Requests & Commissions
What do you invest in when you commission a TSY Public Project?
Start-to-finish ease. Our team thoughtfully handles and communicates all aspects of your project including design, fabrication, finishing, delivery, and installation.
A world made by hand. Every piece of steel that comes through our shop is manually cut, rolled, bent, twisted, and welded by our fabricators. Despite external pressures of automation and mass production, we hold firm that handmade yields the highest quality products.
The local economy. Our fabricators all live in Rhode Island. Our vendors for finishings are all in Providence. Our workforce training is geared towards teaching low-income Rhode Islanders the basics of metalworking and metal fabrication for job readiness. With your investment, we create and sustain jobs and we invest back into our community.
The public spaces in our communities. “Being a pedestrian in Providence can be an undignifying, gray, and isolating experience. The colorful benches, gates, and bike racks I found sprinkled along my long, cold commutes were proof that someone believed that I deserved dignity and beauty and creativity throughout my day.” — a public-space user on The Steel Yard Public Projects
To inquire about your own Public Project, email us at projects@thesteelyard.org. Someone from our team will be with you within 2-5 business days.
* Before sending your request, make sure that your project fits the following criteria: It is meant for public view and/or use and is accessible to the public and that you are looking for an original, custom design created by an artist. (we do not reproduce others’ work.) If your project does not fit this criteria, it may be a private request you are looking for! More info below.
PRIVATE REQUESTS
Need custom work for a private commission? Consider posting to our Jobs Board and connect directly with artists and tradespeople working in your area! Private requests are typically projects that are intended for a private business or home and for which public access will be limited. Thank you for supporting local art and artists!
Step 1. Make a request
Fill out the Private Request Form with details about the job and your contact information
Step 2. Jobs Board
We’ll post your request to the Jobs Board that reaches over 200 local artists
Step 3. Wait for a bid
If an artist is interested in taking on the job they will contact you directly to make a bid or request more information. Consultations, deadlines, payments and all other project details are to be negotiated between YOU and the artist.
Step 4. Make a deal
When you find the artist you’d like to work with- be sure to hammer out all the details, agree to a price and sign a contract! Please Note: Private Requests are independent contracts and NOT Steel Yard projects.
If you’re an artist looking for independent contracts, send a message to requests@thesteelyard.org to sign-up for our job board emails.