RISCA Call For Music: Eleanor Slater Hospital - Regan Unit From Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

Applications close in 8 days

  • Type: Public Art & Proposals
  • Geography: State
  • Submission Deadline: July 20, 2026 @ 11:59PM (America - New York)
  • Submission limit: 1 piece
Submit to Call
8 days left
Call for Music: The 4 Seasons of Rhode Island 

For the Regan Unit, Eleanor Slater Hospital, Cranston. R.I. 

Organized by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) through the Allocation for Art for Public Facilities Act.  
 
Overview: 
  • Who Can Apply: Rhode Island residents. 
  • What: Submit your original instrumental music compositions. Selected works will be paired with seasonal Rhode Island imagery to create a calming slideshow experience for patient units at Eleanor Slater Hospital, Regan Unit. 
  • How much: Artists will receive $1,000 for selected music while retaining copyright ownership of their work. The music will be licensed for non-commercial use for this project only. 
  • For: Eleanor Slater Hospital, Regan Unit.  
  • Deadline to Submit: July 20, 2026.

Introduction: 
 
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), in partnership with Eleanor Slater Hospital, is soliciting original music for inclusion in a slideshow installation at the Regan Unit. This project is funded through the Allocation for Art for Public Facilities Act, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to the acquisition of artwork for public spaces. Through this program, the State recognizes that… “art creates a more humane environment, one of distinction, enjoyment, and pride for all citizens.” 
 
About Eleanor Slater Hospital and the Regan Unit (from the hospital's website) 

Eleanor Slater Hospital (ESH) is a public Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH) with campuses in Cranston and Burrillville. ESH is operated by the State of Rhode Island’s Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH). The hospital treats patients with acute and long-term medical illnesses, as well as patients with mental health conditions. 

ESH provides a treatment environment in which dignity, individuality, and respect are emphasized. 

In addition to diagnosis and treatment, the hospital focuses on issues of recovery and quality of living. We are dedicated to using a patient, family, and interdisciplinary-centered approach to our care. 

Our focus is on recognizing each patient’s individuality and their right to dignified and high-quality care. 

The Regan Unit is a psychiatric division of ESH. The building is undergoing a complete renovation for modernization and to meet anti-ligature standards. This involves designing spaces and selecting products to minimize the risk of self-harm. ESH serves psychiatric patients of all acuity levels. Every patient has a discharge plan, and some are transferred from the Roosevelt Benton Division to Regan as a step down in acuity level.  

People who use this facility include patients, family members, visitors, staff, service providers, and contractors. 

About this Call  

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) invites composers and musicians to submit original instrumental music for The 4 Seasons of Rhode Island, a curated digital slideshow installation at Eleanor Slater Hospital, Regan Unit. This project will provide patients with a calming, art- based alternative to standard television programming within activity and therapy spaces. Selected musical works will accompany seasonal imagery by Rhode Island photographers to create immersive, seasonally inspired slideshow experiences. 

Selected music should support a calm and therapeutic environment through ambient, atmospheric, or otherwise soothing instrumental compositions. Vocal music will not be considered. 

A total of 10 musical works will be selected. To ensure broad representation, each composer or collaborative group may submit one musical work only. Submitted pieces should reflect one of the four seasons of Rhode Island (winter, spring, summer, or fall) and must not exceed 10 minutes in length. Both original compositions and excerpts from longer works are eligible.

Selected composers will receive a $1,000 honorarium for the licensed use of their music. Artists retain copyright ownership of their work; RISCA will receive a non-exclusive license to use the music as part of this project at Eleanor Slater Hospital, Regan Unit only. 

Estimated Timeline: 
  • Call Opens: May 22, 2026
  • Submission Deadline: July 20, 2026
  • Notification of Selection: August 2026 
  • Slideshow Installation: fall 2026 
Project Theme and Intent  

The panel met on May 6, 2026 and determined that the primary goal of the project is to create a calm, steady, and emotionally supportive listening environment for patients within hospital activity and therapy spaces. Selected music will accompany seasonal Rhode Island imagery as part of a looping slideshow installation at Eleanor Slater Hospital, Regan Unit. 

