ROW Seeks Artists for Pleasant Run Public Art

Reconnecting to our Waterways (ROW) requests the qualifications of artists and artist teams interesting in completing permanent, exterior artwork(s) for the newly enhanced Spruce Bridge public space, located at the crossing of the Pleasant Run Trail over Pleasant Run Creek at Spruce Street in the historic Fountain Square neighborhood. The artwork(s) should reflect some aspect of the natural environment of the creek and it should include an educational component.

BUDGET: $20,000 (all-inclusive)

ELIGIBILITY:  Artists and artist teams with all members over 18 and living within the following Indiana counties are eligible to submit their qualifications: Marion, Hamilton, Hendricks, Shelby, Johnson, Hancock, Morgan, Boone, Clinton, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Putnam, Owen, Monroe, Brown, Bartholomew, Decatur, Rush, Henry, Madison and Tipton. Artists living in Marion County, particularly the Fountain Square area and surrounding neighborhoods, are strongly encouraged to apply.

DEADLINE:  September 28, 2018 11:59 p.m.

Project Context

The Reconnecting to Our Waterways’ (ROW) Pleasant Run committee is a group of passionate neighbors and community members who work to improve the quality of life around the Pleasant Run Waterway. To date, the group has successfully finished two projects at the Barth Avenue and Prospect Falls destinations along the Pleasant Run Creek corridor. This project centers around the Spruce Street bridge crossing of the Pleasant Run Greenway.

Designed in the early 1900s, Spruce Bridge was an instrumental part of legendary architect George Kessler’s vision to create a series of greenspaces near Indianapolis’ waterways that would provide healthy recreation areas for the enjoyment of all. Spruce Bridge crosses a neglected stretch of the Pleasant Run waterway in a part of Indianapolis suffering from a lack of investment and maintenance, leaving it underappreciated by the local community.

The Spruce Bridge project seeks to change the overall character of this public space, beautifying this stretch of the waterway and creating a safe and educational place to stop and enjoy the surroundings. The project also strengthens the neighborhood’s physical connection to the Garfield Park neighborhood to the southwest, the flourishing Fountain Square neighborhood to the north, and the developing Twin Aire community to the northeast. With the increase in activity in these neighborhoods, now is the perfect time to recognize this historic piece of Indy’s past.

The planned amenities that will be included in the finished product are:

• Two plazas, one on either side of Spruce Bridge, with seating and an overlook to enjoy the waterway
• New native plant gardens and trees
• Educational installations to help visitors learn about local wildlife and waterway ecology
• Artwork inspired by the natural surroundings
• Bat boxes and pollinator houses

Description of Opportunity

The artwork envisioned for this space should be permanent, interactive, informative, and educational, whether by its inherent visual appearance or through a planned connection with the more formal educational elements of the project. It should incorporate some aspect of the natural environment of the Pleasant Run Creek, and should encourage visitors to reflect upon or learn about this aspect.

All durable art media and materials that meet the requirements of the site are acceptable. The artist’s scope can expand beyond traditional forms of public art to include functional elements such as railings, seating, signage supports, etc. The artwork must be permanent, safe, easy to maintain, engaging for the public, and accessible throughout the year. The artwork must be compatible with unsupervised public use.

The artist/artist team will be expected to work alongside the ROW Pleasant Run committee to engage with the local community, obtaining feedback throughout the concept and design process. Community members will be invited to offer thoughts on the proposed concepts and final artwork, to ensure that the final product is an accurate reflection of not only the natural environment, but of the community at large.

Project Calendar

This schedule may be subject to change as construction progresses. The artist will be informed of any changes as they arise.

