Neighborhood Allies and the Office of Public Art are partnering to develop a series of six temporary works of public art, one in each of Neighborhood Allies’ target neighborhoods including the Hill District, Homewood, Larimer, Millvale, Wilkinsburg, and the Southern Hilltops.

The projects will result from an in-depth collaboration between six artists and the community-based organizations that have been selected to participate in this program. The exact vision, form, location, installation duration, and materials for the project will be determined by the artist in collaboration with the organization.

In addition to developing a work of temporary public art, artists will participate in the Placemaking Academy, a series of workshops that will deepen public art and placemaking skills.

BUDGET
Each artwork has a budget of $28,000. In addition, artists will receive a fee of $12,000, including all design fees, management, and participation in the Placemaking Academy.

ELIGIBLITY + CRITERIA
We are seeking visual artists or teams that include a visual artist.  There are no residency requirements for this opportunity; however, please note that this program requires extensive community participation.  Artists will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Aesthetic quality of previous work
• Experience working collaboratively
• Experience working in the public realm
• Quality and completeness of application materials

PROJECT TIMELINE:
Week of March 21, 2016              Artist Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Released
March 21 – April 7, 2016              Artist Information Sessions
May 2, 2016 11:59 PM                 Deadline for Artist RFQ
Mid-May 2016                              Selection Panel meeting to review RFQ’s
Early June 2016                           Artist interviews / select participating artists
June 2016                                    Contracts completed with Neighborhood Allies
July 2016–March 2017                Placemaking Academy Meetings
March 2017–2019                        Presentation of Temporary Projects
This timeline is subject to change without notice.

HOW TO APPLY:
Applications will only be accepted electronically through Submittable, an online application system that is used by the Office of Public Art. You may access the application here: http://tinyurl.com/NeighborhoodAllies. 

Submit the following through Submittable as above:

1. A letter describing why you are interested in this project and details about one or two of your experiences collaborating or working with communities. Make sure to include your name on this file. Filetype is PDF.
Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Letter.pdf.

2. Worksamples of past work, up to 10 collective images and/or video. Artist teams may submit a combined total of up to 10 work samples total, not 10 work samples for each artist. Images should be in JPG format. Videos must be no longer than 3 minutes.
Name each work sample with your last name, first name and the numbers 1-10. For example, if your name is Pat Steir, the first artwork on your disc should be steir_pat_1. jpg and the second image should be steir_ pat_2.jpg.
TIP: Do not include multiple images in one file. Do not provide low-resolution images taken from social media sites such as Instagram. Videos one minute or less are preferred.

3. A script that includes a short description of each image submitted. The description for each image should include the following information as applicable: artwork title,
dimensions, materials, budget, location, and a brief summary.
File type is .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .odt. If you need assistance accessing free word processing software please contact opa@ pittsburghartscouncil.org or via phone at 412-391-2060 x233.
Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Script.doc.
TIP: Please keep information short and relevant, up to three sentences is best!

4. A copy of your artist statement. Artist teams who do not have previous experience collaborating should submit a statement for each artist, plus a statement of how the artists will collaborate. Make sure to include your name on this file. File type is .pdf.
Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Statement.pdf.

5. A copy of your resume, up to three pages. Artist teams should submit one resume per artist.
Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Resume.pdf.

Submissions must be received by 11:59 PM EST on Monday, May 2, 2016. Late applications will not be accepted.

About Neighborhood Allies
Neighborhood Allies’ mission is to support the people, organizations and partnerships committed to creating and maintaining thriving neighborhoods. They strive to support this mission by creating community partnerships, connecting distressed and transitioning communities with valued/ vetted resources, and communicating and celebrating progress and success.

About the Office of Public Art
The Office of Public Art (OPA) is a public private partnership between the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning.  Founded in 2005, OPA provides technical assistance and educational programs about public art in the Pittsburgh Region. We work with organizations and individuals in the public and private sector to facilitate the development of and information about public art.