Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Correction to Skate Park RFQ 8/31/10

UrbanArt Call-to-Artists for Skate Park Artwork:

Site and Project Descriptions:
UrbanArt and the City of Memphis are commissioning a work of public art for the new Skate Park at Tobey Park.

Artists will be selected based on previous experience with the design and production of exterior public art sculptures. Artists are also expected to have the technical capabilities to design and install such projects, including providing maintenance instructions. The finished project must require little to no regular maintenance. The selection committee is interested in proposals that include shaded seating and are also interested in functional, skate-able work. Final artwork should compliment the characteristics and neighborhood identity of the site. The artist selected shall be expected to conduct community workshops with the general public for education purposes, as well as collaborate closely with site architects and designers. Note that artists are permitted to work with outside contractors to fabricate the actual work.

The selection committee will select 3 finalists based on their qualifications, and interview each individually before selecting 1 artist (or artist team). Finalists will receive $1,500 for a design proposal, which will be discussed in the interview.

Budget:       $59,250 total
Deadline:    4:00 PM, Friday, October 8, 2010
Eligibility:    Local: Artists living in Memphis or Shelby County for 5 years[i]    

Guidelines:
Please see http://www.urbanartcommission.org/sampledocuments.html, particularly the UrbanArt Artist Handbook, for more information about applying to UrbanArt projects and how the selection process works.

Please submit the following:
· Typed, one-page letter of interest explains your interest in this project and your general approach to the project. (note small correction made-this is NOT a mural project!)
· A sketch is not required, but may be included. Sketches must be no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches. Please do not send original artwork.
· Resumé, not to exceed 2 pages.
· Recent DIGITAL images of your work that are relevant to this project and are good representations of your style of work. Send up to 10 digital images in JPEG format, 1920 pixels maximum on the longest side, 72 dpi, with compression settings resulting in the best image quality under 2MB file size.
· Image identification sheet with location, brief description, and budget of each project
· List of three professional references, including current phone numbers and email addresses
· Self-addressed, stamped envelope with postage sufficient for the return of your materials. Materials will not be returned without one.

Send applications to:  
UrbanArt Commission
Attn: Skate Park
2549 Broad Avenue
Memphis, TN 38112

For more information contact:

Whitney Ranson, Projects Manager
(901) 454-0474 / wranson@urbanartcommission.org

All proposals must be received by 4:00 PM, Friday, October 8, 2010.

To ensure fairness to all, there are no extensions or waivers of deadlines.

Applicants will be notified by letter as to the status of their application.

Commissioning of artists by UrbanArt and the pursuit of all UrbanArt activities are
implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability or age.

UrbanArt reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information or proposals from any or all participating artists.

UrbanArt reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. In addition, UrbanArt may solicit proposals from artists not responding to this call and reserves the right to select an artist outside of the pool of artists responding to this call.

The staff of UrbanArt shall be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be in the sole discretion of UrbanArt.


[i] Artists that have produced two City of Memphis 'Percent for Art' projects in the last 5 years are not eligible for this project as mandated by City ordinance.

How It Works: Selection Committees
[*NOTE: This is a description of how Selection Committees determine an artist for the City of Memphis' Percent-for-Art program, specifically. Other clients often stipulate different processes of artist selection not covered in this issue of the newsletter. It should be also noted that the details provided below are an abridged version of the entire set of guidelines regulating the program.]

A typical Percent-for-Art program project in Memphis requires approximately 100 hours of coordination from concept to completion. Selection Committee members meet for an average of 10 hours over the course of 5 meetings to determine an artist for a Percent-for-Art project. Once the artist is selected, committee members meet to review the artists' progress at least 3 more times before completion. All committee members are volunteers.


Guidelines Governing Selection Committees for the Percent-for-Art Program:

1. The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) and City of Memphis convenes a Selection Committee for each project that has been approved by the Public Art Oversight Committee (PAOC).

Selection Committees consist of:

Architect Representatives
Visual Artists not eligible for the project
Arts Professionals (such as art professors from local colleges, etc.)
Community Representatives
Participating City Bureau Representatives
Facility Management Representatives

2. The Selection Committee meets and reviews submissions from artists, including digital images, resumes, and letters of interest. The panel discusses the submissions and selects two or more artists to interview.

3. The Selection Committee reconvenes to interview the artists. At the end of the meeting the panel discusses the interviews and selects a final artist for the project.

These are the steps taken by the Selection Committee during the design process:

1. The artist submits a schematic proposal to the selection committee. The schematic proposal consists of general information about what the artist will be doing: conceptual sketch, preliminary budget, etc. The committee reviews the schematic design and approves, provisionally approves, or rejects it. The committee will continue to meet until the design is satisfactory.

