The Indy Arts Council, working in collaboration with the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE) and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), is requesting qualifications from artists or artist teams who are interested in creating an outdoor dimensional mural at the Far Eastside Orchard. This project is located on Indianapolis' Far Eastside at 8902 E. 38th St.
BUDGET: $10,000 (artist's fee and painting materials only; no site responsibilities)
ELIGIBILITY: Must live in Marion County, Indiana or an adjacent county (Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Morgan, Shelby). Artists living in or near the Far Eastside of Marion County, or with a personal connection to the Far Eastside, are strongly encouraged to apply. Artists under 18 are welcome to apply; however, a parent or other legal guardian will be required to sign the commissioning agreement on behalf of the youth artist and will be legally responsible for the successful completion of the project.
DEADLINE: Apply by May 22, 11:59 p.m. (upload deadline) (application form here)
Please see the full RFQ document attached.
APPLICATION WORKSHOP: View the May 10, 2022 application workshop here.
ABOUT THE FAR EASTSIDE ORCHARD
The Far Eastside Orchard is a product of the Far Eastside community's vision to transform an unused green space into a space to be used for residential access to nature, community events, and youth programming. The community formed a local committee that consisted of Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, La Plaza, Finish Line, Head Start Early Learning Center, and community residents. Together these stakeholders came to research the needs of the area and developed a plan to bring the Far Eastside Orchard to the community. After implementation, the green space will be cared for within a collaborative initiative and partnership with youth programs within the community, Groundworks Indy, Finish Line youth, and a contracted landscaping service.
The project consists of seven different elements including the community orchard; a naturescape area; an area for trees and wildflowers; an event space; sculptures; a playground; and a mobile farmstand. There will also be pathways for residents to utilize for dog walking as well as a way to access the IndyGo bus stop on 38th Street, which will be home to a stop on the future rapid-transit Purple Line. The Purple Line will be completed in 2024 and is a much-needed addition to the Far Eastside community to ensure that residents have increased access to transportation.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE OF THE FAR EASTSIDE (CAFE)
The Community Alliance of the Far Eastside's (CAFE) mission is: "to enhance the quality of life on Indianapolis' Far Eastside." In the 1980s, four women residing in Indianapolis' Far Eastside neighborhood came together with the shared commitment of advocating for residents in the community. As a result of their efforts, many social service agencies and neighborhood groups were formed, including CAFE. For more than thirty years, the organization has provided an array of services for every member of the family starting with infants to older adults, all under one roof. CAFE has evolved to become the backbone of the community, working tirelessly with partner organizations to increase the vitality of the neighborhood and assist families to realize their highest potential through increased economic mobility and stability and by achieving self-sufficiency. CAFE provides resources and referrals, direct supportive services, and financial assistance. CAFE's basic-needs services are implemented to help overcome barriers that impede a family or individual's positive trajectory to improving their quality of life. For more information about CAFÉ, contact Cheria Caldwell, Vice President of Communications and Engagement, ccaldwell@cafeindy.org or (317) 890-3288 x128.
ABOUT KEEP INDIANAPOLIS BEAUTIFUL (KIB)
The mission of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is to engage diverse communities to create vibrant public places, helping people and nature thrive. KIB is an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., a national organization dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and environment in American communities. KIB believes in shared responsibility, and that sustainability starts with love. Each year, KIB supports over 800 community projects with nearly 20,000 volunteers. For over 40 years, they have partnered with neighbors, the public sector, and Indianapolis community groups and businesses to achieve a shared vision of a beautiful city. Programs include planting trees and native landscapes, creating community spaces, picking up litter, and engaging students of all ages in nature.
SITE INFORMATION
The mural will be painted on a series of stacked blocks to form a dimensional mural surface, approximately 8 ft wide, 8 ft deep, and 4-5 ft high. The arrangement will be located at the entrance to the Far Eastside Orchard public greenspace, and will be placed inside a small circle bounded by a larger, circular sidewalk. The blocks will be installed onsite prior to August 1, 2022. (please see attached site images)
The goal of the mural is to provide a vibrant expression of welcome to the space, to CAFE, and to the Far Eastside. The commissioned artist will be soliciting community input as to the mural imagery during the Far Eastside Festival on August 6, 2022 and designing and painting the mural immediately afterwards. It is anticipated that the majority of the community input will be from youth, and it will be important for the artist to reflect their thoughts in the final mural.
The mural will be created to be highly durable and impervious to weather, but also to be seasonally refreshed as needed to correct fading, using community volunteers. Therefore, the design should be simple and easily replicable. The artist should prepare to leave excess paint and a full color specification with CAFE at the end of the project.
It is anticipated that the mural will last onsite for around three years, and then it will be updated with a new design from another artist using the same community-based inspiration process. The mural will therefore form an always-changing understanding of the Far Eastside, its goals and aspirations, and its values.
COMPENSATION
The artist fee for the project is $10,000. The commissioned artist/team is expected to use this fee for their labor and their materials, supplies, travel/transportation, and equipment needed to work with the community and to complete the painting portion of the artwork and all cleanup. The artist is not responsible for developing the form of the dimensional mural surface, and is not responsible for installing the stacked blocks. The artist/team will also be required to provide a one-year warranty for the artwork. Contracts will be executed with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.
PROJECT TIMELINE
This timeline represents the project as it now appears. Changes may be necessary as the project progresses.
SELECTION PROCESS
No designs are required as part of the artist’s application materials!
Applications will be reviewed by CAFE and KIB staff and Far Eastside community members, along with representatives from the Arts Council’s Public Art Selection Committee. One finalist artist/team will be recommended. Once identified, the artist/team will work further with KIB and CAFE to engage with the community at the Far Eastside Festival, and then develop an artwork concept. When the concept is approved, the artwork will be painted on the three-dimensional surfaces.
The Public Art Selection Committee includes artists, arts advocates, curators, administrators, and other arts and community development specialists.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The finalist artist/team will be selected based on the following criteria:
HOW TO APPLY
Use the application form located here. The form is accessible across a range of platforms and devices, including on a cell phone.
There is a limit of 25 MB TOTAL that can be attached to the form. If you exceed this limit, the form will not upload. We recommend keeping careful track of the files you are attaching.
HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO PREPARE
QUESTIONS? We are here to help!
Please contact Julia Moore, Director of Public Art, Indy Arts Council: jmoore@indyarts.org or (317) 624-2556
