The Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa, Florida, seeks an innovative, creative, and whimsical proposal for a long-term signature sculptural installation in the museum’s two-story, glass-enclosed lobby.
NOTE: This opportunity requires the artist to perform uncompensated design work as part of the application process.
Budget: $200,000, includes artist design fee, structural engineering, materials, fabrication, lighting, transportation, installation/de-installation, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency and any other costs related to the sculpture.
Eligibility: Open to professional artists and artist teams over 18 years of age. Artists are allowed to apply in teams.
Artists applying as a team must split the allotted number of work examples between themselves.
Deadline: 08/31/2017 4:00 PM Central Time
Site History
Named one of the top five Children’s Museums in America, Glazer Children’s Museum is an innovative educational and culture resource for the Tampa region. Opened in Downtown Tampa in 2010, the Museum sits among skyscrapers as well as green space, and is a central part of the cultural corridor featuring other museums, libraries and a performing arts center. The mission of Glazer Children’s Museum is to create learning environments where children play, discover and connect to the world around them in order to develop as lifelong learners and leaders. The hands-on, minds-on Museum attracts more than 210,000 visitors annually with a 53,000 sq. ft. building full of themed galleries and 170 interactive exhibits for children aged birth to ten. A combination of permanent and traveling exhibits, comprehensive year-round educational programs, and dynamic special events provide children, parents, caregivers, and teachers a rich, cutting edge, ever-changing environment for playful learning. Glazer Children’s Museum, a 501c3 non-profit, also offers over 5,000 sq. ft. of event space, 2,500 sq. ft. of classroom space and a 1,000 sq. ft. rooftop terrace overlooking the picturesque Downtown Riverwalk, along the Hillsborough River.
Artwork Location Description
The available space is roughly 10 feet by 10 feet enclosed by the Museum’s glass facade on two sides and open to the museum interior on the remaining sides. There is approximately 14 feet of vertical space between the level concrete floor and the ceiling above. There is flexibility in the sculpture extending out larger than the 10 foot by 10 foot space across the ceiling as long as the area below is kept clear. Ample light spills in from the windows facing Ashley Drive. Electrical service is available in the ceiling but material and installation costs for any fixtures should be included in the project budget. Site images are available here.
Project Description
The museum is particularly interested in interactive, three-dimensional artwork that is inviting to visitors both inside and outside the museum which is located in the vibrant Waterfront Arts District alongside the Tampa Riverwalk in downtown Tampa, Florida. The museum is re-imagining the lobby and entrance experience and the sculpture would be an iconic centerpiece to our lobby. Labor and expense for operations and maintenance should be minimal so that the existing operations staff of the museum can maintain the sculpture.
Artwork Goals
The signature sculptural piece must:
Additional consideration will be given to proposals that incorporate mathematics, music generation, kinetic movement, visitor collaboration, and/or dynamic lighting. The museum will retain the intellectual property and the source code behind the installation.
Application Requirements
Selection Criteria
The committee will use the following criteria in the selection process:
The Glazer Children’s Museum reserves the right to choose any or none of the submittals for any reason. There is no fee or compensation to be paid to the respondents to this RFP. The selected submittal will be bound to the proposal for 60 days from the Submission Deadline listed.
Timeline
All applications must be submitted electronically by 5:00pm EST on August 31, 2017. Please submit files in a single PDF file where possible.
How to Submit
Artists may submit via email with up to 5MB in attachments to jshaw@glazermuseum.org Artists may also submit via Dropbox or Hightail with a sharing notice sent to jshaw@glazermuseum.org Applications will NOT be accepted via postal mail.
QUESTIONS?
All questions should be directed to John Shaw at jshaw@glazermuseum.org. Respondents should not contact other members of the Glazer Children’s Museum about this RFP. Answers by others should not be considered formal responses.
