Public Art Opportunity at Charlotte, NC Airport

Public Art Opportunity at Charlotte, NC Airport

 (704) 330-0196

 Charlotte, NC, Unknown

The Charlotte Arts & Science Council (ASC) is accepting qualifications from professional artists or teams of artists in response to a significant public art opportunity at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

Charlotte Douglas International Airport has undergone remarkable growth over the past decade with a passenger increase from 28 million in 2005, to 44.9 million total passengers in 2015. Accordingly, CLT Airport recently initiated a $2.5 billion capital investment program called “Destination CLT” that encompasses several terminal and airfield improvement and expansion projects intended to accommodate passenger growth forecasts through the year 2035.

As part of Destination CLT, the East Terminal Expansion–Phase II (ETII) will provide a new two-story food court located just beyond Checkpoint E at the juncture of International Concourse D and Commuter Concourse E. ETII will also provide an additional level of office space for airline use and widen the escalators leading to the expanding Concourse E to facilitate increased passenger flow and customer satisfaction.

This RFQ represents an opportunity for an artist or artist-led team to create an artwork to be located in the East Terminal Food Court at CLT Airport.

Budget:  $637,500 USD, to cover all artist fees, design, testing, fabrication and installation, including but not limited to travel, public meeting presentations, administration, taxes and insurance relating to the realization of an artwork for the Food Court location in keeping with the project description, objectives, and criteria listed in the  above sections.

Eligibility

  • Professional artists who have experience managing, designing and completing public art project commissions over $250,000 USD within the past five (5) years are eligible.
  • Artists, contractors, designers or architects who are currently under contract with the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the City of Charlotte or Mecklenburg County, or who have completed contracts within the past three (3) years with any of the above listed agencies, are not eligible to apply. City or County staff, Public Art Commission members, ASC Board members, ASC staff, and their immediate family members are not eligible.
  • Architects interested in applying must have successfully completed at least three (3) public art projects that are distinguished from infrastructure design within the last five (5) years to be considered eligible to participate in this opportunity. Eligibility must be demonstrated in the application materials submitted.

 

Project Description

Designed as a comfortable space for refreshment and repose, the new East Terminal Food Court will accommodate several food service vendors with ample seating and a centrally-located bar. The central seating area measures approximately 150’ x 45’ and is characterized by overhead clearances of approximately 35’ with ample daylight furnished by clerestory-level windows and glass curtain walls facing north and northeast.

This area lies at the juncture of two highly trafficked concourses and is anticipated to see nearly half of all passenger traffic at CLT. Many customers will spend a significant amount of time in the Food Court after clearing security to wait for departing flights. It is an ideal location for an ambitious and memorable art experience that can be enjoyed by a large and captive audience.

Due to the unique architectural features and functionality of this area, the ASC envisions the creation of a large scale artwork at this location to activate the open volumes above the bar and seating areas without severely impeding vendor activity and passenger circulation on the ground floor below. While not the only imaginable solution, the location naturally lends itself to a suspended three-dimensional artwork with potential for mobile and/or kinetic elements. Additionally, the location features a blank wall measuring 20’(h) x 140’ that has been identified by airport architects as a potential location available to the project artist should she/he choose to treat this area or otherwise integrate it into the proposed artwork design.

Art objectives and criteria

The proposed artwork must respond to the unique architectural character, functions, and uses of the East Terminal Food Court. Although not an exhaustive list, the ASC and airport architects have determined that the successful artwork must achieve one or more of the following criteria:

  • Contribute to a sense of calm and repose while facilitating a positive and memorable aesthetic experience within the context of an airport;
  • Provide a significant visual focal point in reference to the scale of the Food Court, with potential to assist visitor wayfinding and establish a meeting place for visitors;
  • Respond to ambient natural light during the day without significantly obstructing incoming sunlight or views provided by glass curtain walls;
  • Retain visual impact at night;
  • Remain visually accessible from multiple vantage points including but not limited to the central seating area and second-level office spaces with views of the central seating area below;
  • Fabricated with robust and durable materials and components that do not require frequent upgrades, replacement, or highly-specialized maintenance nor pose significant risk or danger to airport passengers and staff;
  • Do not substantially interfere or impede vendor operations, the free circulation of passengers, or the footprint of ground-level bar and seating area.

