Charlotte, NC Seeks Artwork for Pearl Street Park

Posted by City of Charlotte ; Posted on 
Public Art; Visual - DEADLINE :  
Charlotte, NC Seeks Artwork for Pearl Street Park
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The Arts & Science Council (ASC) is accepting qualifications from professional artists or teams of artists in response to a public art opportunity for Mecklenburg County’s Pearl Street Park Renovation. ASC is seeking artists or teams of artists with a demonstrated record of integrating artwork in a natural setting, while responding to specific site history and community input.

The complete RFQ, including images can be found at https://www.artsandscience.org/resources-for/artists/calls-to-artists/

Budget: $265,200 all-inclusive

Eligibility: U.S. professional artists who have received at least one commission over $100,000 in the past five years; however, artists who have received commissions from the ASC for over $10K in the past 3 years are not eligible.

Deadline: Friday, June 1, 2018 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Pearl Street Park is an 8.3 acre park steeped in Charlotte history. Recognized as one of Charlotte’s oldest African-American parks, the land was purchased from Thompson Orphanage in 1942. Pearl Street Park remains one of the last vestiges of Charlotte’s old Brooklyn neighborhood – a largely African-American, self-sustained community dispossessed by the urban renewal of the 1960s and 70s.

Pearl Street Park is located at 1200 Baxter St., Charlotte, NC. The park continues to serve a diverse cross- section of Charlotte’s population, offering abundant green space near Uptown Charlotte and the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. Opportunities for recreation at the park include walking trails, a multi-use field, and a full-court basketball court. Soccer and ultimate frisbee are especially popular at this site.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The selected artist/s will be asked to create an artwork or artworks that can serve as gathering spaces and/or unique, integrated design features into proposed park amenities. This artwork will become a signature feature of Pearl Street Park and should demonstrate themes of history, connection to nature, fitness, and strengthening community. Artwork created for this project should be able to address multiple needs, constructed of durable materials, and designed in coordination with Mecklenburg County and McAdams Company staff (design consultants for the project).

Three site locations have been identified as possible opportunities for artwork placement, the artist/s will be active in directing the design and preparation of the site/s.

ARTWORK GOALS

This opportunity should achieve a cohesive and unique aesthetic experience that is distinguished from, yet sensitive to, the site and architecture of the Pearl Street Park.  Four distinct art opportunities are available for consideration:

  1. Overlook/gathering space located near the park restrooms and drop-off area
  2. Railing at the proposed overlook
  3. Access and experience of the nested floodplain in the Little Sugar Creek tributary
  4. Integrated elements at the proposed, enhanced pedestrian bridge

Artwork should be integrated into the landscape and park amenities where possible. Artwork should commemorate the history of Pearl Street Park through innovative and exciting means.  Artwork should be designed to accommodate people of all ages and abilities.  Artwork should be constructed from durable materials capable of withstanding the elements and park visitor use for a duration of 20+ years.

SELECTION PROCESS

This solicitation process is being undertaken to enable the Public Art Commission (PAC) to identify the most highly qualified artist(s) for this opportunity. A panel of local and national arts professionals and community stakeholders appointed by the Public Art Commission will review eligible artists’ applications, determine a shortlist of finalists, interview three to five finalists and select one (1) artist or team of artists. The selected artist or team of artists will be recommended to PAC and the ASC Board of Directors to enter into agreement for this project.

PROJECTED TIMELINE

  • April 30, 2018: Request for Qualifications released.
  • June 1, 2018: Request for Qualifications application submission deadline.
  • September 2018: Artists notified
  • Fall 2018: Design Development
  • November 2018: Construction Begins
  • Spring 2020: Final Project Deadline

HOW TO APPLY

To view/begin the application, go to https://asc.slideroom.com and sign up for an account. Applications must be received via SlideRoom by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on June 1, 2018. There is no application fee to apply or use the SlideRoom online application system. The following materials will be required to be uploaded to SlideRoom:

  1. Credentials: a Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)demonstrating professional history and skills or experience as a professional artist (maximum two pages)
  2. Statement of Interest: a brief introductory narrative that also provides insight about your interest in the project
  3. Images: up to eight (8) images or three (3) digital video or movie files limited to two minutes each – of recent work completed within the past five (5) years
  4. Annotation: titles, date, media and dimensions of artwork

References will be requested from the finalists.

QUESTIONS? Contact Todd Stewart, Program Director, Public Art, at (704) 335-3273 or by email at todd.stewart@artsandscience.org