Call for Cultural Strategist: Downtown Alleyways

Summary

The City of Providence Department of Art Culture and Tourism (ACT), the Art in City Life Commission, the Providence Planning Department and the Providence Department of Housing and Human Services seeks a Cultural Strategist or Cultural Strategy Team to collaborate with the engineering subcontractors studying potential redesign of two Downtown Providence Alleyways (Clemence St and Middle St) during the first year of a multi-year process. Ideal candidates for this position bring proficiency in spatial and design thinking along with experience in creative, temporary public art informed by robust community relationships.

The awarded finalist(s) will be engaged from November 2026 through October 2027, with contracting taking place in late October 2026. After an initial 6-month period of field study (Phase 1), the Cultural Strategist will present an Activation Study plan for the second 6-month period. This plan will serve as the blueprint for the Cultural Strategist’s second 6-month period (Phase 2). A final report concerning design and use recommendations for the City and its subcontractors will be due at the conclusion of the contract period. The total budget for this project is $50,000, which the awarded finalist will receive for fees and materials.

Questions about this call must be submitted in writing by August 31, 2026. Write to Rebecca Noon, ACT Deputy Director at rnoon@providenceri.gov with the subject line “Cultural Strategist: Downtown Alleyways.”

Watch the August 19 info-session here.

Read the most recent FAQ for Cultural Strategist for the Downtown Alleyways here.

To apply click here.

Project Goals

The Department of Art, Culture and Tourism ensures the continued development of a vibrant and creative city by integrating arts and culture into community life while showcasing Providence as an international cultural destination. Per our 2025 Art in City Life plan addendum, ACT will engage Cultural Strategists where possible in order to support process-based, durational work rather than the development of pre-specified public art products such as murals. Cultural Strategists will work with governmental and nongovernmental agencies to shift ways of thinking, solve problems, and engage communities to advance mission-driven initiatives and priorities.

This project aims to integrate creative thinking into a long-term design process, with two ultimate goals:

1. Supporting current site-users (residents, visitors, businesses, pedestrians, drivers, etc) in informing the outcomes of changes in the look, feel and function of these two Downtown Alleyways.
2. Supporting the contracted engineers and the Planning Department in their newly-begun design process by recommending the scope, location, medium, and style of more permanent forms of public art and space use that will come in future design iterations.

At the conclusion of the contract, the Cultural Strategist(s) will present their findings to all stakeholders in an appropriate artistic form (eg, film, writing, visual, digital, etc).

The Cultural Strategist(s) will interface with the Planning Department and the subcontracted engineers as well as the Department of Housing and Human Services and ACT. The Cultural Strategists’ scope of work and timeline will be parallel to and in conversation with the current design exploration process for the Downtown Alleyways, with the goal that they inform each other throughout the contract period and beyond.

A Concise History of Downtown Alleyways

Alleyways are an urban design feature created to provide a place for the execution of services, like trash collection and deliveries, out of sight from street fronts. They can be found all over the world in any city with enough architectural density to allow for buildings to create space between each other. Some are only suited for pedestrians and others were created for cars. Today, cities globally are redesigning utility-focused Alleyways into multi-functional public spaces that can be accessed and enjoyed by multiple users.

Providence’s current Downtown is largely a biproduct of 19th and 20th century design, and so the two Alleyways that we are examining (Clemence St and Middle St) are wide enough for cars but are still quite narrow when compared to most streets in Providence. There are currently limited sidewalks, no lighting, numerous dumpsters as well as parked cars taking up space on the narrow sidewalks. There is little that encourages pedestrians to cut through or explore, particularly at night. However, Alleyways also hold some of the most romantic and nostalgic feelings of a city. In addition to being a convenience for pedestrians, they can give residents and visitors alike a sense of surprise, delight, and charm that is unique to an urban space.

While the Alleyways are currently used by a variety of community members, the Providence Department of Planning along with Art, Culture and Tourism are launching a multi-phase process to study two of Providence’s Downtown Alleyways to explore how and if making changes to the Alleyways with things like lighting, seating, art, and activity could create positive outcomes for all users. Inclusive of this process will be creative problem-solving for the current needs of the space while expanding access.

Location and Siting

The two Downtown Alleyways we are studying are Middle St and Clemence St. The map below describes the scope of this project, with Clemence St being the longer Alleyway, running from Fountain St to Weybosset, crossing two of Downtown Providence’s busiest streets, Westminster and Washington. Middle St runs perpendicular to Clemence, spanning from Union St to Orange St and crosses Dorrance St and Eddy St. Both have relationship to many well-known Providence restaurants, bars, shops, schools, arts organizations and churches. On either side of both Alleyways are many kinds of brick and concrete walls and both have moments where the walls on one side disappear and open up to parking lots

Project Budget

The total project budget is $50,000, inclusive of artist fees, materials, equipment, and subcontractors. The awarded Cultural Strategist or team will receive a total of $50,000 to complete both phases of the study. The Cultural Strategist may choose to allocate funds to artists, assistants, interpreters, or community members.

