Public Art Opportunity – Millersville/Fall Creek

Date Posted: 11/12/14
Deadline date: 12/19/14
Organization:
Arts Council of Indianapolis
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful
City: Indianapolis, IN

Description:

Call to Artists:  Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Project Title – Millersville at Fall Creek Preserve Public Art Project

Deadline for Submissions – Friday, December 19, 2014, 5:00 PM (EDT). This is NOT a postmark deadline.  No exceptions.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, artists must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Work as a professional artist or artist team
• Live in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, or Ohio
• Have previously created public art, large-scale works, or exterior projects
• Carry personal liability insurance for the duration of the project (The Arts Council can provide a referral to an insurance provider if needed.)
• Be willing to meet all contractual obligations and adhere to a strict timeline

Informational Meeting

KIB will hold an optional informational meeting on this opportunity. It is recommended that artists interested in applying for this opportunity attend.  We will be discussing the project and answering artist questions. This meeting will be on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. at KIB’s offices, 1029 E. Fletcher Ave.  If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Tammy Stevens, Program Manager at KIB, tstevens@kibi.org

Program Specifics

The Arts Council of Indianapolis, in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), is requesting qualifications from artists or artist teams who are interested in creating outdoor public artwork for the indicated site.  This RFQ is an open call to experienced public artists living in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio or Kentucky.

KIB’s IPL Project GreenSpace (http://www.kibi.org/programs/beautification/project-greenspace/) is a grassroots-driven effort that helps transform vacant lots and underused spaces into natural, beautiful and functional pocket parks.

As part of the 2015 initiative, public art will be incorporated into the pocket park planned for Millersville at Fall Creek Preserve, a site near E. 56th St. and Emerson Ave. at a section of Indy Greenways’ Fall Creek Trail that has been adopted by the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Neighborhood Association.  The MFCVNA formed in the summer of 2009 in response to deteriorating commercial conditions in the Village near 56th Street and Emerson Way. Twenty-five beautiful and historic neighborhoods unite with 50 businesses and institutions to support and revitalize the area’s commercial and educational interests, improve connectivity, protect the environment, and preserve Millersville’s unique heritage.

The neighborhood association has worked at this site for two years clearing invasive bush honeysuckle.  They have received a previous grant from Indy Greenways to plant Indiana native plants around a small pond they uncovered.  The current KIB project will expand the greenspace all the way to the creek by removing the remaining bush honeysuckle and will engage a landscape architect to create a community gathering area with native trees and perennials.

Artwork for this space should be constructed primarily of natural materials, potentially recycled or repurposed, and could address the history of the neighborhood.  Options include a creative shelter, public seating, or a “signature” piece(s) located in the center of, or adjacent to, the pond.  The use of repurposed stone is of interest to the community.

Artists will be paired with the separately-selected landscape architect and will participate in the  design of the space in which the artwork will be situated.

Resources

http://www.millersvillefcv.com/

http://historicindianapolis.com/friday-favorites-millersville-memories/

http://www.indy.gov/eGov/City/DMD/Planning/Projects/Pages/millersvillefcv.aspx

Previous KIB work in the area:  http://www.kibi.org/ipl-project-greenspace-millersville-gateway/

Selection Process

Members of the Arts Council’s Public Art Selection Committee, with representatives from KIB and the neighborhood association, will review artists’ qualifications and recommend two or three finalists.  The finalists will discuss their qualifications and preliminary thoughts with the full neighborhood association, who will weigh in on the final selection.  Once identified, the artist will work further with the neighborhood and KIB’s landscape architect to design, refine and finalize the artwork into the space before fabricating and installing it.

The Public Art Selection Committee consists of prominent experts in their respective fields and includes artists, arts advocates, curators, administrators, and other arts and community development specialists.

Note:  while this is the intended selection process, in the event of an insufficient number of qualified applicants the Arts Council and KIB reserve the right to change the process to a Request for Proposals, to invite an artist to propose, or to directly select an artist or artwork; and also reserve the right to cancel the opportunity entirely at any point and for any reason, as the best interests of the project may dictate.

