Video Art Sought for Indianapolis International Airport
Posted: Mar 15, 2021
The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA), in consultation with the Arts Council of Indianapolis, invites artists working in film and/or video to submit proposals for temporary (6 months) screening on the big screen above the main escalator/stair between the Ticket Hall and Baggage Claim at Indianapolis International Airport, the IAA’s flagship site. This solicitation is for screenings to occur between July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022. All work screened must be suitable in form, material and content for a mixed-ages audience that will include young children. Preference will be given to Indiana artists and to displays that engage and/or reflect the diverse culture and environment of central Indiana.
BUDGET: $1,000 for an existing video work; $2,000 for a newly created video work
ELIGIBILITY: Professional artists age 18 or over. Preference will be given to artists who were either born or raised in Indiana, pursued higher education in Indiana, or lived in Indiana as an adult for a significant period of time. The IAA is particularly interested in working with artists who currently live in or have a strong connection to central Indiana (defined as Indianapolis/Marion County and the following adjacent counties: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Morgan, Shelby).The IAA values cultural diversity and encourages artists of varying backgrounds and experiences to submit proposals.
DEADLINE: Rolling (submit by May 1, 2021 for the period July 1 – December 31, 2021)
About the airport’s art program
The art program at Indianapolis International Airport displays high-quality, original works by professional artists. The exhibition cases are conceived of as “installation” environments rather than “gallery” environments. The Concourse Gallery provides a gallery environment that may be better suited to some types of work. Exterior artwork engages themes of potential interest to airport visitors. Video works are thoughtful and provide engagement with both content and the presentation format. Development of creative, meaningful, unified, and site-specific concepts and presentations is encouraged. A professional curator is available to help you develop your concept.
About the video art program
The video art program was developed to allow artists working with video formats to present their work on existing infrastructure. 60-second works of video art are interspersed with other programming—primarily commercial—on the big screen above the main escalator/staircase that passengers use to transition from the gate down to the lower level, as they access Baggage Claim or the Ground Transportation Center. Passengers also can see the screen if they choose to exit the terminal on the same level as they arrive.
Video displays are scheduled for a six-month booking period, either from January 2-June 30 or July 1-December 31. The presentation format does not support sound.
Our vendor, Lamar Airport Advertising, schedules screenings of the “art” videos. At this time there is no guaranteed number of screenings or specific times at which they play. Depending on the number of paid blocks, video work may be screened from one to ten (or more) times per hour. Only one artist’s work will be screened during the six-month period.
Theme and Content
The theme and content of proposed works are at the discretion of the artist. Artists may choose to incorporate a narrative theme of local interest or may elect to present a proposal consistent with his/her past conceptual or thematic interests, aesthetics, and style providing it is appropriate to the nature of a public location. The theme of traveling, airplanes or aviation is also appropriate for display. Approaches taken may range widely as well: thought-provoking, informative, surprising, or humorous projects are just a few of the possibilities. Animated, live action, or compilations of still images are all acceptable video formats.
Subject Matter Restrictions
Artwork placed in airports must take into consideration the sensitivities of the majority of the traveling public and common stresses about air travel. In addition, the nude human figure or sexually suggestive imagery will never be displayed at the Indianapolis International Airport. Also unacceptable are images or the suggestion of images depicting terrorism, blood or gore, aviation accidents, or any other images or statements that, in the public’s view, could negatively reflect on the perceived safety of air travel.
Electioneering, partisan, or other overtly political statements are not appropriate, nor are commercial messages or images that could be perceived by the public as a commercial message or endorsement of a business or commercial product. A proposed display that approaches a commercial message without substantial aesthetic, educational, or cultural content will be directed to the IAA’s business development department for review as a sponsor-paid advertising opportunity.
Images or statements that may be interpreted by the public as promoting a specific, identifiable religion or spiritual tradition are not appropriate unless it is in the context of documenting historic or contemporary landmark structures or individuals, or referencing well-known works of art of a religious nature.
Finally, statements or images that, in the opinion of the IAA, may offend potential viewers if placed in a public setting (such as an airport) are not appropriate.
