FORWARD: Issue #3: Community Safety

About This Publication

FORWARD, a digital publication and conversation series from Forecast, highlights how artists are partnering with cities, institutions, and communities to courageously tackle the vital issues of our time. It focuses on how cities, communities, organizations, and others can benefit from partnering with and hiring artists to help meet the essential needs of communities. The toolkit of this community safety—focused issue was created in collaboration with PolicyLink.

We will continue to update this living publication as we learn about new work in the field of public art and community safety.

Here at Forecast, we invite policy makers, public health workers, urban planners, architects, artists, city managers, funders—anyone interested in working to advance justice, health, and human dignity—to engage, contribute, and learn with us. This publication is free, allowing us to reach people anywhere, without barriers to access. If you are able, we invite you to support this new effort with a financial contribution, sponsorship, or publishing partnership.

The toolkit for this community safety—focused issue was created in collaboration with Policy Link.

Meet Forecast

Who we are

Forecast is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1978, that partners with community organizations, transportation agencies and departments, city and arts administrators, artists, and other public and private groups and individuals nationwide throughout the entire process of creating public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity. We consult with decision-makers and stakeholders on public art and cultural planning efforts; help find, select, curate, and commission public artists and artwork; and support public artists with funding, training, and opportunities to cultivate partnerships and advance their public art careers. We place particular emphasis on access for BIPOC artists and groups that are traditionally excluded.

Who we work with

Forecast works with stakeholders and community members across the country to meet their public art and engagement needs.

Are you looking to hire an artist or incorporate public art into a project or plan?

We can help.

We support all aspects of public art commissioning and curation, including RFQ creation, artist selection, project management, and more.
Our accessible and equitable arts and culture planning and engagement efforts include creative community engagement, public art planning and mapping, community and environmental scanning, technical assistance, public art program and collection equity reviews, and more.
We break down the hard and soft skills for successful public art practice in our Institute via training and workshops focused on helping public artists, administrators, and affiliated professionals enlist culture and creativity to address equitable and healthy community outcomes.

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We are committed to publishing a diversity of voices. Opinions offered by featured writers or other contributors in the written publication series and/or panelists in the conversation series do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication and do not constitute an endorsement of any position or person.

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Forecast is a nonprofit arts organization

Your investment in Forecast will allow us to continue innovating and adapting to provide caring, experienced support to artists, institutions, and communities who seek to bring creativity, hope, healing, joy, and identity to public spaces across the country.

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