Website: https://walkerart.org/call-to-artists-indigenous-public-art-commission
Minneapolis, MN, Unknown
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, along with an Indigenous Public Art Selection Committee, invites artists’ proposals for a new public artwork for placement in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden or a location on the Walker campus. Individual or collaborative original work may be sculptural; incorporate other disciplines, such as audiovisual or installation art; or include traditionally sourced materials.
Budget: $145,000 (with additional $5,000 available for participation in public outreach and education events)
Eligibility: Professional artists/collectives over 21; prefer artist with in-depth knowledge of Dakota culture
Deadline: 04/15/2019 5:00 PM Central Time
Project Description
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, along with an Indigenous Public Art Selection Committee, invites artists’ proposals for a new public artwork for placement in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden or a location on the Walker campus. The committee—a group of Native curators, knowledge keepers, artists, and arts professionals, including individuals of Dakota descent and enrollment—will participate with the Walker in the review and selection of the proposals. When a final proposal is selected, the Walker will work with and support the selected artist or artist collective in the production of the project, from technical development to engagement, per the terms of a written commission agreement. The goal is to install the completed work in the fall of 2020.
Artwork Goals
The artist or collective selected will collaborate throughout the project with the Walker Art Center. Artists’ responsibilities will be defined in a written commission agreement, which may include, but will not be not limited to:
Artwork Location Description
There are several possible sites for installation of the commissioned work in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden or on the Walker campus. Once selected, the artist will have the opportunity to discuss possible sites with the Walker Art Center and, if a Minneapolis Sculpture Garden site is identified, with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.
Site History
The Walker Art Center is an interdisciplinary contemporary art center committed to supporting the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences. The museum, located near downtown Minneapolis, is situated on land shaped by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. The area was once an expanse of marshland used for hundreds of years as a seasonal camp by the Dakota and Ojibwe people. In the late 1800s, the site held an armory and parade grounds. Formal gardens and a series of sports fields were established here in the early 1900s. When the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden opened in 1988 as a collaboration between the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the Walker Art Center, it was one of the first major public/private urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States. The Wurtele Upper Garden, a landscaped hillside expanse adjacent to the Walker, is the newest outdoor space on the Walker campus and includes pedestrian walkways, sculpture, and sites for public events.
Application Workshops
Saturday, January 26, 2–3:30 pm
Mystic Lake Center
2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard
Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372
mysticlakecenter.com
Wednesday, February 20, 6–7:30 pm
Walker Art Center
725 Vineland Place
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Timeline
Selection Process
Three semifinalists for the commission will be identified by the Indigenous Public Art Selection Committee and the Walker Art Center during the review process. Semifinalists will be invited to prepare a more detailed proposal for which they will each receive a fee of $1,500.
How and What to Submit
Please send the following materials by email to publicart@walkerart.org. If your application is more than 10 MB, please use a free document storage website, such as DropBox or WeTransfer, then email your cover letter and the link to your application materials to publicart@walkerart.org.
QUESTIONS? Contact publicart@walkerart.org