Public Art Sought for Inglewood, California Housing Development

Public Art Sought for Inglewood, California Housing Development

Website: https://www.codaworx.com/rfp-toolkit/rfp/fairview-heights-public-artwork

 Inglewood, CA, Unknown

This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is open to artists and/or artist teams to submit qualifications for design and implementation of a highly visible exterior, site-specific, Percent for Art public artwork of original design at the Fairview Heights Apartments located in Inglewood, California.

Budget: $200,000 ($130,000 for the artist/artwork commission and $70,000 for professional services related to the artwork)
Eligibility: Professional artists over 18 based in the U.S. who have completed at least 3 public art projects with budgets over $80,000 in the last 10 years
Deadline: 01/06/2020 11:59 PM PST

Review full RFQ with site images and dimensions here.

Project Description
The public artwork will be a centerpiece of the Fairview Heights Apartments, a new transit-supportive development, owned and managed by LINC-CORE Fairview Metro, LP. This four-story construction is a high quality, mixed-use residential complex that serves a range of incomes. 50 units will be reserved Homeless Households, receiving service from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, accommodating single-person households, couples, or small families. The artwork will be a prominent focal point at the east entrance to the building, visible along Redondo Boulevard from the new Metro Station across the street and along the residential and commercial-oriented Long Street to the east.

Site History
The City of Inglewood is a thriving center of the Centinela Valley where adobe architecture blends with the new landmarks. The modern Spanish influenced architecture harmonizes with the character of the existing single-family residential neighborhoods that are to the north of the Site. The public artwork takes inspiration from a rich, local history — from the Cantilena Adobe built during the early settlement; dubbed the “City of Champions” as home to NFL and NBA teams, championship horse racing, and Olympians; Daniel Freeman’s ranch products: oranges, limes, almonds, olives, barley, sheep; Jazz and Music Scene; to its notable role in aviation history — Inglewood continues to transform as a vital urban center.

The City of Inglewood is implementing a Transit Oriented District Plan that emphasizes new mixed-uses and transit-supportive infill development, introduction of new jobs that serve the community, streetscape improvements, and architecture compatible with the scale and character of the surrounding community. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the County of Los Angeles are joint partners with LINC Housing and National Community Renaissance in the Fairview Heights development. Owned and managed by LINC-CORE Fairview Metro, LP, the property is located at 923 E. Redondo Boulevard, across the street from the new Metro Fairview Heights Station.

About the Development
Consisting of two adjacent residential buildings, Fairview Heights Apartments (the Site) offers a range of housing price points and transitional services that would serve to further stabilize the adjoining single-family residential neighborhoods. Residential units comprise the top three floors of the buildings. At street level, the development includes community serving retail space, commercial and retail space, and a semi-subterranean level parking garage for the development.

This Site plays an important role in the City of Inglewood Transit Oriented District Plan by aligning with the needs of the Crenshaw Corridor community. The community has expressed desire for mixed-use projects with high-quality and architecturally compelling housing, neighborhood-serving retail uses that encourage bringing the community together and dining options that support family-friendly cultural activities already present and streetscape improvements for the station area. The Fairview Heights community takes pride in the artist community who set up residence in live-work buildings along West Boulevard and Hyde Park Boulevard over the past 25 years. Farther north along Hyde Park Boulevard, small “mom and pop” shops, artist space, and live-work residencies occupy small structures and older homes. Notably, the area also hosts a large youth population of 0–19 years (31% compared to 26% for Los Angeles County).

Artwork Location Description
The Site is a high quality, mixed-use residential complex that serves a range of incomes. This Site has been reimagined to be higher intensity gateway residential and/or institutional use that anchors a more pedestrian-friendly and transit-accessible neighborhood. The public artwork will be located on the exterior walls at the east plaza entrance to the building. The artwork area spans the height of the four-story building along the east and wraps to the south tower wall. The courtyard provides an inclusive, welcoming space, a sense of community, promoting social interaction at street level. The public artwork will be a prominent focal point, visible along the highly trafficked area of Redondo Boulevard and Metro Station to the south and along the residential and commercial-oriented Long Street to the east. Pedestrians can view the artwork up close in the plaza’s landscaped courtyard.

