The City of Durham Cultural and Public Arts Program invite artists and artist teams to submit portfolios to be selected to join the City of Durham Pre-qualified Artists Registry. This registry will serve as a resource for the selection of artists and artist teams to create City cultural and public art projects. Access to a predetermined network of qualified professional artists saves our staff valuable time by making the process for responding to numerous calls issued by the City more efficient. It also strengthens and streamlines the program by maintaining a database of artists in the community with particular skills.

Budget:  N/A (budgets vary per artwork)

Eligibility:  Professional artists over 18, working anywhere

Deadline: 03/11/2019 11:59 PM Central Time

Read more at https://durhamnc.gov/2984/Durham-Calls-for-Artists

Project Description
The City of Durham Cultural and Public Arts Program commissions a variety of public artworks in collaboration with City departments and other organizations engaged in capital development projects across Durham, North Carolina. The City of Durham Cultural and Public Arts Program defines public art as original visual art including, but not limited to, sculptures, murals, photographic renderings, mosaics, and electronic art installations.

Project locations may include but are not limited to the City’s parks, sidewalks, interior and exterior walls, vehicles, bus stops, and spaces that are visible from public streets and pedestrian walkways. Public art is traditionally free of admission fees, and administered through a public process that provides opportunities for the community to provide input.

The City of Durham Pre-qualified Artists Registry will be used to select artists when a project’s requirements render it suitable. Selection will be based on the appropriateness of the artist’s medium and experience relevant to specific project requirements. The City continuously seeks greater diversity and urges artists and artist teams of all backgrounds and any medium to become part of the pre-qualified registry.

Site History
The City of Durham recognizes that Durham’s rich cultural heritage is an important part of what makes our neighborhoods thrive, attracts tourism and business development, and what brings together the community. Durham supports a vibrant arts community, historic preservation, and social and cultural diversity through policies, ordinances, economic incentives, and special events. In 2011, the Durham City Council passed an ordinance designating up to one percent of all capital improvement project budgets for the creation of public art. The City then developed the Cultural and Public Arts Program to coordinate and fund public art projects across Durham.

Selection Process
City staff will review applications for completeness and may reject incomplete applications. An Artist Selection Committee (which may include City staff, members of the Durham Public Art Committee, visual art/design professionals, and other community members) will evaluate application portfolios for inclusion in the registry.

Timeline

• Submittal Deadline: March 11, 2019 by 11:59 PM
• Selected Artist Notification: April 2019

What to Submit

Items required shall include the following:

1. Artist Statement: Briefly describe your experience, your discipline(s), and your qualifications for completing artworks. Artist teams should explain their interest and qualifications collectively.
2. Images: Submission should include visual representations of past artwork that demonstrate your qualifications for this project. Applicants must upload a total of five (5) high-resolution images from at least three (3) different projects. Each project image should have an accompanying summary of the title, location, cost, materials/medium, and timeline associated with the piece. Videos will count as one of the five (5) images, and should be submitted as a hyperlink within the PDF. Artist teams’ images should include examples from each team member.
3. Resume: Resumes for each artist/artist team member should include any public or private commissioning experience, and community engagement experience, if applicable.
4. References: Each artist should provide three (3) professional references or recommendation letters with contact information for each references. Community references will be accepted. Artist teams may submit a total of three (3) references collectively.

How to Submit

Application materials must be received by March 11, 2019 at 11:59 PM via the submission portal on https://callforentry.com.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Alexandra Benson, alexandra.benson@durhamnc.gov or 336-529-4506