2. The artist submits the final design, which includes detailed drawings and other information. The committee reviews the final design and approves, provisionally approves, or denies it. The committee will continue to meet until the design is satisfactory.

Steps taken by the Selection Committee during the implementation of the project:

The UAC works with the artist during the implementation of the project. The Selection Committee may be asked to meet during this process if circumstances warrant. Upon completion of the project, UAC will contact committee members.

Public Art Oversight Committee (PAOC):

All decisions of the Selection Committee are to be reviewed and approved by the Public Art Oversight Committee. The PAOC is a committee of seven members that has been appointed by the UAC and the City Mayor with the approval of the City Council. The PAOC provides general oversight of the Percent-for-Art Program, including scope of art projects, artworks, and artists for the projects. They also serve as a board of appeals for any issues that arise in conjunction with the Percent-for-Art Program.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR ARTISTS AND ARTWORK:

General Criteria:
Projects undertaken by artists or acquisitions of artwork whether by commission, purchase, gift, or other means should further the purpose and goals of the public art program. The PAOC will determine the appropriate recruitment strategy to establish a pool of artists for each project based on standard methods described above. The selection panel will apply the following criteria when selecting artists, considering acquisitions or siting artwork.

Artistic Merit:
The inherent quality and excellence of a proposed artwork together with the strength of the artist's concept and design capabilities are the program's highest priorities. Other artistic credentials to consider include training and critical or other professional recognition.

Context:
Artwork must be compatible in scale, material, form, and content with its surroundings. When serving a functional purpose, artworks may establish focal points; modify, enhance or define specific spaces; establish identity or address specific issues of civic design. Consideration should also be given to the architectural, historical, geographical and social/cultural context of the site or community, as well as the way people may interact with the artwork. They must be able to respond to the specific contextual issues and considerations of the particular project, its community and users.

Relevant Experience:
Experience and professional record of artist/s should provide convincing evidence of ability to successfully complete the project as proposed. Particularly on collaborative or design team projects artists should demonstrate ability to:
·    Communicate effectively and elicit the ideas of team members;
·    Exhibit flexibility and problem-solving skills;
·    Work with architectural drawings and construction documents;
·    Engage community representatives in a project.
·    Successfully manage all aspects of the project including budgets, committees, sub-contractors, installers and other construction and administrative logistics.

Permanence/Maintenance:
Due consideration will be given to the structural and surface soundness, operational costs and inherent resistance to theft, vandalism, weathering and excessive maintenance. Artist should include recommended method and schedule for maintenance.

Technical Feasibility:
An artist must exhibit a successful track record of construction and installation of artwork or show that an appropriate professional has examined the proposed artwork and confirmed feasibility of construction and installation.

Budget:
An artist's proposal should provide a budget adequate to cover all costs for the design, fabrication, insurance, transportation, storage, and installation of the proposed artwork, plus, reasonable unforeseen circumstances. Artists should have a history of completing projects within budget. Artists should expect to garner 10-15% of the total project budget for their design fee and compensation, which is industry standard worldwide.

Fabrication and Installation Schedules:
The artist proposal should include a project timeline that incorporates design review, fabrication, delivery and installation in accordance with project schedule. The artist should have a history of completing projects on time.

The PAOC and selection committee may recommend rejection of all submissions if none are considered satisfactory and a new pool of artists may be established.


ARTIST RESTRICTIONS:

General Restrictions:
Artists or members of their immediate families who serve on the UrbanArt Commission Board of Directors or the Public Art Oversight Committee will not be commissioned or receive any direct financial benefit from the Public Art Program during their tenure on either of those bodies. This restriction shall extend for the period of one-year following the end of service and indefinitely for projects that were developed or acted upon during the artist's tenure on the Commission or Committee.

No artist may receive more than two art enhancement commissions under any five-year period. No artist may be selected for the moveable collection more than once during any five-year period.

Local Artist Participation Requirements:
One of the goals of the Public Art Program is to foster and celebrate the talents of local artists. Therefore, sixty percent (60%) of the artwork created with percent for art funds during any five-year period shall be accomplished by local artists. A local artist is defined by City of Memphis Ordinance 4934 as an artist who has lived or worked within the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area for five (5) or more years during such artist's career. [*As of December 2009, 84% of Percent for Art projects have been completed by local artists.]

Inappropriate Communication with Selection Committee:
The UAC staff shall be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between artists applying for Percent for Art projects and members of selection committees. Discussion by and between any applicant artist and any member of a selection committees outside of regularly scheduled meetings for such purpose during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the artist. Such determination shall be in the sole discretion of the PAOC.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Court Avenue Bridge Video--Wow!