Artists are encouraged to submit instrumental compositions that feel gentle, atmospheric, and consistent in tone. Ambient music, minimal compositions, acoustic instrumentation, soft electronic textures, and subtle environmental or nature sounds are welcome. 

Submissions should avoid vocals, spoken word, abrupt transitions, harsh or piercing sounds, aggressive percussion, or highly energetic musical passages. Music should maintain a relatively consistent mood throughout the piece, avoiding dramatic emotional shifts or sudden changes in tempo or volume. 

The panel is seeking work that supports relaxation, reflection, and comfort for listeners in a healthcare setting. 

Music Guidelines 

The panel encourages submissions featuring: 
  • Instrumental only 
  • Calm, ambient, or meditative in tone 
  • Appropriate for healthcare and therapeutic environments 
  • Suitable for passive listening over extended periods 
  • Consistent in mood and atmosphere throughout the piece 
  • Compositions that interpret the four seasons are encouraged. 
Submissions may include: 
  • Acoustic or electronic instrumentation 
  • Minimalist or atmospheric compositions 
  • Subtle environmental or nature sounds 
The panel determined that the following content should be avoided and may result in disqualification: 
  • Vocals or spoken word 
  • Abrupt, jarring, or harsh sounds 
  • Overly energetic, aggressive, or emotionally intense music 
  • Sudden shifts in volume, tempo, or mood 

Eligibility Criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older. 
  • Domiciled in Rhode Island for at least one year at the time of application. This means Rhode Island is your primary residence and is the address you use for legal forms, state income taxes, car registration, driver’s license or state issued identification, and voter registration - regardless of whether you own or rent your home. You must reside in the state for at least 183 days per year. 
  • A legal resident of the United States with a tax identification number (either Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number). This includes refugees, immigrants, and temporary residents.  
  • Undergraduate students are not eligible. 
  • The panel will not discriminate against any applicant artist based on age, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or physical challenges.  
  • Emerging artists, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, gender nonconforming persons, LGBTQIA+ community members, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Artists living throughout Rhode Island are encouraged to apply. 
  • Excluded from participation are Eleanor Slater Hospital and RISCA Council members, staff, and their family members as well as Public Art Selection Panel members and their families.   
  • Only applications from the artist who created the work(s) will be accepted. Applications will not be accepted from family members, estates, galleries, representatives, museums, or personal collections.  
Selection Criteria

The panel will select compositions based on the music’s appropriateness for the project. 

Submission Guidelines

Applicants may submit:
  • One original instrumental music submission 
  • Submission needs to include the season represented.
  • One paragraph artist bio 
  • Collaborative submissions and works created by multiple artists are permitted. 
  • Excerpts from longer compositions are permitted 
Technical Requirements: 
  • Maximum length: 10 minutes 
  • mp3, wav, aac, flac, ogg, aiff, or m4a format required up to 30MB allowed 
  • YouTube link not allowed in substitution for file upload  
  • Note: Once you hit "Submit," your application cannot be edited or resubmitted. 

Application Requirements:

Submitting Audio Files

To submit music for consideration, artists must first upload their audio file as part of a Piece record in their Artwork Archive profile. When completing the application, select that Piece and ensure that Audio files are included in the submission. If audio files are not included, the selection panel may not be able to review your work.

For detailed instructions and a video tutorial, please visit:

On the help page, navigate to Step 3: Editing Your Submission and open the dropdown section titled "A Visual Guide to a DRAFT Call Submission for Free Submit Accounts." Information about including audio files can be found under the File Selection Options section.

Rules and Terms:

The Public Art Selection Panel reserves the right to determine which artworks will be licensed. The panel also reserves the right not to accept any submissions. If the recommendations of the Public Art Selection Panel are approved by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), the selected artist/s will enter into a license agreement with RISCA.  
  • A W-9 will be required to receive payment.  
  • Selected artists will certify that their work is their own creative product and free from copyright infringement.   
  • Selected musical works will be licensed for use by the State of Rhode Island for this project.  
Questions? If you have questions or need assistance with your application: contact Elizabeth “Lizzy” Jweinat at [email protected] .  

Contact

For questions about the application itself (application requirements, terms, etc), please contact us directly at [email protected]

For questions or issues with the application process (setting up an account, submitting to the call, login issues, etc), please contact Artwork Archive or call 720-900-5506

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts