AIDS Memorial Pathway Seeks Public Art for Centerpiece

AIDS Memorial Pathway Seeks Public Art for Centerpiece

Website: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=5379

 206.615.1095

 Seattle, WA, Unknown

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway is looking for an artist or artist team to create a durable, permanent work of art that creates a physical place for remembrance of the impact of HIV/AIDS on many communities in Seattle and the greater region.

Budget: $300,000 + engineering support

Eligibility: Professional artists

Deadline:  March 19, 2019 10:59 p.m. PDT

INTRODUCTION
The AMP:  AIDS Memorial Pathway is community-driven and collaboratively-funded, and its goals are:  to use public art to create a physical place for remembrance and reflection, to utilize technology to share stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis, and to provide a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination. The guiding principles of The AMP are as follows:

  • Create Places for Remembrance and Reflection
  • Convey A Sense Of Place—History + Memories + Community Values
  • Tell the Stories of HIV/AIDS in Seattle/King County
  • Provide Call to Action:  Advocacy, Support & Education
  • Support Racial Equity, Inclusivity, and Universal Accessibility
  • Ensure the Continuation of The AMP Project

here are three major segments of The AMP, described in detail in the Master Art Plan, each focused on different emotional and symbolic aspects. The centerpiece artwork does not need to serve all functions of the memorial; it is one part of The AMP, which will include multiple works of art.

For more information about The AMP:  AIDS Memorial Pathway and The AMP Master Art Plan: theamp.org and http://bit.ly/theampmap

BACKGROUND
The AMP:  AIDS Memorial Pathway was initiated by a passionate group of volunteers and community leaders, including people living with HIV, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. With support from Seattle City Council, Seattle Parks Department, Sound Transit, and Gerding Edlen, developer of the Capitol Hill Transit Oriented Development (TOD), The AMP secured its physical locations at the TOD and the northern edge of Cal Anderson Park along E. Denny Way. The AMP will offer visitors opportunities for meaningful participation in the ongoing fight to end HIV/AIDS and discrimination that can arise in a community during a crisis. It will be a reminder of our collective need to be active, remain vigilant, and stand ready to fight scapegoating and discrimination however and whenever they may arise.

SCOPE OF WORK
This project asks an artist or artist team to create a durable, permanent work of art that creates a physical place for remembrance of the impact of HIV/AIDS on many communities in Seattle and the greater region. The artwork will be sited in a central plaza behind the Sound Transit link light rail station on Capitol Hill at Broadway and John streets. The artwork will be situated near the southern wall of the station’s vent shaft tower. The tower wall rises to approximately 40′ high and 30′ wide, located at the north end of the transit-oriented development (TOD) plaza. The tower serves the very important function of providing ventilation for the light rail station below the plaza. The new plaza will be flanked by the prominent vent tower and several new multi-story residential buildings currently under construction.

AIDS claimed lives across many communities. The AIDS Memorial Pathway represents a missing physical and cultural link for younger generations of LGBTQ+ communities who are often not aware of this history. This centerpiece artwork, sited at the vent tower will make it a key feature in the plaza. The vent tower can symbolize this towering “presence of absence”– the lives and achievements of these individuals that need to be acknowledged and celebrated here as a way to illuminate and fill the gap of their absence.

Artists should note that Sound Transit will access the vent tower periodically for visual inspection and maintenance, and will require reviews to grant permission for short or long term use on or near the vent tower. The artwork may be a two- or three-dimensional piece, the exact location to be coordinated with Sound Transit. The artwork will likely require a minimum three and a half feet clearance in front of the vent shaft wall and be supported by a separate structure, as it cannot attach directly to the vent’s wall. The selected artist will work with the plaza’s design team to design and install this support structure in coordination with The AMP, the Office of Arts & Culture, and Sound Transit.