Technical information
The final video length must be exactly 60 seconds (including artist and production credits), which is the time it takes for a visitor to experience the screen when descending on the escalator. It is recommended that the first and/or last 3-4 seconds of the video present the artist and production credits, contact information for the artist, or any other important text-based message.
The video may be authored in any format, but must be converted to H.264 encoded .MOV files for final uploading. Try to avoid extensive full-motion video, as it generally results in excessive file size or low-quality output when seen at full size on the big screen.
The total image area should be 2688p wide x 864p high. Avoid using large amounts of text narration.
File size should be about 1MB per second, or less. To keep within this restriction, adjust the compression to find a suitable balance between appearance and size, and/or lower the frame rate. Our vendor recommends 15 frames per second as the video speed, but it can be as high as 20-24fps if sufficiently compressed.
A full spec package can be sent to interested artists if required in order to prepare the proposal.
Proposal Information
Video works are screened for a period of six months, either January 2 – June 30 or July 1 – December 31. It is possible to break a six-month period into two three-month screenings for similar or coordinating works by one artist; however, the presentation fee will be calculated as if a single work had been presented during the entire period. Proposals should indicate both the calendar year and the screening period for the proposed work.
Appropriate model releases specifically naming the presentation of the artwork at the airport must be obtained by the artist prior to the contracted screening period. (it is not required to obtain these for the proposal)
Selection Criteria
Proposals submitted under this RFP will be evaluated by the Arts Council and approved by the IAA on the following criteria, listed in order of priority:
Artistic Merit: the aesthetics, concept, content, craftsmanship, and approach of the proposed work and the desirability of the work for the context of the Indianapolis International Airport, the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana.
Feasibility: the technical feasibility of the work within the guidelines of the site.
Process: the likelihood of a smooth and pleasant collaboration between the artist, the Arts Council and the airport staff.
Display Period: the availability of a time slot as requested in the proposal
Selection Process
The Arts Council’s public art staff will review all submitted proposals and may confer with its Public Art Selection Committee at its discretion to obtain guidance as to the desirability of each proposed project. Upon recommendation by the Arts Council, the IAA has the final say on whether a project will be accepted for exhibition. Artists will generally be notified of approval status within four to six weeks of submission.
WHAT TO PROVIDE
Proposals must include the following:
A. THE ATTACHED PROPOSAL COVER SHEET, completely filled out
B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Current artist’s resume or narrative biography. This is not to exceed two typed pages.
Artist’s statement. This statement should describe the artists’ general approach and past work. Please do not exceed one typed page for this statement.
Clips of past video work. Please submit a minimum of four, but not more than ten, 2-minute (maximum) clips of representative film or video work completed within the last five years. If you cannot edit your past work to this length, please submit a PDF document with live links to where the full works can be viewed online. Clips of past work should be presented in WMV or Quicktime format.
References. Please list three professional references, including complete contact information (name, address, telephone number, and email if available).
C. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED ARTWORK
Narrative description of the artwork. This should include the tentative title for the work and a description of the theme, issue, content, concept, and imagery. This description is not to exceed five (5) typed, single-spaced pages.
Visual documentation of the proposed work, if available. If the artwork is pre-existing, please submit the exact 60-second clip you propose to screen. If the artwork is yet to be created, please submit a storyboard, source images, or other visual ideas of what you propose to screen. Non-video visual documentation should be submitted as JPG files with a minimum 72dpi resolution and a maximum file size of 2MB per image. These images should be submitted on the same CD as the images of past work referenced under “B” above. If no visual documentation is available at this time, please provide a highly detailed description of the look of the proposed installation in the narrative statement.
HOW TO APPLY
The preferred way to send materials is digitally via a Dropbox, Box, Hightail, or similar filesharing system link, to jmoore@indyarts.org. If this is not convenient, please call Julia Moore at (317) 624-2556 to discuss alternative sharing methods.
Neither the Arts Council nor the IAA will be responsible for any costs or expenses associated with submitting a proposal.