• August 28, 2018: RFQ issued
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018, 11:59pm: Artist qualifications due – this is not a postmark deadline
• By October 16, 2018: Artist/team selected and notified; begin executing contract
• October 22, 2018: Artist ‘s 1st community engagement session at the Pleasant Run committee meeting in Fountain Square
• November 26, 2018: Artist’s 2nd community engagement session at the Pleasant Run committee meeting in Fountain Square
• January 28, 2019: Initial artwork proposals/concepts presented to the Pleasant Run committee
• February 25, 2019: Final concept presented to the Pleasant Run committee (including fabrication/installation timeline and final budget)
• March - July, 2019:  Artwork fabrication
• By July 15, 2019: Artwork completed and installed onsite

Selection Process

Applicants’ submitted qualifications will be reviewed by the ROW Pleasant Run committee, consisting of neighbors, community members and local visual arts professionals. Candidates will be discussed by the larger group and voted upon by the designated voting committee members.

Selection Criteria

Prior experience with creating works of public art, sculptural and/or wall-based, at the indicated scale is required. Submissions will be evaluated based on the following:

• Artistic quality: Artist’s submission displays a record of contextually appropriate, innovative concepts brought to a site or project, and documents creative and stylistically distinctive solutions to design and site challenges.
• Aesthetic sensibility: Artist’s work displays an aesthetic that is desirable for this project and community
• Technical ability: Artist’s submission indicates skill with materials and techniques similar to those that would be required on this project
• Experience: Artist’s submission has indicated familiarity with communities and conditions similar to those that would be used on this project
• Process: Artist has a record of creating projects on time and on budget, and has experience working closely with communities to develop public art.

How to Apply

There is no application fee. All applications must be received (date stamped) by 11:59pm on Friday, September 28, 2018. Applications and supporting materials must be emailed to apply@ourwaterways.org (large files may be shared via Dropbox or Google Drive link) or physically mailed or delivered on a CD to SEND at:

Reconnecting to Our Waterways

c/o Southeast Neighborhood Development, Inc.

1035 Sanders Street, Suite 118

Indianapolis, Indiana 46203

What to Submit

• Letter of Interest: Please provide a maximum of 500 words discussing why you are interested in this commission and anything you feel uniquely qualifies you to create this artwork. Do not submit any details about a potential design/artwork – this is a request for qualifications only. Provide digitally in .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• Applicant Information: Please provide a professional resume or CV, no longer than 3 pages, outlining your artistic experience and education. Ensure that the listed artist contact information is current, complete, and reliable. If you are submitting for a team, please include a resume or CV for each team member. Provide digitally in .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• References: Please provide a list of three to five individuals (ideally, these are past public art clients) who are familiar with your work. If submitting as a team, each member should have their own references, unless the team has worked for a mutual client on a team project. Full contact information (name, title, affiliation, phone numbers, email address and land addresses) should be provided for each reference. Provide digitally in .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• Work Samples: Include up to 20 total work samples for as many different projects as you wish. (You may submit multiple samples per project, as long as the total number of samples is 20 or less.)

1. Please submit at least 5, and up to 20, images or videos of completed or previously proposed commissioned artwork that best represent your experience, style, and ability as it would apply to this project. If you have not previously completed any commissioned artwork, you may submit examples of any other pieces that best represent your work over the past 5 years in the style, medium, and/or aesthetic you intend for the current opportunity.
2. If you choose to submit video documentation, please limit each video to 2 minutes. Provide videos in .mp4  or Quicktime format.
3. Still images should be of good quality, minimum 3” x 5” and minimum of 72 dpi, and limited to 2 MB file size in .jpg or .jpeg format.
4. You may submit detailed images of individual artworks within the 20-image limit.
5. If you are submitting as a team, you may submit images or videos of work done by the individual team members, plus images of projects you have done together, with a total limit of 30 images.

• Work Sample Descriptions: Provide the following information about each of the projects depicted in the samples: name/title of piece, year completed, client or owner name, location, medium, dimensions, process, design challenge and solution, commission amount, and any other applicable and pertinent information. If it was not a commissioned piece, please provide a very brief statement of the intent of the artwork.  Provide all work sample descriptions in a single file in .doc, .docx, or PDF format.

For convenience, all narrative materials may be provided as a single PDF document as long as each item is on a separate page.  Do not provide images in PDF format!

QUESTIONS?  Contact Kelly Brown at Kelly@ourwaterways.org