Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission

Call to Artists
Request for Proposal (RFP) for Public Art

Opportunity: Permanent, interactive outdoor public art installation.
Location: Downtown Nashville, IN
Commission Budget: $10,000
Application Deadline: June 21, 2019

The Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission (NAEC) is seeking RFP’s from Indiana artists for an interactive, public art installation that will be permanently positioned outdoors in downtown Nashville, IN. It must be completed and installed no later than Friday, November 22, 2019. This public art work shall be designed to encourage viewers to interact with it and to share photos (selfies) of the interaction online. We encourage local artists to collaborate on submitting an RFP for this installation, and to incorporate different mediums (stone carving, metal work, glass blowing, painting, etc.) in a cohesive outdoor art installation that reflects Brown County’s local art history and artistic aesthetic while encouraging viewers to interact and share their experience online via photos and posts.

About the Nashville Arts and Entertainment District: For over 100 years, Nashville, in the tree-covered hills of Brown County, Indiana, has been a destination for artists and tourists seeking the natural beauty and rustic charm of one of America’s original artists’ colonies. Visitors will find the town a hub of local art, live music, and eclectic boutiques. The look and feel of the area is rustic, full of natural beauty, including forests, hills, hiking and mountain biking trails, and stunning panoramic views. Many of the local artists use natural, local materials in their art works and/or find inspiration in them.

Project Description: The Nashville Art and Entertainment Commission is seeking artists or artist teams to submit proposals for the design, fabrication and implementation of a safe, all-age friendly interactive art installation which will be located in the downtown area of Nashville, IN. The design goals for the piece include enhancing pedestrians’ (including children and persons with limited mobility) experiences by encouraging them to inspect, interact, and/or capture a photograph with the art piece in a safe and enjoyable manner. The installation must be durable, sturdy and stable, suitable for varied climatic conditions, resistant to UV damage, non-staining, and safe for public interaction. Any openings or perforations (negative space) must either be less than 3.5 inches wide or greater than 9 inches wide.

Art Location Description: The installation will be located in downtown Nashville, IN. A concrete pad will be provided for the installation and does not have to be included in the artist/artist team proposal. The concrete pad will be seven (7) feet by seven (7) feet with a depth of four (4) inches. The site is in an open, pedestrian-friendly, ADA accessible area (see photos of site and pad area in Appendix A). Electricity is not accessible to the site, but solar power is acceptable as long as any solar panels are integrated into the design, do not protrude, and are not easy to remove or destroy. There is outdoor lighting in the area.

Budget: The budget ($10,000) is inclusive of all costs associated with the project and commensurate with the intended scale, including but not limited to: research, professional consultations, a long-term care and maintenance plan, materials, fabrication, transportation, travel, installation of the art piece.

Artist Eligibility: This commission is open to professional artists 18 and over residing in Indiana, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams may apply, and must designate one artist as the lead contact. Special consideration (in the jurying process) will be given to artists residing in Brown County. All artists must have a minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated professional visual art experience. Examples of work submitted must be original, recently completed artwork (within the last 10 years). The application, including all examples of work, supporting documents, and installation proposal are considered the artist’s official “proposal.” If any information submitted by the artist or artist’s representative, including all supporting documents, is found fraudulent, the submission will be disqualified.

For more information, visit the project listing.