Public Art Sought for Highway Project

Public Art Sought for Highway Project

Website: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=7927

 407-246-3276

 Orlando, FL, Unknown

The City of Orlando and its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) seek an artist or artist team (Artist) to create 3-dimensional artwork (Artwork) for a site (Site) generally located south of Colonial Dr., north of Concord St., east of Garland Ave. and I-4 and west of CSX railway corridor. The proposed Artwork is to capture the distinct character or culture of the community and/or visually enhance public spaces, including the Site’s open space and surrounding area.

Budget:  $350,000

Eligibility:  Professional artists over 18

Deadline:  Thursday, August 27, 2020 11:59 p.m. MDT

Background
Located within the economic hub of Metro Orlando, the City of Orlando has an estimated population of 285,000 and is comprised of a +/-118.5 square mile area. With its unique Central Florida location, Orlando is easily accessible from Interstate 4 (I-4), Florida Turnpike (SR 91), East/West Expressway (SR 408) and the Beachline Expressway (SR 528). The subject Site is also situated within the Downtown Orlando Community Redevelopment Area (Area) boundaries. The CRA oversees this Area and strives to strengthen Downtown Orlando as the economic, governmental and cultural center of Central Florida.

As part of the I-4 Ultimate Project, funds were set aside for public art, which is intended to beautify and enhance the I-4 Corridor and create a scenic and cultural experience for multi-modal users.  The City of Orlando is a recipient of a portion of these funds.  The I-4 Ultimate Art Endowment Committee consisting of representatives from I-4 Mobility Partners, FDOT, and the construction joint venture of Skanska Granite Lane (SGL Constructors) was created to oversee the multi-county public art project.  Final approval of the City’s art selection and final Site location are subject to approval from the Art Endowment Committee.  In order to meet the requirements of the I-4 Ultimate Art Endowment Committee funding, the City’s art project must be fully completed and installed by May 28, 2021. To assist the City in selecting the Artwork, the City has formed a committee to evaluate proposals and make a recommendation of the proposed Artwork for the Site to City Council (I-4 Ultimate Art Committee).

Site
The proposed Artwork location is located within a multi-acre Site currently being used as a laydown yard for the I-4 construction project and can currently be viewed from Gertrude’s Walk and from the Bike-Pedestrian bridge over Colonial Drive. Interested artists are invited to visit the area surrounding the Site. Viewing the Site can be accomplished from the Colonial Drive Bike-Pedestrian Bridge, area walkways and abutting roads. Direct access to the Site is not possible at the time of issuance of this Call for Artists. It is anticipated that at a later designated date and time, the short-listed Artists (Finalists) will be invited to visit the Site with City staff and other parties who can answer Site-related questions.

It should be noted that the Site, has certain constraints including dry ponds and limited view sheds.  It is recommended that the Artwork be placed on the areas designated as “A” and “B” on Exhibit “A” –  Location Map.  A goal of the project is to be able to view the Artwork on the Site from various vantage points by a variety of users. The final siting of the Artwork shall be determined at time of contract execution.

Artwork
Due to local weather variability and the abutting transportation hub, the proposed Artwork must be both permanent and durable, requiring minimal maintenance.  The Artwork must be structurally sound and be able to withstand an outdoor environment in a largely unsupervised area that is not protected from weather or curious viewers. In particular, Orlando has a subtropical climate that is hot and humid with intense sun, seasonal heavy rains and hurricane-force winds. Materials must  be sun and rust resistant and the

Artwork, as installed, must be in compliance with Florida Building Code, City Code standards, and related requirements.

The Artwork should enhance the I-4 corridor and Downtown Orlando with a focus on capturing the distinct character or culture of the community and/or visually enhance public spaces, including the Site’s open space and surrounding area. The proposed Artwork may consist of one or more pieces.  Artwork with a vertical element that complements the pedestrian bridge over Colonial Drive is desirable. The Artwork can be lighted; however, it is desirable that sustainable solar lighting applications be used. No water or electronic sound treatments are allowed. Given the general Artwork placement by a transportation hub, it must not have elements that are potentially hazardous, unsafe or distracting to the area users.

The 3- dimensional Artwork should not include:

  • Theme park representation;
  • Logos;
  • Specific or identifiable sports team representation;
  • Representation of individual businesses;
  • References to Pulse Nightclub, as other projects (both public & private) focus on this theme;
  • References to COVID-19;
  • Identifiable persons or celebrities;
  • Copyrighted or trademarked materials of third parties;
  • No more than 5% text; or
  • Political messages.

Timeline
(All dates are subject to change by the City in its sole discretion)

  • Release of “Call for Artists” on CAFÉ: Thursday, July 23, 2020.
  • Artist Submission Deadline on CAFÉ: Thursday, August 27, 2020.
  • I-4 Ultimate Art Committee Meets to Review Submissions:   September 10, 2020.
  • Finalists’ Proposals Due to I-4 Ultimate Art Committee:  October 2020.
  • I-4 Ultimate Art Committee Meets to Review and Rank Final Submissions:  October 2020.
  • I-4 Ultimate Art Endowment Committee Review of Proposed Artwork and Site:  October/November 2020
  • Artwork Installation Completed: May 28, 2021

Selection Process
Artists’ submissions will be evaluated and shortlisted by the I-4 Ultimate Art Committee based on the following criteria:

1) Project Approach and

2) Artist’s Experience, including Artist’s aesthetic as shown by previous works and general experience and expertise in 3D media and public art projects.

From these submissions, one or more Artists will be selected by the I-4 Ultimate Art Committee, in its sole discretion, as finalists (Finalists) and paid a stipend of at least $3,000 per Finalist to further develop their respective proposals and provide additional information regarding their proposed Artwork as may be requested by the City, which may include but is not limited to a budget, timeline, and renderings/models of the proposed concept. The City anticipates obtaining final submissions directly from the Finalists and conducting final selection outside the CAFÉ service but reserves the right to use the CAFÉ service in such final selection process.

Based upon the proposals received from the Finalists, the I-4 Ultimate Art Committee will make a recommendation to City Council of the final proposal that best meets the City’s project goals as detailed in this Call for Artists taking into consideration such factors as final proposed concept, project approach, experience, budget, and ability to meet the project schedule.  The selected Artist will be required to enter into an agreement with the City in substantially the form and content as included in this Call for Artists on the CAFÉ service, unless otherwise agreed to by the City.

The City of Orlando reserves the right to reject any or all applications, proposals, applicants or projects, and to modify or terminate the application process, or the selection process for any reason and without prior notice.

How to Submit
The City of Orlando is using the CAFÉ online service (www.callforentry.org) to obtain submittals for this Project.  There is no charge for artists to register with café or submit an application. No paper or electronic submissions outside of this portal will be accepted, except as necessary for those needing special accommodations.  Any evaluation tools available in the CAFÉ system may be used by the City and the I-4 Ultimate Art Committee to assist in the evaluation and selection process, but any recommendations, selections or other actions shall be made by the committee or the City, as applicable, in their sole discretion.

Artists shall submit the information and images requested in the application found on the CAFÉ online service.  Please note that any images submitted to the City and CRA may be shown, displayed, and circulated as necessary for evaluation and selection.

QUESTIONS? Contact Mary-Stewart Droege, Project Manager, CRA/DDB at mary-stewart.droege@cityoforlando.net or at 407-246-3276.