The site is suitable for, but not limited to:  light installation, video/media arts, projection, digital billboard, mural, bas-relief, and sculpture. Electric and water outlets can be made available by the TOD developer, Gerding Edlen, as part of their construction on site if it is identified early in the proposal process. Any light-based installation or media-based artwork would also require a daytime element and presence.

TIMELINE

  • Tuesday, February 26, 2019, 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time — Application webinar.  If you are interested in participating in this online workshop, RSVP via email with “add me to the online workshop” in the subject line to kristen.ramirez@seattle.gov by February 22, 2019.
  • Tuesday, March 19, 2019 10:59 p.m. PDT – deadline for application
  • Early April 2019 – selection panel convenes to review applications
  • Mid April 2019 – finalists interviewed by selection panel
  • May 2019 – artist(s) contracted
  • Summer 2020 – TOD site opens with The AMP Centerpiece Artwork

SELECTION PROCESS
The selection process will take place in two parts. During the first round, a panel of arts professionals, client representatives, and community members will review the applicants’ work samples, qualifications, and other materials. The panelists will identify up to four finalists to interview at a second panel meeting two to three weeks later. The panel will select one artist or artist team to be awarded the commission. Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision by email by late April 2019. The Office of Arts & Culture reserves the right not to select any of the applicants.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The artist will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Artistic quality exemplified in work samples
  • Demonstrated experience working with design teams
  • History of on-going growth and exploration as an artist
  • Demonstration of commitment to the values of this project, which may include an interest in LGBTQ culture and history, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Seattle and beyond, and those communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS
  • Ability to think conceptually and create signature work responsive to various site conditions and community input
  • Strength, creativity, and appropriateness of letter of interest

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and The AMP: Aids Memorial Pathway is committed to reflecting the diversity and cultural richness of our city in the selection of artists and artworks. ARTS and The AMP fully support universal accessibility.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

  1. Letter of Interest (not to exceed 2,000 characters including spaces). Please provide a statement describing your interest in this unique opportunity, addressing how you are qualified and how you would honor the history and culture of the communities impacted by AIDS (LGBTQ, POC, QTP). Include any potential collaborations or project partners you’d bring in to implement all aspects of this expansive project.  OR you may choose to submit an Audio/Video Statement (not to exceed 1.5 minutes in length). Please provide a short audio/video statement describing your interest in this unique opportunity, addressing how you are qualified and how you would honor the history and culture of the communities impacted by AIDS (LGBTQ, POC, QTP). Include any potential collaborations or project partners you’d bring in to implement all aspects of this expansive project. Please note that this should not be a highly produced/edited recording, a short recording that speaks directly to your interest in this project will suffice. The intent of this option is to provide an opportunity for individuals who feel they can represent themselves better verbally versus in writing through the letter of interest (for example for applicants for whom English is a second language and/or other considerations). Guidelines and resources to assist with the creation of a video/audio file can be downloaded via Dropbox HERE.
  2. Work Samples. Fifteen (15) artwork images.
  3. Work Sample Identification List (not to exceed 500 characters for each image). Explain clearly. If you completed a project as a team member, the identification list should indicate your role for each work sample submitted. Do not omit the Work Sample Identification List or your application will be incomplete.
  4. Résumé. No longer than two pages. Your resume should summarize your experience as an artist who can work with a design team.
    Three References. Names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers for three professional references who can speak to the quality of your work as an artist and, if possible, collaborator within a design team.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submit all information through the CaFE system.  Need technical assistance with CaFÉ? Contact CaFÉ at 888.562.7232 or cafe@westaf.org, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Kristen Ramirez at 206.615.1095, or kristen.ramirez@seattle.gov, during office hours:  Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.

Take any of the following steps to ensure a competitive application:

  • Talk with the Program Staff.
  • Discuss questions or concerns.
  • Get Started NOW! It is fine to call before you have the application written. The earlier you contact the project manager the better. Do not wait until the deadline!
  • Watch the best tips video:  https://youtu.be/TpOgV9HhPcM