Jacksonville University and the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville seek an artist or artist team to design, fabricate, and install a large scale, dynamic, site-specific artwork for a newly constructed roundabout. Located at the intersection of University Boulevard and Merrill Road in Jacksonville, Florida, also the location of the main entrance to the JU campus, the primary goal of this roundabout public art piece is to serve as a landmark for the Arlington neighborhood.
Budget: $225,000 (all-inclusive)
Eligibility: Professional artist or artist team residing in the United States
Deadline: September 30, 2018, 11:59 p.m.
Site Information
The community of Arlington is a historic area of Jacksonville that seeks to enhance its livability, business environment, and infrastructure through the Renew Arlington initiative. Renew Arlington encompasses Economic Development, Community Engagement, and Neighborhood/Infrastructure Enhancement as part of this community renaissance. A key element of this initiative is the Complete Streets Program that enables safe, convenient, and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. Complete Streets for Arlington includes upgrades to the University Boulevard and Merrill Road corridors. The creation of the roundabout alters the traffic flow for both safety and aesthetics.
Design Criteria
The artwork site will not be accessible to pedestrians; therefore, the work should be conceived for viewing distances of 15+ feet as it must be fully contained within the roundabout. Although no minimum height is designated, the Selection Panel will be looking for works with a certain amount of monumentality so that the work can be seen from approaching distances. The project must incorporate an appropriate supporting base/pedestal as well as any plans for landscaping and/or lighting as part of the design and fabrication budget. Electrical power will be available on site; however, all power specifications must be approved by the roundabout engineers. Water is not available at the site and should not be incorporated in the design. Creating a work that is easy to maintain and requires minimal maintenance is an important aspect and will be considered by the Selection Panel. Below are specific criteria for the roundabout art:
- Mounted on Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) approved frangible supports.
- The base of frangible supports is to be flush mounted inside the prescribed artwork area of the roundabout.
- The bottom of the artwork cannot be more than three feet above the frangible support base.
- The artwork cannot be taller than 20 feet above the proposed ground inside the prescribed artwork area of the roundabout.
- Art work must be composed of frangible material that will shatter when struck by a vehicle.
- Material must shatter into pieces no larger than one foot by one foot.
- Art work cannot contain metal or timber that could create missiles when impacted.
- FDOT has final authority approval of the art work structure.
Selection Process
From this open call (RFQ) process, a Selection Panel comprised of public art professionals, artists, and community stakeholders will make initial selections. Up to six (6) finalists/teams will be invited to conduct an in person/Skype interview; up to three (3) of these finalists/teams may be offered up to $1,500 and airfare (along with hotel and other direct cost expenses) to make a formal proposal to the Selection Panel and meet with city officials and members of the community. References will be requested for finalists/teams. A final candidate/team will be recommended to the Cultural Council and JU. Final design of the project must comply with Florida Department of Transportation standards and requirements.
The Selection Panel may decide to reopen the Call, pending review of the submissions, proposals, or interviews.
Selection Criteria
- Artistic vision for project reflecting an understanding of Arlington’s history and that of Jacksonville in general, its cultural diversity, and the artist’s interest in defining place through public art.
- Samples of previous work(s) with similar scope, relevant experience with outdoor projects, and/or relevant experience with public art projects with similar budget.
- Artist availability (upon finalist selection) to schedule project quickly, begin work promptly, and complete fabrication and installation by Spring 2020 or the date designated by Jacksonville University.
Projected Timeline
- September 30, 2018: Deadline to apply
- Oct/November 2018: Review of applications
- December 2018: Letters sent to finalist to arrange interviews
- January 2019: Finalist presentation of detailed proposals and plans
- February 2019: Finalist recommended to Mayor and City Council/FDOT
- April 2019: Contract awarded; design review
- March - May 2020: Installation on site (projected); public dedication/reception
Application Requirements
The following documents are required; no other formats will be accepted (submissions will not be returned):
- Letter of Interest indicating aspects of the project that attract the applicant’s attention, including qualifications based on previous work experience (This is not the same as the “Ideas & Themes Brief”). Please include contact info. Format as a pdf.
- Ideas & Themes Brief conveying a broad sense of how the applicant would approach the project. The up to 2-page Brief is not necessarily a proposal for a specific design, and does not need to include a budget and detailed information regarding subcontractors, fabricators, architectural plans, or insurance (these aspects may be part of the paid presentation in the finalist phase of the process). The Brief is about the applicant’s conceptualization and influences for making art. Finalists/team may be offered to be paid ($1500 plus airfare and direct expenses) to present specific design ideas and substantially expand on this document with pertinent researched detail. Format as a pdf.
- Resume(s) (3-page maximum for each principle member of the team). Submit resume(s) as a single pdf document; please include education, and recent (last 10 years or less) commissions, exhibitions, collections, related experience, honors and grants, bibliography, affiliations.
- Work Samples: Applicants must submit samples of previous work that generally parallel the scope of this project. Submit up to 10 jpg images, with 1920 pixels on the longest side and no less than 72 dpi, for a range of 2-5 MB each image. Number images in order of preferred viewing (i.e., 01_Name_Project 16). Up to two video samples can also be shared with an unlocked YouTube or Vimeo link (preferred but other sites ok); total viewing time per sample will be no more than 10 minutes.
- Work Sample Descriptions: Each sample must be accompanied by a corresponding description that includes titles, names of artists, dates of work, commissioning entity, budget, collaborative partners, media and material, as well as a brief mention of the applicant’s role in the work.
How to Apply
Send above materials via email to roundaboutart@ju.edu, to arrive no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2018.
QUESTIONS? Contact Jacksonville University at roundaboutart@ju.edu.
