The County of Durham, North Carolina, invites qualified artists or artist teams to submit qualifications for the design, fabrication, and installation of art to enhance the public spaces of the Durham County Main Library.
Budget: $100,000
Eligibility: Professional artists
Deadline: February 26, 2019
Project Goals
Create artwork inspired by the Durham County Library System's 120-year journey to twenty-first century technology, resource innovation, and citizen enrichment. Install original work that will artistically promote the new Durham County Main Library as a vibrant, modern learning environment and vital component of the downtown culture.
Project Description
The County of Durham, North Carolina is seeking artists or artist teams (“Candidates”) to design, fabricate, and install permanent public artwork at the Durham County Main Library currently under construction. Candidates should have experience creating public art that fosters a unique sense of place. The Main Library is located on approximately 4 acres on North Roxboro Street between Liberty Street and Holloway Street, and is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2019.
The main entrance to the Library is from the Liberty Street side. Two areas have been identified for Public Art. The first area identified for Public Art is at the intersection of North Roxboro and Liberty Streets. Adjacent to this corner is a large entry plaza with bench seating which provides a unique opportunity for engagement and interaction with the Public. The second area is inside the Library is directly across from the main entrance along the monumental stair wall. These installations will be highly visible to all pedestrians, passing traffic and visitors to the Library and downtown Durham.
Commissioned artwork should be respectful of the values and mission of Durham County and its Library system. The work should be culturally responsive and make visible strides to engage with and connect to the public by activating and enhancing the facility’s grounds. Interested Candidates should be mindful of the operational activities and regular daily use of the facility and seek to create an inviting civic statement that welcomes visitors, building staff, and passersby.
Project Background
The transformation of the Main Library represents a significant capital project costing approximately $44.3M. Designed by the firm of Vines Architecture, the new 85,000 square foot state-of-the-art "Library for the Future" will replace the 65,000 square foot 1980 Main Library building that had reached the end of its useful life. Funds for the project were approved in the 2016 bond referendum.
The new Library will be LEED Certified and includes an auditorium with telescopic seating to allow flexibility in its utilization, and an amphitheater to extend Library programming into the outdoors. Technologies planned for the new Library include computer use and training areas as well as gaming spaces, conference areas, 3D printing/maker spaces, video production areas, recording areas, and the capacity to incorporate emerging technologies. The North Carolina Collection will be permanently housed in the new facility. For more information, please visit: http://www.dconc.gov/government/departments-a-e/engineering-and-environmental-services/project-management-division/current-projects/main-library
About the Library Service District and Surrounding Neighborhoods
"The Main Library is an integral part of the downtown community" said Tammy Baggett, Library Director. With recent or planned renovations occurring close to the Library site, and future development being explored or proposed, the need to fully connect the Library into the greater context of Durham will be key. The building will be a signature component of downtown for generations to come. Visitors will arrive to the building from the heart of downtown to the south and west, and from neighborhoods to the north.
Durham’s History
A booming County in North Carolina’s thriving Research Triangle, Durham began in 1864 as a small rail depot village. Tobacco drove the early economic development of Durham; the distinctive voice of the Piedmont Blues music grew to entertain workers, and the largest black-owned insurance company in the country opened its headquarters on Parrish Street in 1906. Drawing on this rich and diverse history, Durham has reimagined and repurposed its earlier tobacco and textile warehouses and prominent landmarks to create a vibrant downtown. Southern Living Magazine wrote: "With a reverence for life’s everyday pleasures (we’re talking coffee, beer, pizza, and pie here), a passionate mix of chefs, farmers, brewers, bakers, and baristas have quietly transformed Durham into one of the hottest food destinations in the South." Since 2000, the County has experienced exponential growth with a total of $1.3 billion in investments. For more information about Durham, please visit: http://downtowndurham.com
How to Apply
Apply only through the CaFE system. A free account is required in order to apply.
QUESTIONS? All questions and requests for clarifications relative to this RFQ should be submitted in writing via email to Hilda W. Williams, purchasinggroup@dconc.gov , by 3:00 P.M., on February 15, 2019. All responses to questions will be submitted online via Call for Entry.
