Calling All Artists: FIGMENT NYC 2020 on Roosevelt Island

FIGMENT NYC’s call for artists hit the internet over the weekend. The return to Roosevelt Island on June 6th and 7th features “The Dream Bigger art grant program.” Update: February 16th, 2020 — Call for artists closing date extended until March 1st.

Reporting by David Stone

Rain or shine, FIGMENT NYC fills a weekend with participatory art in Lighthouse Park, historic green space tucked into the East River.

FIGMENT NYC 2019 — Perfect weather. Visitors hit Roosevelt Island for FIGMENT NYC for the first time in 2019. This year, it has new challenges and possibilities.

Dream Bigger: FIGMENT NYC 2020 Call for Artists

FIGMENT’s call for artists adds Dream Bigger, this year.

Along with the usual spread of free expression, “We’re looking for ten high-impact participatory weekend-long projects.” That means projects in any discipline…

Involving a large number of participants
Being intensely interactive or participatory
Being visually stunning
Having an interesting or provocative concept
Displaying radical efforts towards sustainability throughout all phases of production
Embracing this year’s question “What if the future is possible?”

Finalists for the City of Dreams Pavilion are already out. When all is said and done, FIGMENT NYC 2020 transforms Roosevelt Island into “a large-scale collaborative artwork.”

For two days, anyway.

Also new for 2020: FIGMENT After Dark… wearable art, LED based sculptures, art cars, blacklight reactive interactivity and more.

FIGMENT NYC’S call for artists is extended until March 1st. Here are the details.

About FIGMENT

FIGMENT is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit, funded mainly by grants and donations. No corporate sponsorship.

Public, active art with them began in 2007 on Governor’s Island. Roosevelt Island won the privilege in 2019, consistent with its Island of Art ambitions.

Unique Challenges for 2020.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC) began an ambitious redesign of Lighthouse Park, this winter. For that reason, FIGMENT’s advising artists to prepare for on-the-fly changes.

And Amanda Matthews Nellie Bly Monument, in the same space, may be under construction.

As a hoped for artists’ haven, Roosevelt Island is dynamic, and that won’t change for 2020.