Palm Beach County FL Seeks Artist for Sheriff Impound Lot Project

Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places program seeks to commission an artist/artist team to create art that enhances sections of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department Evidence and Impound Lot’s concrete ten foot security wall and adjacent building’s facade.

The new Evidence & Impound Facility will accommodate property seized by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office related to criminal investigations and forfeiture. The Facility’s building will house the Crime Scene Unit, offices and evidence processing. The Impound Lot will store up to 500 vehicles (cars, trucks, boats, ATVs, bicycles, etc).

Located near Palm Beach International Airport, the Facility is situated in one of Palm Beach County’s busiest transportation corridors. Artwork locations were selected for their ability to visually engage the public as they approach and pass by the Facility. The intent is that as passersby are drawn to the art, their attention will be distracted away from the sight of impounded vehicles behind the security wall.

Budget:  $191,000, all-inclusive.  All Short List artists who participate in a mandatory pre-proposal site review with the project team, and who present
a proposal to the Finalist Selection Panel shall receive a flat fee of $1,200 inclusive of all expenses such as travel, hotel, transportation, mileage, etc. Short List artists will not be reimbursed separately for any travel costs.

Eligibility:  Open to all professional artists who are USA residents with experience implementing their ideas and work in the public realm.

Art Integration Opportunities

SECURITY WALL: By the time short-listed artists participate in the mandatory pre-proposal site inspection, it will be determined if security walls are pre-cast concrete tilt, or cast in place.

BUILDING FACADE: Building facades will be constructed of pre-cast concrete tilt walls.

Artwork designs and materials may be integrated into the concrete casting process and/ or topically applied. Designs integrated into the casting process may include color, texture, embedded materials, patterns, etc. Embedded designs and topically applied materials must not aid wall climbability. Hundreds of confiscated license plates and tons of brass bullet casings (from Sheriff’s Training Shooting Range) are available to short listed artists for incorporation into their proposed concept design. Artists are not required to use these materials, but if they choose to use them, artists are responsible for transporting the materials to their studio or fabrication site, and associated costs. Artists may alter license plates and bullet casings, or use them in their current form and condition.

Due to the nature of the Facility’s business, the artwork’s design shall not explicitly represent Facility operations.

Public Art Goals

• The artwork will enhance the environment in which it’s located and divert public attention from the stored seized vehicles behind the security wall.
• Wall artwork will not be easily climbable.
• Due to the nature of the business within the Evidence & Impound Facility, the design of the artwork shall not draw undue attention to the facility’s operations.
• The visual enhancements will complement the architecture, style, scale, medium and integrity of the Facility and surrounding neighborhood.
• The artwork will require minimal maintenance and will withstand the intense local environment (sun, high winds, salty moist air, and rain).

Timeline

Call to Artists Announced:   August 5, 2016
Question Submittal Deadline: September 2, 2016 at 5:00 P.M.
Submittal Deadline: September 12, 2016 at 5:00 P.M.
Short List Selection: Week of September 19, 2016
Mandatory Site Visit: Week of October 10, 2016
Finalist Submittal: November 18, 2016, 5:00 P.M.
Finalist Selection: Week of November 28, 2016
Notice to Proceed: Week of December 19, 2016
Art Installation: by July 2017
Construction Complete: by October 2017

Selection Criteria

The Short List Panel shall select artists based on the following:

• Quality and strength of past work as demonstrated in the submitted materials
• Demonstrated ability to design, construct and install visually engaging artwork for outdoor environments.
• Experience with projects on a similar scale which demonstrate that the artist contributed creative solutions to achieve design excellence.
• Completion of other public art commissions on a similar scale and/or receipt of awards, grants or fellowships within the past six years.

Questions
Questions are to be directed via e-mail to Elayna Toby Singer, Palm Beach County’s Public Art Administrator at esinger@pbcgov.org. Include the words “PBSO Evidence/Impound Facility” in the subject line of any e-mail regarding this project. All questions shall be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on September 2, 2016. Any verbal information provided shall not be binding and an applicant relies on such information at their own risk. All questions
and answers will be posted weekly on the County’s Public Art website: http://www.pbcgov.com/fdo/art/artists/

How to Apply

Please mail or hand-deliver one (1) virus-free PC-compatible CD-ROM or thumb drive including .jpg images of past work and PDFs of Letter of Interest, Resume and Annotated Image List. Also, please include one printed copy of the Letter of Interest, Resume, and Annotated Image List. Do not staple or bind. Excess material will not be presented to the Short List Panel. Materials will not be returned.

Send submittal materials to: Palm Beach County Art in Public Places, 2633 Vista Parkway, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33411. ATTN: PBSO Evidence/Impound Facility

Please review the full RFQ for site information and complete application instructions.