Website: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-art/opportunities
502.574.1554
Unknown, Kentucky, Unknown
The Fund for the Arts and Louisville Metro Government, in conjunction with the Commission on Public Art (COPA), are inviting artists to develop and implement a community-engaged public art project in Louisville’s Russell neighborhood in the fall of 2016. The Fran Huettig Public Art Project is the first of five public art projects to be commissioned in west Louisville over the next five years. The Huettig project is a partnership between the Fund for the Arts, Louisville Metro Government and COPA. The project series is funded through private donors, in memory of the late Fran Huettig, a supporter of public art and long-time employee of the Fund for the Arts.
This RFI is an open call for artists working in visual art, performance, written and spoken word, site-specific interventions, sound, and digital media. Professional artists who are new to the field of public art and/or have experience interacting with the community are encouraged to apply. This RFI is open to professional artists and designers nationally, working individually or as a team.
The historic Russell neighborhood is located west of downtown Louisville from 9th to 32nd Streets going east to west, and from Market Street to Broadway going north to south. From the turn of the century to the 1960s, Russell was a well-established neighborhood known as “Louisville’s Harlem”; the neighborhood included America’s first library open to African-Americans, the offices of The Louisville Defender publication, and Central High School (once Louisville’s African American High School). Despite suffering recurrent disinvestment following an epic flood in the 1930s and failed urban renewal efforts in the 1960s, Russell’s strong and distinctive neighborhood identity remains. Russell’s central location, major corridors, and recent transformative civic and private investments make this community a catalyst for significant change throughout Louisville.
The Fran Huettig Public Art Project is an opportunity for artists to work with community members as well as with the Louisville Metro department of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods’ initiatives, including One Love Louisville, a comprehensive strategy to reduce overdose, suicide and homicide rates; and Zones of Hope, a strategy for transforming a culture of violence into a culture of hope. This commission is for a long-term project, sited for five or more years.
The total budget for the project’s first year is $20,000.
Successful projects will consider the following goals:
From the submitted responses to this RFI, up to three artists or artist teams will be selected to interview with the selection panel. The final artist or artist team will be selected based upon their submittal and the interview.
Criteria for artist selection includes:
The selected artist or artist team will propose a project budget that includes all costs of creating the artwork, including but not limited to artist fees, travel, design, insurance, engineering, fabrication, site-work, shipping, installation costs, community engagement expenses, and artwork maintenance for at least five years. In addition, the selected artist(s) will be expected to lead and participate in community events related to the development of the project. The commissioned project will be initiated in the fall of 2016.
Anticipated Timeline (dates subject to change)
To Submit
Please send the following materials by June 9, 2016:
Please send or email your materials to:
Sarah Lindgren
Public Art Administrator
Metro Development Center
444 S. 5th Street, Suite 600
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
sarah.lindgren@louisvilleky.gov
Please save written materials as a PDF and images in JPEG format (at least 300 dpi). You may send us your materials on USB flash drive, compact disk (CD), or via email. If you email, please use a file sharing service such as an FTP or Dropbox. If you have any questions, please email or call Sarah at 502.574.1554.