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Visual Artist Opportunities

Huntington Theatre – East Wing Art Commission – Request for Qualifications

The Huntington is thrilled to announce an open Request for Qualifications for a new piece of visual art to be installed in the forthcoming East Wing of our campus on Huntington Avenue. The commission will welcome audiences in the new building alongside a large-scale video wall, soundscapes and exhibits in our gallery, expanding the Huntington’s contributions to Boston’s esteemed Avenue of the Arts. Artists are encouraged to submit samples of their portfolio that demonstrate their ability to create large scale pieces for public spaces. Submissions will be evaluated anonymously by a jury of community stakeholders invited by the artistic staff at The Huntington. The selected artist will receive a $25,000 commission encompassing artist fee and fabrication to complete the work by the opening of the building in Fall 2027.  

Artist Eligibility:

  • Mid-career or established visual artists
  • Minimum 15 years of professional artistic practice
  • Experience collaborating on fabrication budget and installation process
  • Demonstrated experience creating large scale works for public space

Request For Qualifications Submission

  • Portfolio (10–15 images with brief context)
  • Artist statement (please include a connection to Boston, though Boston residency is not required)
  • Verification of 15+ years of experience
  • Applications will be submitted digitally via publicartist.org or via mail to:

The Huntington

Attn: Elixmarie Mercado

560 Harrison Ave. Suite 504

Boston MA, 02118

  • Applications due October 7, 2026

This is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) not a request for designs or proposals. Artists should not submit concept drawings or design proposals at this stage. The process will continue as follows:  

Semi-finalists (6 artists selected)
  • Sketch/outline of concept for proposal
  • $500 honorarium
  • Artists will be informed October 22nd and concepts will be due November 30th.

 

Finalists (3 artists selected)

  • Full proposal including renderings, materials, fabrication strategy, and budget
  • $1,000 honorarium
  • Final interviews and presentations
  • Finalists will be informed December 11th and full proposals will be due February 1st.

Selected Artist

  • The selected artist will be announced by March 1st
  • Fabrication should begin May 2027
  • Installation coordinated with The Huntington and Flyleaf Creative August/September 2027.

Budget

  • $25,000 for artist fee and fabrication of the piece. 

The Space:

The drawings below illustrate some of the possible sections for the piece to be installed.

Selection Process

A jury of community stakeholders will score anonymized portfolios and artist statements based on a rubric provided by The Huntington. The rubric will include demonstrated ability to conceptualize and fabricate work at scale for a large public space, clarity of the applicant’s artistic practice via artist statement, and artistic excellence.

About The East Wing

The East Wing, projected to open Fall 2027, will incorporate a new soaring, modern venue alongside our historic theatre, on the first two floors of the Toll Brothers residential tower currently under construction next door. A welcoming beacon on Huntington Avenue, this new space will provide fully accessible, dynamic cultural and convening spaces visible from the street. The East Wing will feature expansive lobbies, a box office, patron amenities and services, and will add flexible performance spaces, a bar/lounge/cafe, and an outdoor balcony overlooking Huntington Avenue. Bruner/Cott, who so skillfully led the Huntington Theatre renovation, is working with The Huntington again to design this beautiful addition to our campus.

Our goal is for the East Wing to be open daily, year-round, to present new and exciting artistic collaborations and diverse cultural programming, offer food and drink in a convivial atmosphere, allow us to better serve audiences of all abilities, and increase the breadth and scope of our education programs and community engagement.

Questions

Any questions should be sent to artsubmit@huntingtontheatre.org or via phone call to 617-273-1553