"A New View Camden" Public Art Project Seeks Artists

Website: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6763

 Camden, NJ, Unknown

The City of Camden, NJ, partnering with Cooper’s Ferry Partnership and Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts, was awarded a Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge grant for A New View Camden, which creates temporary public art on sites that were previously associated with illegal dumping.

Budget: $100,000 (six commissions at this level will be awarded; fee includes extensive community engagement)
Eligibility: Professional artists over 18
Deadline: 09/06/2019 5:00 PM Central Time

Project Description
A New View Camden invites artists to use materials, spaces and time in a transformative way to reinforce the perception of the city as a place of creative possibility, on sites that were previously associated with illegal dumping. A New View Camden is accepting proposals for the design, fabrication, installation and removal of artwork to be created by artists with a track record that demonstrates their ability to work at a scale commensurate with outdoor sites. Depending on the location, the work placed on these sites will be visible to pedestrians, cyclists, automobile drivers, and public transit users. The choice of working methods (fabrication) may potentially engage residents, including using Camden and area facilities for fabrication.

The work selected for the project is intended to be temporary, and will be removed at the end of the project. There are no resources for maintenance of installed artwork(s) beyond the period of the grant. Site security will be provided from installation to de-installation.

Artists own their work; at the end of the project they can keep the work or dispose all or any part of the work as appropriate. However, exhibiting artwork may not be removed until A New View Camden has ended on October 31, 2020. The City of Camden, NJ and its A New View Camden partners shall have the first right of refusal for purchase.

More information can be found at http://www.anewviewcamden.com

Artwork Goals
“Illegal dumping is unsightly, unlawful, and costs the city over $4 million annually. This winning project provides a unique way to bring together residents and artists to address this issue with creativity and create a brighter future for Camden. I have made solving this problem the cornerstone of my administration,” says Camden Mayor Francisco “Frank” Moran.  “A New View is all about envisioning a future for the city, with art playing a central role in reinforcing Camden as a place for creativity and innovation.”

Artwork Location Description
The six sites to be transformed are located in the Camden neighborhoods of North Camden, Gateway, Whitman Park, and East Camden along the PATCO Speedline, NJ Transit’s River Line, and Camden GreenWay.

  • Site #1: Whitman Ave and West Pershing Street, Whitman Park Neighborhood
    Highly visible by PATCO ridership with a direct ground-level sightline from the train. PATCO heads west toward Philadelphia and east toward Lindenwold. This site borders Parkside and Whitman Park neighborhoods and is comprised of a triangular grass lot with trees on the border. Houses are nearby, along Whitman and Crestmont Avenues, but vacant lots surround the site, making it a prime location for illegal dumping of electronics and other household items.
  • Site #2: Chestnut Street & Orchard Street, Gateway Neighborhood
    Now a large open field, this site holds echoes of Camden’s industrial past. The Camden Pottery Company inhabited this site from the early 1900s to the mid-20th century, and made vitreous china plumbing fixtures, known by the trade name “Capoco.” Reliable Tire Company leased the site from the mid-1960s to 1999, at which point it was left empty. It then was slowly dismantled by vandals. A 12-alarm fire in June 2011 destroyed the factory buildings on this site, as well as other adjacent properties, including multiple houses. The wall at the back of the property belongs to a private business and was recently painted by anti-graffiti network. This site is visible from the PATCO train line.
  • Site #3: Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront Park, North Camden Neighborhood
    Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront Park is a scenic location, with stunning views of the Delaware River, the Philadelphia skyline, and the Ben Franklin Bridge. The site was the former location of the Riverfront State Prison, torn down in 2009 after years of public advocacy for its dissolution, and is now home to a playground and bike trail. Not a physical dumping site, this location is symbolic of Camden as a dumping ground for undesirable facilities, such as prisons.
  • Site #4: 5th and Erie Street, North Camden
    This “clean and green” corner lot, along Erie Street in North Camden, faces residences and a mini-market on the other side of Erie Street. The Willows at Pyne Poynt Apartment complex, housing the Respond Inc. Senior Drop-in Center, is located diagonally across the street at 4th and Erie. The lot is lightly landscaped with wooden post fencing.
  • Site #5: State Street Pedestrian Bridge, North Camden/Cramer Hill The State Street Pedestrian Bridge on the Cooper River connects the North Camden and Cramer Hill neighborhoods. The steel drawbridge was constructed in 1892 and restored for pedestrian and bicycle use in 2013, incorporating architectural details from the historic movable truss bridge. A new vehicular bridge was completed in 2013 and stands alongside the pedestrian bridge. The site includes a long, narrow grass area on the east side of the bridge. A short distance across East State Street from the bridge is a large construction site, the home of the planned Cramer Hill Waterfront Park, slated to open in 2021.
  • Site #6: 1401 Federal Street, East Camden Neighborhood . Visible from the River Line light rail train, which runs between Trenton and Camden, this site is a cleared lot located next to the picturesque Federal Street Bridge, a 1908 single-leaf bascule span over the lower Cooper River in East Camden. The lot is just off of the busy Admiral Wilson Boulevard (Route 30). On the other side of Admiral Wilson Boulevard, stand the corporate headquarters of Subaru of America and Campbell Soup Company. In 1778, General George Washington ordered the bridge at this site be demolished to slow down British soldiers who plundered the countryside around Camden when they occupied nearby Philadelphia. A large municipal incinerator with a lofty brick smokestack was removed from this lot in 2017.

Selection Criteria
The artist(s) shall demonstrate the professional artistic experience to fulfill the requirements of this project either in studio, education, community, employment and/or art projects and the ability to undertake the design, creation and installation of the project within the established time frame.  The artist(s) selected will preferably have experience with meaningful community engagement in the creation, fabrication and/or interpretation of the artwork. Local ambassadors will assist artists by facilitating dialogue about the work with residents and visitors.  The work created must withstand outdoor weather conditions for a period of up to six months, and conform with established safety norms while allowing for public interaction with the artwork and the site.

Timeline
Selected artwork must be installed by May 30, 2020 and removed by October 31, 2020.

What to Submit

(submission requirements are not specified; please contact the sponsor for detailed information)

How to Submit

Submit ONLINE ONLY via the CaFE system.

QUESTIONS? Contact maguire@camden.rutgers.edu