The Madison Arts Commission is accepting applications from artists or design teams to provide a site-specific art feature for the State Street Confluence, a location adjacent to the intersection of the State Street Mall, the University of Wisconsin Library Mall and East Campus Mall as part of the State Street Reconstruction Project.

The Confluence has been designated as a “special place” along State Street, an eight-block long transit/pedestrian/bicycle mall connecting the UW-Madison campus and the State Capitol building. It is lined with theaters, museums, restaurants, taverns, and a variety of retail establishments. This project provides an opportunity for an artist or design team to create a site-specific art feature that affirms the character of Madison and celebrates State Street as Madison’s signature thoroughfare.

ELIGIBILITY

This call is open to artists or design teams who have the vision and skills required to complete the art feature commission to the highest standards of artistic innovative and technical expertise. While specific experience is not explicitly required it should be noted that this art feature commission requires individuals or teams with skills and experience commensurate with the responsibility of successfully completing a major outdoor public artwork with a substantial budget.

BUDGET

3-5 artists will be selected as finalists to submit site specific proposals, and will be eligible for a $4,000 honorarium budget to include design fee, presentation materials including maquette, travel expenses for both a preliminary site visit and a presentation visit to Madison, meetings, and promotion upon completion.

The total budget for the site specific commission is $160,000, which shall cover all costs associated with design, artist fees, structural engineering review, conservation/maintenance review, fabrication,transportation, installation, presentation, applicable insurance required of the Artist, tools, materials, labor, and all related costs required for the completion and installation of the art feature.  There is already a foundation/footing and electricity stubbed to the site, so these costs are not the artist’s responsibility.

TIMELINE

• August 10, 2016      Phase I Request for Qualifications released
• August 24, 2016      Due date for questions regarding RFQ
• August 27, 2016      Answers posted
• September 7, 2016                 Application deadline 2:00 PM CDT
• Mid-Late September 2016      Finalists selected and notified of their invitation to continue with Phase II – site specific design proposals
• October 10, 2016 (PM)            Mandatory orientation site visit for finalists
• November 9, 2016                   Deadline for design submissions from finalists
• Mid-November 2016                Finalist presentations to city staff team and selection committee
• December 2016      Award and notification and contract approvals for accepted winning design/art feature
• February 2017        Artist engineering & safety review (structural and mechanical engineering and other details for approval and begin fabrication)
• Summer/Fall 2017    Fabrication, installation
• Fall 2017                   Completion, unveiling, and reception

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for the Confluence Public Art Feature, artists must submit an application package that includes the following (NOTE: Use label style shown in italics, replace JDoe with your first initial and last name or name of team lead):

1. Statement of Interest. A_Statement_JDoe.pdf  Not to exceed two pages. Address your response to this project opportunity, experience, philosophy and statement of approach. Briefly describe your interest in a commission for the City of Madison and what you can bring to this project. Specific proposals for the art feature are not requested and will not be reviewed during this Phase I.

2. Current Resume(s) and Support Materials B_Resume_JDoe.pdf  Not to exceed two pages for each artist. Include artist’s training and professional experience plus additional support material (not to exceed three pages) of press clippings or other relevant materials on past projects.

3. Representative Work and Documentation C_worksample1_JDoe.jpg; C_worksample2_JDoe.jpg; C_worksample3_JDoe.jpg; etc.  Submit up to 10 digital JPEG images of relevant work. Images must be JPEG format, min. 200 dpi, maximum 600 x 800 pixels.

4. Image Index for Representative Work D_imagelist_JDoe.pdf   An annotated image list, clearly labeled with your full name and information and a numerical listing for each image, the title of the work, budget, year completed, dimensions and media.

5.  City Purchasing Form E: References  Provide a list of 3-5 organizations and/or clients for whom the Applicant has commissioned work within the last 5 years. Include name, address, and phone number of contact person for each.  Describe briefly the nature of the project and results.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your application materials by uploading files to a folder in Dropbox and then sharing that folder with the City of Madison (bpittelli@cityofmadison.com)

Please review the full Request for Qualifications for complete project and site information and application requirements.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Brian Pittelli at Purchasing Services, PH: (608) 267-4969  FAX: (608) 266-5948  EMAIL bpittelli@cityofmadison.com