Budget: $150,000
Activated: 11/04/2021
Deadline: 12/01/2021
Call Summary
The City of Ames (City) is seeking to identify qualified artists to develop a public art proposal for a planned downtown plaza, to be located east of Ames City Hall and constructed in 2022.
Budget Description
The budget for all aspects related to the signature piece is $150,000. This includes all costs necessary for design, fabrication, shipping, installation, and any unique modifications to the site necessary to facilitate the installation of the signature piece. (e.g., electricity)
Project Description
The City seeks a public art project that serves as a signature piece in the downtown plaza.
Artwork Goals
This signature piece is expected to be a large central artwork that evokes whimsy and playfulness and offers the opportunity for users to interact with the piece. The piece should provide interest to individuals and families exploring the creative and recreational aspects of the downtown plaza.
Artwork Location Description
The downtown plaza is to be located on a one-acre site east of Clark Avenue, between Fifth Street and Sixth Street in downtown Ames. The plaza will attract daily use with its diverse set of features targeting all ages, including interactive water features, public art, seating areas, restrooms, food trucks, and in the winter, recreational ice skating. The downtown plaza will be in walking distance for those living and working downtown, and will include a mix of active and passive activities throughout all four seasons of the year.
The downtown plaza is expected to contain three key artistic features:
A. The signature piece, solicited through this Request for Qualifications
B. An art wall or mural feature
C. An interactive or kinetic sculpture.
The signature piece will be the first component identified. Once the concept for the signature piece has been identified, the art wall/mural and interactive/kinetic sculpture features will be determined through selection processes separate from this Request for Qualifications (subject to available funding).
Eligibility
The City has retained a landscape architecture firm to complete the design of the overall plaza. The artist selected through this Request for Qualifications will be expected to work with that firm to integrate the signature piece into the plaza design and ensure required features are included by the landscape architect, such as pads, footings, lighting, water, stonework, or other required components.
The selected artist will be expected to provide the following services:
A. Within 45 days of entering into contract (January 2022), develop and present conceptual designs for the signature piece that respond to the themes and interests of the City. Each conceptual design must be accompanied by a cost proposal inclusive of artist fee, design, materials, fabrication, shipping, and installation.
B. Following selection of a final conceptual design by the City, the artist shall design, fabricate, and install a final project.
1. The artist must identify the required structural support, lighting, electricity, water, etc. for the project and communicate those requirements to the landscape architect.
2. The project must be weatherproof and durable enough to withstand hot, humid summers, occasional severe storms, and long, cold winters.
3. The project must be safe for all plaza users interacting with it. The plaza will not be constantly supervised. Therefore, it is expected that the project will both encourage and withstand touching, climbing, pushing, pulling, and other interactions.
4. The project is expected to be installed no later than November 2022, with the exact installation date to be coordinated with the construction contractor once selected.
5. Upon final acceptance of the project, the title and ownership of the project will revert to the City of Ames. The City shall have sole discretion to relocate or remove the project as it sees fit.
6. The artist will warrant that the project is original and may not reproduce the project in the future without the express written approval of the City.
7. The artist will provide the City with a set of written maintenance instructions for the project.
8. The project will be created with a minimum design life of twenty (20) years, and the artist will warranty the project to be free from defects for a period of ten (10) years from the date of installation. Any repairs necessary to restore the project to its original condition during this period will be made at the artist’s sole expense.
9. The artist agrees to participate in publicity, education, and marketing efforts initiated by the City in order to increase public awareness and enjoyment of the project.
Application Requirements
Biography
Artist Statement
Letter of Interest
A. Statement. A brief letter describing: 1. Your interest in this project 2. The media in which you would intend to work for this project 3. The number of distinct design concepts you intend to create for consideration by the City. 4. Your willingness and ability to make modifications to your project to meet the City’s objectives and/or financial constraints.
Artists are NOT allowed to apply in teams.
Selection Information
Selection Process
Interested artists should submit a statement of qualifications containing the following:
A. Statement. A brief letter describing:
1. Your interest in this project
2. The media in which you would intend to work for this project
3. The number of distinct design concepts you intend to create for consideration by the City.
4. Your willingness and ability to make modifications to your project to meet the City’s objectives and/or financial constraints.
B. Resume. A current professional resume emphasizing representative public art experience, public collections, and public commissions.
C. Portfolio. Provide visual images of no more than ten previous works you have completed, and where possible include works that represent the themes, media, or other characteristics you intend to draw on for the signature piece. Images should be in .jpg format with a minimum resolution of approximately 800x600 pixels. Images must be labeled with the title of the work and accompanied by the following (either together or clearly described on a separate page):
1. Location of the work
2. Title of the work
3. Medium
4. Dimensions
5. Date of work
6. Cost of the work, including commission and fabrication cost
Selection Criteria
The statements of qualification submitted to the City’s Purchasing Division will be evaluated by an evaluation team. The evaluation team will include City staff from the Parks and Recreation Department, Planning & Housing Department, City Manager’s Office, and representatives of the Public Art Commission. Upon review of the submittals, the evaluation team will present a recommendation to the City Council for award.
The evaluation team will consider the following criteria when evaluating submittals:
A. Artist’s understanding of the project
B. Artist’s experience with other large public art commissions and ability to produce a signature piece that meets the described vision.
C. Applicability of artist’s representative works to this project, including distinctiveness, engagement, durability, user safety, and maintenance needs of representative works.
D. Artist’s willingness to work with the City of Ames and its consultants for a project that meets the City’s desires.
Timeline*
Issue Request for Qualifications: October 29, 2021
Final Date to Submit Written Questions: November 16, 2021 @ 5:00 PM
Responses to Questions Posted: November 18, 2021 or Sooner
Qualifications Due: December 1, 2021 @ 2:00 PM
Selection Recommendation to City Council: No Later Than December 2021
Approval by City Council: No Later Than January 2022
Final Completion of Project: No Later Than November 2022
The project is expected to be installed no later than November 2022, with the exact installation date to be coordinated with the construction contractor once selected.
*Assume time zones are relative to call location.
Additional Resources
Contact Information
Karen Server
Purchasing Manager
PO Box 811
Ames IA 50010 United States
karen.server@cityofames.org
5152395127
Submission Instructions
Email Address
karen.server@cityofames.org
Emailing Submission Instructions
Artists are to submit qualifications in an electronic version (.pdf) and images in (.jpeg) to karen.server@cityofames.org. Submissions that exceed 20MB are to be uploaded to the FTP site identified in the Project Requirements under Section 5 Qualifications Submission. All responses should be clearly marked “Call for Artists - Downtown Plaza – Signature Art Piece". All responses are to be received by the City of Ames prior to 2:00 PM local time on December 1, 2021.
File Sharing Submission Instructions
Submissions that exceed 20MB in size may be submitted to the following FTP site: http://data.city.ames.ia.us/thinclient 1. Use this information for site access: a. Login: photos b. Password: photos 2. Open the folder: “DowntownPlazaArt” 3. When the next screen appears, use the new folder icon to create a folder with your name 4. Click on your folder to open it. Use the upload files icon to add your photos and required submittal documents 5. Direct your questions to Karen Server at karen.server@cityofames.org or 515-239-5127