QUESTIONS? Contact Julia Moore, jmoore@indyarts.org or (317) 624-2556
Notices and Disclaimers
Be advised that materials contained in submissions responsive to this request may be subject to disclosure under the Indiana Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3 et. seq. (the “Act”). Potential display authors claiming a statutory exception to disclosure of information under the Act must place all such information in a separate sealed envelope, clearly marked “Confidential” and must indicate on the outside of the envelope that confidential materials are included and specify which statutory exception provision applies. IAA reserves the right to make its own determination of confidentiality. If the IAA does not agree that the information designated as confidential should be withheld from public access under the Act, it will so advise the artist and may thereafter disclose the materials as required by law. The IAA expects that submissions in response to this request will contain sufficient non-restricted data to permit the review to proceed without delay for consideration of extensive claims of confidentiality. A claim of confidentiality that is strictly limited to the time period of the procurement action will not be a cause for rejection. Overly burdensome claims for exemptions from public access may cause the IAA to view the submission with disfavor.
The Arts Council of Indianapolis will make every effort to ensure the safe handling of submitted materials; however, it will not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage. Neither the Arts Council, the IAA, nor any person or entity, creates any obligation, expressed or implied, by issuance of this announcement or by receipt and consideration of any responses/proposals. The Arts Council and the IAA reserve the right to reject any applicant, artist or display author, or to terminate the selection process, at any time for any reason without prior notice. The Arts Council and the IAA also reserve the right to directly solicit proposals from individual artists or community groups or to invite artists to exhibit without submitting an initial proposal.
All decisions made during the selection process are final, with disputes subject to review only by the IAA’s Board of Directors. By submitting this proposal, I/we agree to adhere to all the policies, procedures, rules and guidelines that have been, or will be, disclosed to me/us by representatives of the Arts Council and/or the IAA. I/we understand that if I/we am/are selected to realize this proposal, all artwork is installed at my/our own risk, and I/we agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the IAA, and their directors, employees and representatives, for any and all claims and damage to the displayed items and for any injuries to artist, artist personnel, or the public or property during the installation period(s), removal period(s), while on display, and during maintenance visits. I/we also agree to indemnify the Arts Council and the IAA for any claims and damage or injuries to third parties caused by the display; such indemnification shall not be limited by any insurance policies I/we may hold. Any damages that I or my representatives may cause to IAA premises or property shall be my/our responsibility to repair or replace, at my/our sole expense.
An agreement summarizing all applicable policies, procedures, rules, regulations, terms and conditions, including insurance and work-order requirements, will be signed between the IAA and selected artists prior to installation.
INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
ARTWORK PROPOSAL COVER SHEET
Please type or print. Editable copies of this form are available upon request, or you may re-create this information in another document.
For the purposes of this document, “contact” refers to the primary individual producing and responsible for the project during the planning and on-view periods.
CONTACT NAME: _________________________________________________
ARTIST NAME (if different): ________________________________________
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mailing Address: _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Phone: ________________ FAX: __________________ Email: _____________________________
Artist Website URL: ________________________________________________
DESIRED EXHIBITION PERIOD:
Preferred start date: _____________________ Preferred end date: ________________________
Is this period tied to a specific time-delimited event? (circle one) Yes No
If yes, please briefly explain:
________________________________________________________________________________
By submitting this display proposal, I/we agree to adhere to all the policies, procedures, rules and regulations that have been, or will be, disclosed to me/us by representatives of the Arts Council of Indianapolis and/or the Indianapolis Airport Authority (“IAA”). I/we understand that if I/we am/are selected to realize this proposal, all displays are installed at my/our own risk and expense, and I/we agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Arts Council, the IAA, and their directors, employees and representatives for any and all claims and damage to the displayed items and for any injuries to IAA personnel or the public or property during the installation period(s), removal period(s), while on display, and during maintenance visits. I/we also agree to indemnify the Arts Council and the IAA for any damage or injuries to third parties caused by the display; such indemnification shall not be limited by any insurance policies I/we may hold. Any damages that I or my representatives may cause to IAA premises or property shall be my/our responsibility to repair or replace at my/our sole expense.
Signature: ____________________________________ Date: ____________________________
Printed Name: ______________________________________________