Thanks to Aaron Seigel of Electroland studio for making this video of the Court Avenue Bridge lights in action!


Friday, August 27, 2010

Request for Qualifications for Skate Park Artwork

Request for Qualifications for Skate Park Artwork


Site and Project Descriptions:
UrbanArt and the City of Memphis are commissioning a work of public art for the new Skate Park to be built at Tobey Park.

Artists will be selected based on previous experience with the design and production of exterior public art sculptures. Artists are also expected to have the technical capabilities to design and install such projects, including providing maintenance instructions. The finished project must require little to no regular maintenance. The selection committee is interested in proposals that include shaded seating and are also interested in functional, skate-able work. Final artwork should compliment the characteristics and neighborhood identity of the site. The artist selected shall be expected to conduct community workshops with the general public for education purposes, as well as collaborate closely with site architects and designers. Note that artists are permitted to work with outside contractors to fabricate the actual work.

The selection committee will select 3 finalists based on their qualifications, and interview each individually before selecting 1 artist (or artist team). Finalists will receive $1,500 for a design proposal, which will be discussed in the interview.

Budget:       $59,250 total
Deadline:    4:00p Friday 08 October 2010
Eligibility:    Local: Living in Memphis or Shelby County for 5 years[i]   

Guidelines:
Please see http://www.urbanartcommission.org/sampledocuments.html, particularly the UrbanArt Artist Handbook, for more information about applying to UrbanArt projects and how the selection process works.

Please submit the following:
· Typed, one-page letter of interest that notes which mural you are applying for, and explains your interest in this project and your general approach to the project.
· A sketch is not required, but may be included. Sketches must be no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches. Please do not send original artwork.
· Resumé, not to exceed 2 pages.
· Recent DIGITAL images of your work that are relevant to this project and are good representations of your style of work. Send up to 10 digital images in JPEG format, 1920 pixels maximum on the longest side, 72 dpi, with compression settings resulting in the best image quality under 2MB file size.
· Image identification sheet with location, brief description, and budget of each project
· List of three professional references, including current phone numbers and email addresses
· Self-addressed, stamped envelope with postage sufficient for the return of your materials. Materials will not be returned without one.

Send applications to: 
UrbanArt Commission
Attn: Skate Park
2549 Broad Avenue
Memphis, TN 38112

For more information contact:

Whitney Ranson, Projects Manager
(901) 454-0474 / wranson@urbanartcommission.org

All proposals must be received by 4:00 PM, Friday, October 8, 2010.

To ensure fairness to all, there are no extensions or waivers of deadlines.

Applicants will be notified by letter as to the status of their application.

Commissioning of artists by UrbanArt and the pursuit of all UrbanArt activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability or age. UrbanArt reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information or proposals from any or all participating artists. UrbanArt reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. In addition, UrbanArt may solicit proposals from artists not responding to this call and reserves the right to select an artist outside of the pool of artists responding to this call. The staff of UrbanArt shall be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be in the sole discretion of UrbanArt.

[i] Artists that have produced two City of Memphis 'Percent for Art' projects in the last 5 years are not eligible for this project as mandated by City ordinance.

Electroland Lights Court Avenue Bridge

Electroland studio (Cameron McNall and Damon Seeley, along with their team of tech engineers and architects) designed an interactive lighting design project for this pedestrian bridge, debuted 26 August 2010. It is motion sensitive so that an endlessly variable series of dynamic color effects light the span of the bridge whenever people walk across it. The impact from street level is nuanced just enough to catch the eye of passersby and lead them into the park where they can see the bridge light up when they cross its span. Many thanks for the assistance of its volunteer selection committee, the Public Art Oversight Committee, the architecture firm of Ritchie Smith Associates, the Riverfront Development Corporation who built the bridge, and the efforts of the UrbanArt project management staff with the cooperation of City administrators as a part of the City of Memphis Percent for Art Program. As Memphis' first permanent work of new media public art, we feel it will be a unique asset to the city for quite some time to come!



Visit the UrbanArt Facebook page to see more photos!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Public Art is Blooming All Over

We've got a busy calendar of public art celebrations coming up this Fall and next Spring all over Memphis! Follow our UrbanArt blog for details on dedication ceremonies in the coming months for the interactive lighting of the Court Avenue Pedestrian Bridge by Electroland, Bert Ferguson Park book maze by local wunderkind Brooke Foy, local hero Anthony Lee's athletic court benches at Pierotti Park, metal maestro Chris Fennel's enchanting entryway for the Levitt Shell at Overton Park, nationally recognized muralist extraordinaire Josh Sarantitis' large-scale work at Central High School produced with the students there, Vinnie Bagwell's stately bronze monument to the history of Memphis at Chickasaw Heritage Park, Tim Upham's installation of 'family trees' at University Place, local legend Carol DeForest's whimsical sculptures at the new Auto Inspection Station, Deborah Brown's tile mosaics at the new Animal Services Center, Tootsie Bell's show of local love for Legends Park, and Walter Kravitz's sculptures for the new MATA South Terminal in the Aerotropolis.

