RISCA Call For Photography: 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
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Call for Photography: The 4 Seasons of Rhode Island

For the Regan Unit, Eleanor Slater Hospital, Cranston, RI.

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 photography. Selected works will be used to create four season-specific slideshows for the patient unit.
  • How much: Artists will receive $500 for the selected image while retaining copyright ownership of their work. The image will be licensed for non-commercial project use.
  • 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 photography for an 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

RISCA invites photographers to submit work for The 4 Seasons of Rhode Island, a curated digital slideshow to be installed on the Regan Unit. This project will provide patients with a calming, art-based alternative to standard television programming within activity and therapy spaces. Selected images will be paired with original music by Rhode Island composers to create a seasonally inspired slideshow. 

A total of 40 images will be selected;10 for each season (summer, fall, winter, spring). To ensure broad representation, each photographer may submit one image only.

Selected photographers will receive a $500 honorarium for the licensed use of an image. Photographers will retain copyright ownership of their work. The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts will receive a non-exclusive, perpetual license to display the selected image as part of the RISCA Channel project at Regan Unit for non-commercial use.

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

The panel met on May 6, 2026 and determined the primary theme of the project is the passing of the seasons throughout Rhode Island’s natural and built environments. The selected imagery should support a calming, meditative atmosphere within a hospital setting.

The panel encourages artists to submit photography that reflects seasonal change through landscape, wildlife, coastal environments, gardens, parks, recognizable landmarks, and other meaningful Rhode Island locations. Familiar and identifiable places throughout the state are encouraged, as recognizable imagery may provide comfort and grounding for viewers.

Submissions should prioritize imagery that is visually soothing, accessible, and emotionally supportive. Bright or calming color palettes are preferred over dark or muted imagery.

Preferred Subject Matter

The panel encourages submissions featuring:
  • Rhode Island landscapes during all four seasons
  • Coastal scenes and serene bodies of water
  • Recognizable Rhode Island locations and landmarks
  • Nature photography with calming or meditative qualities
  • Seasonal foliage, gardens, flowers, beaches, trails, and wildlife
  • Geographic diversity across the state
  • A variety of seasonal experiences and environmental conditions appropriate to each season
  • Landscape/horizontal compositions 
Wildlife imagery is welcome if animals are not depicted as threatening or aggressive.

Urban environments and cityscapes may also be considered where they contribute positively to the project’s calming and recognizable visual language.

Content Considerations & Restrictions

Because this project is intended for a behavioral health setting, artists should carefully consider the emotional tone of submitted imagery.

The panel determined that the following content should be avoided and may result in disqualification:
  • Dark, ominous, or dreary imagery
  • Cliffs and bridges 
  • Storms, threatening weather, heavy cloud cover, or clashing water/waves
  • Photos of WaterFire Lightings 
  • Night photography
  • Highly abstract or ambiguous imagery
  • Out of focus photography
  • Surreal, distorted, or visually unsettling imagery
  • Fireworks, bonfires, or imagery prominently featuring fire
  • Holiday themed imagery of any kind
  • Religious themed imagery of any kind
  • Human figures or portraits
  • Black & White photography
  • Portrait/vertical orientation
The panel encourages artists to think about how imagery may support relaxation, mindfulness, serenity, and reflection for viewers spending extended periods within the space.

Artists are welcome to interpret each season creatively, though seasonal distinctions should remain identifiable within the submitted work.

Eligibility Criteria:


This Call is open to artists residing in Rhode Island.

You Must Be:
  • 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 artwork based on its appropriateness for the facility, artistic vibrancy, and fit for available rooms and spaces.

Submission Guidelines.

Applicants may submit:
  • One digital photograph.
  • Submission needs to include the season represented.
  • One paragraph bio of the artist. 
Technical requirements:
  • Horizontal/Landscape orientation required.
  • All submitted photographs must be provided as high resolution files suitable for projection at approximately 52 inches high by 93 inches wide (52”x93”). 
  • Submitted images must be JPEG files (.jpg/.jpeg) with a resolution between 4000 and 6000 pixels on the longest side.
  • Images must be free of watermarks or digital signatures.
Note: Once you hit "Submit", your application cannot be edited or resubmitted.

Application Requirements:

  • Artists are requested to only submit 1 Photograph representing 1 Season. (winter, spring, summer, or fall)

Rules and Terms:


The Public Art Selection Panel reserves the right to determine which artwork will be purchased. The panel also reserves the right not to accept any artworks submitted. If the recommendations of the Public Art Selection Panel are approved by RISCA, the selected artists will enter into a purchase agreement with RISCA. The agreement requires:
  • 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 images will be licensed to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts for non-commercial display use as part of the 4 Seasons of Rhode Island project at Regan Hospital. Artists will retain copyright ownership of their work.
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