Mural Sought for Senior Apartment Complex

Mural Sought for Senior Apartment Complex

Website: https://racc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/RFQ_Schrunk-Riverview-Tower-FINAL.pdf

 503.823.5865

 Portland, OR, Unknown

On behalf of Home Forward, the largest provider of affordable housing in Oregon, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) invites artists living in the United States to submit qualifications for a site-specific mural at Schrunk Riverview Tower (Schrunk Tower), a 118-unit subsidized housing apartment community in the St. Johns neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.

Budget:  $80,000

Eligibility: Artists and artist teams living in the U.S. with experience painting very large scale murals using a swing stage

Deadline:  January 22, 2020 by 5:00 pm P.S.T.

Review full RFQ with site images here.

Site Description

Schrunk Tower is a community comprised of seniors and/or persons with disabilities. Built in 1971, the structure features controlled building access, a community room with a kitchen, a laundry room and parking. Scenic views of Portland can be viewed from some apartments. The apartments are in close proximity to Portland landmarks including the St. Johns Bridge and Cathedral Park, popular destinations for both locals and visitors. Visible from the St. Johns Bridge, the mural will be part of the vista for folks driving, walking or biking along the bridge. Upgrades to the infrastructure have been underway throughout 2019, including interior renovations and a new coat of paint on the exterior.

Artwork Goals

Some general themes of the mural are home | belonging |community | neighborhood. It’s important to note Schrunk Tower is more than a building, it is a community for residents that consider it their home. Schrunk Tower is located in the St. Johns neighborhood which is undergoing considerable growth and change. Historically, a working class-neighborhood and one of the most racially diverse in Portland, the neighborhood is in North Portland on the tip of the peninsula and surrounded by the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.

Artist Scope of Work

The selected artist/team will create an original artwork that will be painted on most of the south-facing wall of 7th floor – slab roof, a 2,300+ square foot area. Wall measurements are roughly 58’H x 40’5”W. The wall substrate is concrete masonry that is heavily textured. Satellite features overhang at the top of the wall. At the base of the wall is the 7th floor roof access door with a series of narrow, vertical vents that span up three-fourths.

Community engagement will be a central component of this project. Prior to finalizing a design, the selected artist/team will meet with the community members of the building and the neighborhood to gather information and insights into the area. We seek an original approach to the design that is accessible to all ages, adds energy to the wall and celebrates the neighborhood and its surrounding areas. A community engagement liaison will work with the selected artist/team to create a plan for community engagement.

The selected artist/team will be required to use Dowsil AllGuard Silicone Elastomeric Paint, a waterbased silicone coating that provides waterproof protection and long-term durability. A coating of this paint has been applied as part of the exterior renovations of the building. There is a fan deck of colors that could be matched. If there are questions about the product regarding its application or color offerings, please reach out to Randy McAdams at randy.mcadams@atlassupply.com or 503.358.4759.

Timeline

  • December 11, 2019: Application Opens
  • January 22, 2020: Application Deadline
  • March 2020: Artist(s) visit site/neighborhood and Interviews
  • April – June 2020: Community Engagement Process + Design Phase
  • June – August 2020: Mural Painting

Selection Process

The Selection Panel – comprised of local artists, community members, and St. Johns residents – will review artists’ submissions and choose no more than three artists/teams to interview. Artists traveling from outside the Portland metropolitan area will be compensated for travel expenses. The purpose of the interview is to allow the artist(s) to understand the context and intention the selection panel has for the final art piece and for the selection panel to meet the artist. The artist would also have the opportunity to visit the neighborhood, and inspect the site of the proposed mural. After the interviews are conducted, the selection panel will choose an artist/team. The selected artist/s will be issued a Design Phase contract during which they will create a community engagement plan, meet with the community, and create a proposal that includes a design of the mural, a budget and a timeline.

What to Submit

  1. One-page Artist bio/resume. Upload a PDF that outlines your artistic accomplishments. If applying as a team, submit one PDF that includes a bio for all team members.
  2. Statement of interest (in 3000 characters or less) Based on the information given, please address the following:
    • your interest in this project;
    • describe capacity and/or experience to complete the scope of work by including the appropriateness of your style for the site; plan for painting the wall and previous use of materials similar to AllGuard;
    • explain why you value community engagement in your artistic process; share past examples of successfully incorporating this into a project;
    • if you are applying as a team, describe your individual roles on the team and how you anticipate working together.
  3. Up to 8 images of past work (no larger than 5MB each). These images are the primary way the quality of your work is judged. Provide up to two images per artwork. For each artwork, please provide title, year completed, media, dimensions, location. Conceptual information is desirable but not required.

How to Submit

All application materials must be submitted through the RACC Opportunity Portal, an online application system. Applicants will need to create an account, or log into their existing account, at www.racc.org/apply. Once you have started your application, you can save after each step and sign out—your application will be saved as a draft that you can continue to work on as needed. Once you hit “Submit,” your application is final.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Salvador Mayoral IV at 503.823.5865, smayoral@racc.org