection committee organized by the Zuckerman Institute will review applications. Shortlisted artists will be selected based on the creativity of the artist statement, the proposed engagement with scientists and the community, and the feasibility of the project within the timeframe and budget. The final selection will be made following a brief interview. The selected artist will be expected to work closely with the Zuckerman Institute Public Programs team during the process.

Your application should include:

• Resume/CV
• Artist Statement (2 pages)
  • How does working with the Zuckerman Institute fit with your previous and current work?
  • How are you inspired by science, or how would you like to bring science into your work?
  • How would you like to interact with scientists in the Institute?
  • How do you see this commission connecting local community members with the Zuckerman Institute?
  • What medium(s) would you use for this project?
• Portfolio: Examples of past works that represent the kind of work you would propose to create. (Either a maximum of 5 image files or 5 links. When uploading image files, you may also include brief descriptions of up to 200 words for each image.) If more work than requested is submitted it will not be considered by the selection committee.

Art in the Education Lab | Ivan Forde and DISTER 

Additional information

The inaugural Art in the Education Lab commission was Holograph, created by Guyanese-born, Harlem-raised photographer and printmaker Ivan Forde, who produced two works to hang in the windows of the Education Lab after interacting with scientists in the institute. The 2021 Art in the Education Lab commission was awarded to Washington Heights-based artist and educator DISTER, who produced a mural titled In Science We Trust.  Gyuanese-American artist and educator Damali Abrams created the 2022 commission, a collage titled How Do You Measure Pleasure? This work is on display in the Education Lab and can be viewed from the W 129th Street window. Our current commission is the audiovisual work Sensory Bop by interdisciplinary artist Sleepyfoot?, aka Manon Casimir-Sainton.
 

Art in the Education Lab | Damali Abrams and Sleepyfoot?