The public artwork will be a centerpiece and prominent focal point of the Fairview Heights Apartments at the east plaza entrance to the building, visible by car and by foot along Redondo Boulevard, from the new Metro station across the street, and along the residential and commercial-oriented Long Street to the east.

Across the street, the Fairview Heights Metro rail station will link this neighborhood to many new developments throughout the city. Major investments to the light rail line will improve access and connectivity from Inglewood to vital civic resources and cultural landmarks including:

  • Edward Vincent Jr. Park: adjoining the station area, includes Inglewood Playhouse, an outdoor amphitheater, hosting summer concerts, free shows, and community gatherings
  • Inglewood Stadium: a proposed 80,000-seat stadium southeast of downtown, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. This plan includes new retail, office, and residential units.
  • The Forum: an historic concert and event venue and former home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.
  • Cantilena Adobe: historical house museum and one of 43 surviving adobes in Los Angeles County
  • Los Angeles International Airport

Artwork Goals
The public artwork will contribute to the visibility of the new building, engage the community in imaginative interaction, and celebrate the City of Inglewood as a thriving urban center and reflect the rich cultural history. The artwork should add vibrancy, be visually engaging, making the general public more aware of the Site’s sense of identity, place, cultural continuity and transformation through incorporation of existing community narratives. Its visual character and motifs to be compatible with the contemporary, Mediterranean-style architecture that blends in with the neighborhood. Artists may propose concepts that use different materials — sculptural or time-based media are encouraged — and provides an innovative, dynamic, and durable design that best engages the public and is suitable for the site. The public artwork represents transformation and innovation with a sense of community inclusiveness. The artwork will engage the public in imaginative interaction by visually conveying unity and transition within one composition. The artwork will evoke:

  • Movement, in motion, agency
  • Change, metamorphosis, evolution
  • Blend, gradation, overlap, adaptation
  • Harmony, fellowship, union, communal

The Artist commission fee of $130,000 includes:

  • Artist design services
  • Cost for Materials, Fabrication, Equipment, Transportation, and Installation of public artwork;
  • Cost for subcontractors relevant to the production of the public artwork;
  • Cost for Identification Plaque for public artwork; and
  • Cost for Liability Insurance.

Timeline

  • December 2019 — Construction begins.
  • December 4, 2019–January 6, 2020 — Request For Qualifications open (1 Month)
  • Mid-January — Proposal Review + Selection of Artist Finalists (2 Weeks)
  • January 17, 2020 — Artist Notifications
  • Mid-January to Mid-February — Artist Engagement + Concept Design: consultation with finalists to produce detailed concept renders; voluntary site visit (1 Month)
  • Late February — Final Artist Selected: Project Awarded (1 Week)
  • Late February to Early March — Artist + Client Engagement: contracting, detailed budget and timeline (2 Weeks)
  • March 18, 2020 — Art Plan Presentation to the Inglewood Arts Commission
  • 2021 — Project completion

Selection Criteria
Proposals are not limited to a specific medium. Proposals for public artwork must meet the following criteria:

  • Site-specificity
  • Visibility
  • Innovative use and durability of materials
  • Budget feasibility
  • Timeline feasibility

Concepts will be evaluated for the following qualities:

  • Represents transformation, transition, and innovation
  • Conveys a sense of community and inclusiveness
  • Dynamic and innovative

What to Submit

  1. Resume: 3 page(s) maximum
  2. Work examples: 5 – 10
  3. Letter of Interest: The Letter of Interest and Concept Statement should provide answers to the questions listed below: Why does this project interest you? How will you be able to engage and welcome different audiences, such as facility users, visitors and staff? Briefly describe your artistic practice, your sources of inspiration and your methods for developing high quality, innovative and timelessly meaningful artwork. What is your experience in managing budget of similar scale and working within time constraints?
  4. References: 3

How to Submit
Submit information via email to portfolio@nowartla.org Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Application materials must be received by January 6, 2020 by 11:59 PM PST

QUESTIONS? Contact Carmen Zella, Principal, NOW Art LA at portfolio@nowartla.org