Eligibility

• Lead applicants must be twenty-one (21). Providence residents are preferred.
• Public artists and artist teams of any medium with demonstrated experience in art-making.
• Awarded applicants must be able to procure a Certificate of Insurance (COI) for general liability in the amount of $1,000,000.00 that names the City of Providence as additionally insured.
• Strong sense of self-direction and ability to manage independent and collaborative work.
• Passion for Providence’s arts, culture, diversity, creativity and commitment to public space.
• Experience in community engagement, including design, implementation and quantifying outcomes.
• Strong imagination with enthusiasm for illustrating possible futures.
• Flexible schedule.
• Experience in light-lift outdoor/pop-up programming, particularly in regards to temporary public art.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.
• Relationships with many kinds of communities in Providence.
• Ability to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interact appropriately with colleagues and external partners, orally and in writing.
• Confidence in spatial-thinking, eg architecture, scenography, visual art mediums, etc.
• Stamina to persevere through layers of bureaucracy and community need.
• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish preferred, but not required.

Art Selection Method and Timeline

Artists will be selected through a competitive, two-tiered process.

PART ONE, APPLICATION:
Qualified artists may submit:

• A resume with a cover letter that clearly articulates interest in Downtown Alleyways and qualifications for the position. A video recording of this articulation is also accepted as a link.
• A budget proposal illustrating an overall plan for Phase 1 and Phase 2. The total project budget is $50,000, which includes any materials or subcontractors.
• A link to either an artist website or project-specific work that supports your experience in spatial-thinking and/or community-supportive work.
• The name, phone number, and email addresses of three references that would be comfortable speaking to your fit for the position.

Applicants must apply online by September 8 at 11:59pm through ACT here.

Selecting Semifinalists
In mid-September 2026, The Selection Panel will review complete applications and score the submitted qualifications, limiting the selection pool to no more than three semifinalist artists or artist teams.

PART TWO, INTERVIEW:
The three semifinalists will be invited to attend individual 30-minute interviews with members of the Selection Panel from ACT, Planning, and Housing and Human Services. Interviews will be conducted on-line or in-person, based on the finalist’s preference and will take place between September 17 and 23, 2026.

Recommendation
The Selection Panel will recommend awarded finalist and alternate to the Art in City Life Commission for approval at the September 24, 2026 regular meeting. The Department of Art, Culture and Tourism will announce the approved Cultural Strategist: Cathedral Square no later than November 1, 2026 with the final report due October 31, 2027.

Selection Panel

The Selection Panel will be composed of five members including:

• Art in City Life Commissioner
• Planning Department Staff
• Two ACT Staff
• Housing and Human Services Staff

Selection Criteria

Semifinalists will be selected based on the following criteria, as evidenced by previous work:

• Experience in creative public engagement
• Experience working with Providence communities
• Ability to manage budgets and complete projects on time
• Experience in spatial thinking within artistic practice

Awarded finalist will be selected based on the following criteria following the interviews:

• Investment in the long-term vibrancy of public space in Providence
• A clear Cultural Strategy plan
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with multiple stakeholders
• Excitement at the prospect of engaging in the layers of bureaucracy and community need

Cultural Strategist Scope of Work

PHASE 1: FIELD STUDY (November 2, 2026-April 30, 2027)

• Observe, study and research Downtown Alleyways and its surrounding, becoming familiar with both the architecture and the City’s current use, engaging directly with the subcontracted engineering firm.
• Collect data on both Downtown Alleyways, primarily as it pertains to the people who use the space. The kinds of data and forms of collection are the domain of the Cultural Strategist.
• Build relationships with the most present users of the Downtown Alleyways – corporate, residential, pedestrians, drivers, students, unhoused people, late-night, and early morning. Get to know what they love about the Alleyways and what they wish could be different.
• Attend meetings with ACT, Planning, their subcontractors, and Housing and Human Services.
• Document all points in the process, whether in writing, photography, or video.
• Report to ACT’s Deputy Director, engage in regular communication via email, phone, Asana and other appropriate task management software, attend meetings as deemed appropriate by the Planning Department, Housing and Human Services, and/or their Downtown Alleyways subcontractors.
• Prepare a Project Report that proposes an engagement plan for Phase 2: Activation Study.
• Submit invoices to the ACT Deputy Director via email and/or Asana within agreed-upon timetable.

PHASE 2 SCOPE OF WORK: ACTIVATION STUDY (May 1, 2027-October 31, 2027)

• Enact the Phase 2 plan, eg a rotating gallery of murals; dynamic lighting that changes throughout the summer; pop-up concerts; no-car zones; inventive dumpster redesign, a play zone etc.
• Prepare a Project Report that outlines specific recommendations for the Alleyway’s redesign, specifically as it relates to future use and related requirements, taking into count both qualitative and quantitative data. This report could be delivered in writing, as a film, a website, etc. and will be used for the Planning Department’s future design implementation.
• Attend meetings as required by ACT, and stay in contact with all related partners.
• Document all points in the process, whether in writing, photography, or video.
• Report to ACT’s Deputy Director, engage in regular communication via email, phone, Asana and other appropriate task management software, attend meetings as deemed appropriate by the Planning Department, Housing and Human Services, and/or their Downtown Alleyways subcontractors.
• Submit invoices to the ACT Deputy Director via email and/or Asana within agreed-upon timetable.
• Provide a Certificate of Insurance that specifies general liability and umbrella coverage and/or worker’s compensation.

To Apply

Project Schedule

Call to artists opens
August 7, 2026

Info-Session (on Teams)
August 19, 2026

Application deadline
September 8, 2026

Semifinalist interviews
September 17-23, 2026

Finalist and alternate confirmed
September 24, 2026

Awarded Cultural Strategist contracting
End of October, 2026

Phase 1: Field Study
November 2026-April 2027

Phase 2: Activation Study
May 2027-October 2027

Final Report Due
October 31, 2027