OCA puts out call for Elevate 2015 proposals

Executing a laundry list of high-octane, dynamic art pieces is not unfamiliar territory for Elevate, a free public arts festival hosted by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA). In 2014 alone Elevate brought [http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2014/10/21/elevate-2014-abby-joslins-bringing-theater-to-marta], [http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2014/10/15/elevate-2014-romy-maloons-calibrate-gives-downtown-the-floral-treatment], and presented the jaw-dropping [http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2014/10/20/elevate-2014-turns-downtown-atl-into-social-city] — plus, who could forget the Fairlie-Poplar block party? Lucky for the city of Atlanta, the OCA has decided to do is again for the fifth time: the request for proposals for Elevate 2015 is officially out.

Scheduled for October, Elevate will showcase public art in Downtown that interacts meaningfully with the community. The OCA is looking for creative, innovative work in a variety of media: performance art, mural, site-specific installations, film, music, and the like. The curatorial vision is that the work highlights the impact of Atlanta’s history — on the artist as an individual, the community, or the city’s perception from the rest of the world. Gaining a heightened sense of pride of Atlanta is the main goal. Project grants typically range from $1,000 to $10,000 on the basis of need and merit.

The seven-day celebration hopes to embody F(orever) I L(ove) A(tl), or F.I.L.A., as the central theme. Workshops will be held on Tues., May 5, at 6 p.m. at [clatl.com/atlanta/gallery-72/Location?oid=11417728|Gallery 72] for applicants interested in learning about the expectations and opportunities involved in the project. Creatives who do submit proposals will be judged by the OCA and committees on the quality, relevance, clarity, feasibility, and potential impact of their ideas. Final winners will be announced in July of 2015, and projects will open on October 16, 2015.

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Fri., May 15, 2015, and can be submitted to PublicArt at AtlantaGa.gov. More details can be found here.