Selection Criteria

Finalists will be selected based upon the following criteria:

Artistic quality:  artist’s submission displays a record of appropriate, yet innovative, concepts brought to a site or project, and documents creative and stylistically distinctive solutions to design and site issues

Aesthetic sensibility:  artist’s work displays an aesthetic that would be desirable for this project

Technical ability:  artist’s submission indicates skill with materials and techniques similar to those that would be required for this project

Experience:  artist’s submission has indicated familiarity with clients and conditions similar to those that would be used on this project, or has demonstrated the ability on past projects to quickly acquire the skills needed to be successful on a project similar to this one

Process:  artist’s submission indicate that the working relationship will be pleasant and the completed project will successfully meet the challenges particular to the site and overall initiative, including successfully completing all documentation and managing the given project budget

Budget

The budget for the artwork will be $20,000.  The selected artist is expected to budget all materials, supplies, travel, lodging, and equipment needed to design, fabricate and install his or her artwork. The artist will also be required to provide a warranty for the artwork to include one year of maintenance or repair.  At this time, it is anticipated that the landscape work will provide features to accommodate the art piece(s) including any foundation or access features such as a path or cleared area.

Project Timeline

This timeline represents the project as it now appears.  Changes may be necessary as the project progresses.

November 12, 2014:  Release Request for Qualifications

December 9:  Informational meeting

December 19:  Artist qualification packages due

January 5-9, 2015:  Selection Committee meets to review qualifications and identify finalists

January 12-23:  Finalists present qualifications and interview with neighborhood

January 30:  Notification of selection

February – March:  Design phase

Early April:  Neighborhood review and approval

April – May:  Design completion and permitting

June – October:  Fabrication and installation

November 1, 2015:  Installation complete

Submission Process

Artists must submit the following information digitally on one CD:

• Applicant Information: Complete the form (at the bottom of this call) and submit in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.  An editable copy is available on request.
• Professional Resume or CV: No longer than 3 typed pages.  Submit in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.
• Samples of Previous Work: List and Images
  • Previous Work Sample Images  (maximum 10 images including alternate views or details of the same artwork)
    • Submitted images must be digital in JPEG format, minimum size 3” x 5” and minimum resolution of 150 dpi. Do not submit your images embedded in a document!
    • Submit images of artwork that best represent your experience, style, and ability as they apply to this project.
    • You may also submit images of any other work (large-scale or otherwise) that best represents your style and production over the past 5 years.
    • Name your submitted digital files according to the following format: FirstLast_01.jpg, FirstLast_02.jpg, etc.  (EXAMPLE:  JaneSmith_01.jpg, JaneSmith_02.jpg, etc.)
    • If some images are alternate views or details of the same artwork, number and submit them sequentially with the overall view first, followed by alternate views and then detail images.
  • Previous Work Sample List (typed and provided digitally in .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx or .pdf format)
    • The work sample list should provide as much information about each of the artworks as possible.  Include at minimum (in this order) the name/title of piece, client if applicable, location, medium, process, dimensions, year completed, budget and a description of the concept or site challenge along with how you solved it.
    • Organize the list numerically according to the names of the images, starting with the one you identified as 01.
    • Make sure your name and contact information appears at the top of the list.

All images should be professional quality. If you need a referral to a professional photographer who specializes in working with artists, please email llord@indyarts.org.

Each artist must label the submitted CD with his or her name and “KIB MILLERSVILLE PROJECT.”

Delivery of Submissions

The submitted CD must be delivered by 5:00pm (EDT) on Friday, December 19, 2015.  We will not accept emailed submissions.

Submissions MUST be delivered or mailed to:

Arts Council of Indianapolis
Attn: Millersville Project
924 N. Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-1021

For questions, contact:

Lindsey Lord

Public Art and Artist Services Coordinator

Arts Council of Indianapolis

llord@indyarts.org

For more information about the Arts Council of Indianapolis, please visit www.indyarts.org.

For more information about Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, please visit www.kibi.org.

Site Views:

Millersville at Fall Creek Preserve Project – Applicant Artist Information Form

Please include the following in your application materaials.

Limit the information provided on this form to one typed page.

Artist Name:

Mailing Address:

City/State/ZIP:

Day or Mobile Phone:

Evening or Home Phone:

Email Address:

Website (if applicable):

Do you have a personal or professional connection to the Millersville neighborhood? If so, what is it?

How do you see this project fitting in with your past work, artistic interests and experience?

Based on the information provided in this RFQ, how would you approach this project and which area(s) of the project site are you interested in working with?

CONTACT INFO