 

Timeline

  • January 9, 2017:  Artist applications released
  • February 10, 2017:  Artist application submission deadline
  • February 17, 2017:  Artist selection panel reviews applications and selects up to 3 finalists
  • March 17, 2017:  Artist selection panel interviews finalists and selects one artist/team
  • March/April, 2017:  Contract with selected artist/team
  • August 25, 2017*:  Schematic artwork design submitted for approval
  • January 15, 2018* :  Final artwork design submitted for approval, fabrication to begin
  • November 30, 2018*:    Artwork ready for installation, installation and site-integration to begin
  • January 31, 2019*:  Substantial installation and integration of artwork completed

*Actual dates subject to change based upon finalized construction schedule.

Selection process

This solicitation process is being undertaken to enable the Public Art Commission (PAC) to identify the most highly qualified artist(s) for this opportunity. A selection panel of local and national arts  professionals and community stakeholders appointed by the ASC and CLT Aviation Department will review eligible artists’ applications, determine a shortlist of finalists, interview up to three finalists and select one artist or artist-led team. The selected artist or team will be recommended to PAC and the ASC Board for final approval and to enter into contractual agreement for this project.

Selection criteria

A panel of local and national arts professionals established by the ASC and CLT Aviation Department will review the submissions and may select one (1) responsive applicant or may shortlist up to (3) three applicants to interview with the Panel. Applicants may be requested by the ASC to supplement their submission with additional information. Submissions shall be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Artistic merit in concept and fabrication as demonstrated by submitted examples of completed past work;
  • Quality and scale of past work, demonstrated technical competence (materials, lighting, installation, maintenance);
  • Demonstrated ability to manage projects of similar scale and complexity on time and within budget;
  • Interest in and comprehension of project;
  • Professional qualifications and experience incorporating artwork into the architectural elements of a construction project.

The commissioned artist or artist-led team will be collaborating with a design team consisting of ASC staff, CLT Aviation Department architects, and various design consultants. Exemplary communication and time management skills will be essential to the success of this project.

Application requirements

To view/begin the application, go to https://asc.slideroom.com and sign up for an account. Applications must be received via SlideRoom by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Savings Time on February 10, 2017. There is no application fee to apply or use the SlideRoom online application system. The following materials will be required to be uploaded to SlideRoom:

  • A letter of interest (1 page max) outlining the artist’s interest in this project, and addressing selection criteria with references to previous artworks in public places. Applicant(s) may apply as a single artist or team. If applying as a team, identify all team members and their proposed project role (i.e.: lead artist, technical consultant, programmer, etc.) in the statement.
  • A current professional resume or CV (two pages maximum). If applying as a team, submit a one‐ to‐two page résumé for each team member.
  • Three professional references who can speak to the artist’s ability to meet deadlines, work with community, and create innovative work as part of a design team. Include name, organization, phone number, and email.
  • Selection of eight (8) relevant media files (videos are accepted) representing artworks most relevant to the scope of this opportunity that have been completed by the artist applicant within the past fifteen (15) years.  Please provide the following for each example: the name of the artist(s), title of work, date, media, dimensions of work, description of site, client, and budget. This information may be submitted as a separate document or may be inserted into each image caption on SlideRoom.
  • Please do not submit conceptual sketches or renderings, pdf portfolios, brochures, or press materials.

 

How to Apply

Applications are available through SlideRoom (https://asc.slideroom.com), an online application system for calls for entry. There is no fee to submit qualifications. Applications will not be accepted after the February 10, 2017 11:59 p.m. (EST) deadline. Please note that Arts & Science Council staff will be available to answer questions about this call until 5:00 p.m. (EST) on the deadline date.

SlideRoom technical support is available Monday—Saturday by email, 9:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) at support@slideroom.com.

 

QUESTIONS? Contact Marcus Mitchell, Program Director, Public Art at CLT, at (704) 330-0196 or by email at marcus.mitchell@artsandscience.org.