Madison Arts Commission Seeks Applicants for Teejop Community History Public Art Project

The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) is seeking artists to create temporary outdoor public art installations for the Teejop Community History Public Art Project (TCHPAP) during the Summer and Fall of 2026.

Selected artists will develop place-based art that honors and illuminates some of the rich cultural relationships with Teejop (pronounced day-JOPE), an area that now includes Madison. Selected artists should be able to craft installations designed to withstand outdoor elements for a minimum of three months.

This project aims to create public art that will engage with locations, themes, and learning intentions identified by a local Ho-Chunk community group. The group, facilitated by staff from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, met for many years to carefully consider the locations and values included in this project.

“In my opinion, this project has been guided by a profound sense love, respect, and responsibility,” Omar Poler, an Indigenous Educator Coordinator for UW-Madison, said. “It’s a gift to our community that encourages us all to learn about Indigenous peoples, reflect, and mindfully engage with the beautiful place we all call home.”

Artists with meaningful connections to Teejop and/or Indigenous art are encouraged to apply. The selection process will prioritize proposals that meaningfully engage with the locations, themes, and learning intentions identified in the call for artists.

"This initiative represents an important opportunity to bring together artistic expression and historical awareness in public places in Madison that are important to many Ho-Chunk people," said Nick Pjevach, Chair of the Madison Arts Commission. "We're excited to see how artists represent the stories and themes identified in this call for art."

Project budgets range from $5,000 to $10,000, with initial applications requiring only an indication of potential funding level within this range. Detailed budgets will be required only for final proposals.

The Request for Qualifications opens on June 1, 2025. The initial application deadline is July 8, 2025, by 11:59pm. The first review by MAC will take place June 14, 2025, and selected finalists will be notified in August. An in-person orientation for finalists will be held on August 22, 2025. The exhibition period will run from August 1 to November 1, 2026.

For complete application guidelines, theme information, and site locations, please visit the application page.

The Teejop Community History Public Art Project (TCHPAP), is generously supported by a major grant from Madison Community Foundation’s Year of Giving with additional support from the City of Madison Madison Arts Commission and UW-Madison.

About the Madison Arts Commission

The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) is an 11-member citizen commission appointed by the Mayor to advise the City about matters of arts and culture. MAC’s mission is to foster arts appreciation by initiating partnerships, developing new audiences, and sponsoring diverse artistic activities by emerging and established artists and arts organizations while preserving Madison’s rich artistic tradition. To support a full creative life for all, the Madison Arts Commission commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, and equitable city.

To receive the latest news from Madison Arts, you can sign up for e-mail updates on the City’s e-mail lists page by entering your e-mail address and checking the box next to “Madison Arts Updates” under the Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development (DPCED) section. 

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