Public Art Sought for Merschel Park

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission is seeking an artist to design and create a permanent centerpiece artwork for Merschel Park in downtown Winston-Salem.

Budget: $225,000
Eligibility: Professional artists over 18
Deadline: 05/10/2019 11:59 AM Central Time

Full RFQ with site images available here.

Project Description
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission is seeking an artist to design and create a permanent centerpiece artwork for Merschel Park in downtown Winston-Salem. The park is named after Wanda Merschel (1950- ), a Winston-Salem City Council Member from 1997-2013. Always a consensus builder, Merschel struck a balance between citizen services and capital investments to help revitalize downtown Winston-Salem and ensure the city’s future prosperity. As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated career in finance and politics, Merschel has continuously been a strong advocate for women. “I have been fortunate to learn from women in all walks of life who taught me that calmness, patience, and serenity will always yield a better outcome.” It is her hope that this namesake park will be a place where people can reflect on the inspiring roles and qualities that women have brought to public service.

Location Information

The artwork is envisioned to be the centerpiece of Merschel Park (122 West Fourth Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101), which is under construction in downtown Winston-Salem. The park is located at the intersection of Fourth and Trade Streets, between two mid-rise condominium buildings and a new hotel. The eastern section of the park will be built over an underground Merschel parking structure. The County’s new children’s museum and science center is slated for construction on the park’s southern edge. The artwork should take advantage of sightlines from Trade Street south into the park as well as from the entrance to the park from between the hotel and condominium building to the east.

Artwork Goals

• The proposed artwork will be the centerpiece of Merschel Park. The Public Art Commission is open to sculpture and other types of original, standalone artwork that can serve this purpose.
• Artwork should be scaled appropriately for the space, e.g., a standalone sculpture should be at least 25-30 feet in height.
• Design should make sense in the context of the plaza’s flowing lines and high level of activity in the center of downtown.
• Artwork proposals that use water should be limited to recirculating fountains.

Timeline

• May 10, 2019: Deadline for submissions, due at noon (this is not a postmark deadline)
• June 28, 2019: Finalists selected
• September 2019: Finalist proposals due
• Fall 2019: Final artist selected
• Fall 2020: Artwork installation

Selection Process

The review committee is composed of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission members and stakeholders associated with Merschel Park. The committee will evaluate all qualifications and recommend up to three finalists to make proposals. Each finalist will receive a $1,500 honorarium and a travel stipend, the amount of which will be determined based on the artist’s location, for an in-person interview.

Selection Criteria

The artist’s statement of interest, professional work history, and submitted work examples will be evaluated by the selection committee. The committee will review applicants on the basis of:

• Artistic excellence.
• Past success in large-scale public art field.
• Demonstrated ability to execute a project of this scale under the criteria developed and within the budget set forth.
• Artists living in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County and Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises will be given more weight in evaluation scores.

What to Submit

Required Submission Materials

1. Letter of Intent: Clearly describe your interest in this project and how you can contribute to its success.
2. Visual Materials: Past work samples: Artists may submit up to ten (10) images and a brief description of each image, including title and medium.
3. Resume or CV:  A resume or CV including all relevant education and professional experience, including past commissions and budgets. Include mailing address, email address, and phone number.
4. Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Documentation
5. References: Names and contact information of two professional references. Letters of recommendation are not required.

How to Submit

Submissions may be submitted through Dropbox via this link (preferred submission method) or submitted electronically, by mail, or hand-delivered to:

Kelly Bennett, Public Art Administrator
PO Box 2511, City-County Planning
Winston-Salem NC 27102 United States
kellyb@cityofws.org

QUESTIONS?  Contact Kelly Bennett, kellyb@cityofws.org or 336-747-7062