RFQ: 2017 KIB Greenspace Grant Project Seeks Sculptors

RFQ: 2017 KIB Greenspace Grant Project Seeks Sculptors

Posted by Indy Arts Council

Posted: Jun, 02, 2016

Public Art - Visual

Website: http://www.indyarts.org

 Indianapolis, IN, Unknown

Project Title

Community Caring & Sharing

Deadline for Submissions

Monday, November 28, 2016, 5:00 PM (EDT). This is NOT a postmark deadline. No exceptions.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, artists must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Work as a professional artist or artist team
  • Live in Indiana
  • Have previously created public art, large-scale works, or exterior projects
  • Carry personal liability insurance for the duration of the project (The Arts Council can provide a referral to an insurance provider if needed.)
  • Be willing to meet all contractual obligations and adhere to a strict timeline

Program Specifics

The Arts Council of Indianapolis, in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), is requesting qualifications from artists or artist teams who are interested in creating outdoor public artwork for the indicated site. This RFQ is an open call to experienced artists living in Indiana.

KIB’s IPL Project GreenSpace is a grassroots-driven effort that helps transform vacant lots and underused spaces into natural, beautiful and functional pocket parks. As part of the 2017 initiative, public art will be incorporated into a pocket park planned for a vacant lot next to the Community Caring & Sharing Center in the Mars Hill neighborhood on the southwest side of Indianapolis.

Community Caring and Sharing (CC&S) is a 30-year- old community service center for those in need. Services were consolidated into the Holt Rd. building in 2002. Programs serve more than 30,000 people annually and include a food pantry, clothing assistance, reading and GED instruction, youth programs, senior citizen fellowship, and more.

Through the KIB project, the currently empty space at 2830 S. Holt Rd. will become a place for the community to gather, garden, play, and learn. The community and project group hopes for a space that is a combination of open spaces and partially closed and/or shade structures where visitors may sit or play. CC&S plans to use the space as an outdoor classroom for their ongoing activities, such as adult health, literacy and GED classes, and to host a visiting mobile book center. They hope to reflect the neighborhood’s interesting history and longtime connection to varying technologies through the commissioned artwork, and for the artwork to be able to be physically interactive.

The project site is situated in an industrial area with sources for recycled industrial materials available nearby. The site will be surrounded on at least two sides with fencing, and the other two sides may be partially fenced. Fencing may be able to be incorporated into the artwork. See images.

When complete, the park will serve as a resource not only for CC&S, but also for the adjacent residents.

Artists will be paired with the landscape architect, Jeff Mader of Mader Design LLC, and will participate in the design of the space in which the artwork will be situated.

Resources

Community Caring & Sharing: http://ccsharing.org/

History of Mars Hill: http://www.polis.iupui.edu/RUC/Neighborhoods/MarsHill/MarsHillTimeline.htm

Selection Process

Members of the Arts Council’s Public Art Selection Committee, with representatives from KIB and Community Caring & Sharing will review artists’ qualifications and recommend two or three finalists. The finalists will discuss their qualifications and preliminary thoughts with the full Greenspace team, who will weigh in on the final selection. Once identified, the artist will work further with the town and with to design, refine and finalize the artwork into the space before fabricating and installing it. No designs are required as part of the artist’s application materials!

The Public Art Selection Committee consists of prominent experts in their respective fields and includes artists, arts advocates, curators, administrators, and other arts and community development specialists.

Note: while this is the intended selection process, in the event of an insufficient number of qualified applicants the Arts Council and KIB reserve the right to change the process to a Request for Proposals, to invite an artist to propose, or to directly select an artist or artwork; and also reserve the right to cancel the opportunity entirely at any point and for any reason, as the best interests of the project may dictate.

