Bloomington, MN Seeks Artist for South Loop Sculpture

The City of Bloomington, Minnesota’s Creative Placemaking Commission, in partnership with Artistry, invite experienced public artists to submit qualifications for the design and installation of a unique large-scale sculpture which will be strategically placed near the intersection of 24th Avenue South and East 78th Street; a major entry point and most traveled southbound artery into Bloomington’s developing South Loop District. The installation and accompanying South Loop signage will create a more distinctive sense of place and identity and may reflect the past, present or future of South Loop while providing an opportunity to surprise and delight those who visit, work and live in the South Loop.

Budget:  $300,000

Eligibility:  Experienced public artists and artist teams living in the contiguous United States and who have completed at least one commissioned outdoor public art piece with a budget of $150,000 or more in the past ten years

Deadline:  February 1, 2019

Download complete RFQ with site maps and diagrams here.

Project Description

The South Loop is uniquely positioned and home to the Mall of America, the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, numerous hotels, 4 light rail transit stations, a residential area, and significant new development opportunities. The City of Bloomington adopted a long-range plan to transform the area into a densely populated, walkable urban neighborhood featuring new housing, a variety of businesses, world-class recreation, entertainment options, and hospitality. In 2014 the City of Bloomington and Artistry initiated a Creative Placemaking Plan, knowing that the arts and other creative activities can transform the neighborhood physically, socially, and culturally. The goals of the Plan are to create Urbanism, Animation, Involvement, Leadership, and Investment.

Bloomington’s largest creative placemaking project to date, the South Loop sculpture and its accompanying South Loop signage will enhance South Loop’s identity and branding and expand on the creative enthusiasm and enjoyment already experienced in the South Loop. The sculpture will increase the visibility of the district by being a notable and distinctive element of surprise and delight. Ideally the sculpture will reflect the unique history or assets of South Loop while embracing the City of Bloomington’s vision for the South Loop, elicit interest, excitement and enjoyment from people of diverse ages and backgrounds.

Timeline

• RFQ – Qualification Proposals Due:  February 1, 2019, 11:00 PM CST (online via CaFE™) Do not submit a project proposal or design at this time. Inquiries will not be responded to from December 22, 2018 – January 1, 2019.
• Three Finalists Selected: March 15, 2019
• In-person Design Presentations by the Three Finalists: Week of May 20, 2019
• Selection of Artist/Team:  by June 4, 2019
• Installation of South Loop Sculpture:  Summer, 2020

Selection Process

The submitted qualifications will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of Bloomington Creative Placemaking commissioners, South Loop stakeholders, community leaders, and public art professionals. Three finalists will be selected and scheduled to present their design proposal in person to the review panel the week of May 20, 2019. Each finalist/team will receive a $2,000 design stipend inclusive of any travel expenses.  The presentation of designs should include visuals in the form of a scale model, drawings, projected digital images, or a combination of formats. The presentation should also include a detailed description of how the design meets the needs of the project as well as a budget outlining how the proposed sculpture will fit within budget parameters. A basic, digital design image and description will be requested and distributed to the panel two weeks prior to scheduled presentation. Specific information on the design presentation will be provided to the three finalists. Following the design presentations, one artist/team will be commissioned to complete the sculpture project with an all-inclusive budget of $300,000.

Selection Criteria

A selection of three finalists will be based on the following equally weighted criteria:

• Quality of letter of interest
• Quality and relevance of work samples
• Ability of artist/team to complete project (within budget and timeline) based on prior work experience

What to Submit

Prepare the following information for online submission:

1. One-page letter describing interest in the project, approach to design and research as well as a statement addressing eligibility criteria.
2. One-page listing of three references for recently completed projects, including at least one commissioned piece valued at $150,000 or more completed in the past ten years. Please include contact information and commissioned amount.
3. One-page biographical information or resume. If you have multiple team members, please provide brief biographical information on each essential member but do not exceed one page.
4. Work Samples: up to 10 images of your recent projects (one of which should be for a commissioned piece valued at $150,000 or more which was completed in the past ten years). Please provide a brief description and final cost for each. Follow CaFE™ image requirements: JPEG format only, 1200 pixels on the longest side, less than 5 MB in size. Visit the CaFE Help Page for more information on image requirements or for help resizing images.

Do not submit a project proposal or design at this time.

How to Submit

Submit all materials online through the CaFE system no later than February 1, 2019 by 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.

QUESTIONS?  All questions must be submitted by January 25.  A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) addendum related to this RFQ will be updated as questions come in and can be found at http://blm.mn/sculptureFAQ.  To submit a new question, contact Rachel Daly, Director of Visual Arts, Artistry: rdaly@artistrymn.org