Selection Criteria

Finalists will be selected based upon the following criteria:

Artistic quality: artist’s submission displays a record of appropriate, yet innovative, concepts brought to a site or project, and documents creative and stylistically distinctive solutions to design and site issues

Aesthetic sensibility: artist’s work displays an aesthetic that would be desirable for this project

Technical ability: artist’s submission indicates skill with materials and techniques similar to those that would be required for this project

Experience: artist’s submission has indicated familiarity with clients and conditions similar to those that would be used on this project, or has demonstrated the ability on past projects to quickly acquire the skills needed to be successful on a project similar to this one

Process: artist’s submission indicate that the working relationship will be pleasant and the completed project will successfully meet the challenges particular to the site and overall initiative, including successfully completing all documentation and managing the given project budget

Budget

The budget for the artwork is $20,000. The selected artist is expected to use this budget for all materials, supplies, travel, lodging, and equipment needed to design, fabricate and install his or her artwork, including any required excavation, concrete foundation, or base. The artist will also be required to provide a one-year warranty for the artwork.

Project Timeline

This timeline represents the project as it now appears. Changes may be necessary as the project progresses.

October 27, 2016: Release Request for Qualifications

November 28, 2016: Artist qualification packages due to the Arts Council of Indianapolis

Week of December 5, 2016: Artist submissions reviewed

By December 9, 2016: Finalists notified

Week of December 12, 2016: Finalists present qualifications and interview with full project team. (Full information on date, time and location will be provided to finalists)

By December 19, 2016: Notification of selection and issuing of commissioning agreement

January – March 2017: Design phase

Early April 2017: Neighborhood review and approval

April – May 2017: Design completion and permitting

June – October 2017: Fabrication and installation

November 1, 2017:  Installation complete; transfer of title and maintenance plan

 

Submission Process

Artists must submit the following information digitally on one CD:

  • Applicant Information: Complete the Artist Applicant Information Form below and submit in .doc, .docx or .pdf format. An editable copy is available on request.
  • Professional Resume or CV: No longer than 3 typed pages. Submit in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.
  • Samples of Previous Work: List and Images
    • Previous Work Sample Images (maximum 10 images including alternate views or details of the same artwork)
      • Submitted images must be digital in JPEG format, minimum size 3” x 5” and minimum resolution of 150 dpi. Do not submit your images embedded in a document!
      • Submit images of artwork that best represent your experience, style, and ability as they apply to this project.
      • You may also submit images of any other work (large-scale or otherwise) that best represents your style and production over the past 5 years.
      • Name your submitted digital files according to the following format: FirstLast_01.jpg, FirstLast_02.jpg, etc. (EXAMPLE: JaneSmith_01.jpg, JaneSmith_02.jpg, etc.)
      • If some images are alternate views or details of the same artwork, number and submit them sequentially with the overall view first, followed by alternate views and then detail images.
    • Previous Work Sample List (typed and provided digitally in .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx or .pdf format)
      • The work sample list should provide as much information about each of the artworks as possible. Include at minimum (in this order) the name/title of piece, client if applicable, location, medium, process, dimensions, year completed, budget and a description of the concept or site challenge along with how you solved it.
      • Organize the list numerically according to the names of the images, starting with the one you identified as 01.
      • Make sure your name and contact information appears at the top of the list.

All images should be professional quality. If you need a referral to a professional photographer who specializes in working with artists, please email llord@indyarts.org

Each artist must label the submitted CD with his or her name and “KIB CC&S PROJECT.”

Delivery of Submissions

The submitted CD must be received at the Arts Council by 5:00pm (EDT) on Monday, November 28, 2016. CDs may be mailed or hand-delivered. We will not accept emailed submissions.

Submissions MUST be delivered or mailed to:

Arts Council of Indianapolis
Attn: CC&S Public Art Project
924 N. Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-1021

For questions, contact:

Lindsey Lord
Public Art and Artist Services Coordinator
Arts Council of Indianapolis
llord@indyarts.org

For more information about the Arts Council of Indianapolis, please visit www.indyarts.org.

For more information about Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, please visit www.kibi.org.

 

Community Caring & Sharing Greenspace Project – Applicant Artist Information Form

Please limit the information provided on this form to one typed page.

Artist Name:

Mailing Address:

City/State/ZIP:

Day or Mobile Phone:

Evening or Home Phone:

Email Address:

Website (if applicable):

Do you have a personal or professional connection to Mars Hill or Southwest Indianapolis? If
so, what is it?

How do you see this project fitting in with your past work, artistic interests and experience?

Based on the information provided in this RFQ, how would you approach this project and which area(s) of the project site are you interested in working with? (note: do not submit any artwork designs at this time!)