PLUS, outdoor video projections co-produced with the Center City Commission every Friday from 10 September to 08 October by local artists Brian Dixon, Jill Wissmiller, Alex Harrison, Chris Reyes and Sarah Fleming, Erik Jambor and Indie Memphis, Matt Ducklo, Chris Miner, and special guests Matthias Mueller and Christoph Giradet from Germany! Thanks to First Horizon's Innovation Award for making this series entitled 'Curious Pictures' possible!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

MIFA Seeks Artists, Volunteers for Neighborhood Clean-up Program

Any and all artists and volunteers interested in helping MIFA clean up vacant houses throughout the year all over the city should contact:

Mary Claire Borys
Handyman Manager
MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association)
(901) 527-0208 ext 288 Office
(901) 361-1303 Cell
(901) 523-1266 Fax
910 Vance Ave., Memphis, TN 3812

Volunteers will be gathering next Saturday 28 August in the MIFA parking lot at 910 Vance Ave from 9am to 12pm. They will be painting panels for one house with 10 windows. They will have all of the plywood & some paint – there will be a limited selection of color paint.

Artistic Board-Up Project:

In an effort to reduce blight and all its accompanying problems, the Handyman program at MIFA is starting a formal project to board up vacant properties in an attractive and artistic manner.

In Shelby County, there are currently 6,000 – 7,000 unsecured vacant housing units. Over 3,000 are currently owned by the County due to abandonment or delinquent property taxes. Unsecured or improperly secured vacant properties are routinely magnets for graffiti, vandalism, theft of construction materials, squatters, and fires. This source of blight comes with a high cost. There were 933 fires in vacant properties from 2005-2009, at a cost to taxpayers of $16.3 million. Unsecured vacant properties also negatively affect the property values of the entire neighborhood. There is also the intangible cost on the spirit of the neighborhood as residents must look at broken windows, high grass, or scraps of plywood loosely nailed over windows.

But there is an alternative. Across the country, governments and community organizations have begun to secure vacant properties with plywood panels painted in an attractive, and sometimes an artistic, manner. In Albany, NY, a community development corporation took two vacant buildings and painted the plywood panels to look like doors and empty windows. The group reports that there has been hardly any graffiti and no break-ins since the panels were installed a year and a half ago. In Orange Mound here in Memphis, volunteers with the Handyman program installed plywood across the front of an old shotgun house and painted a mural on it in the spring of 2007. This house had been broken into and even set on fire many times over the previous three years since it became vacant. After the mural was installed, no one broke into the home for a year and a half until the house was demolished by the City.

The Artistic Board-Up Program will use painted plywood panels and install them over the windows and doors of targeted properties. The panels will fit tightly over each accessible window and over the doorways as well, if necessary. This program will utilize:

•A referral system for individuals, neighborhood groups, and others to report vacant homes that need to be boarded up

•Government and foundation grants and private donations to secure plywood and other materials needed for painting (paint brushes, tarps, etc)

•A sponsor for each property who will help supply paint and volunteers

•Volunteers to paint the plywood panels, install them, and help monitor the on-going condition of the properties


The MIFA Handyman Program:
The Handyman Program at MIFA has existed in its current form since 2000. Its primary focus is to allow homeowners who are senior citizens and/or disabled to remain safe and secure in their own homes for as long as possible. This is primarily accomplished through providing free home repairs and home modifications. The home repairs range from fixing leaky faucets to replacing the whole roof. Home modifications include wheelchair ramps, widening doorways, and installing grab bars in the bathroom. These repairs and modifications are provided through grants and contracts with the City of Memphis and the State of Tennessee. The Handyman program distributes hundreds of donated items every year, including wheelchairs, walkers, heaters, fans, and air conditioners. Finally, the Handyman program uses volunteers for beautification efforts, including yard work at client homes, clearing vacant lots, and painting the exteriors of homes where either the client or the volunteers supply the paint. In fiscal year 2010, the Handyman program worked with 200 unduplicated clients and distributed donated items to another 279 unduplicated clients.

The Handyman program works with a steady stream of volunteers from around Shelby County. We partner with schools, including MUS, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis Habitat for Humanity chapter. We partner with a wide variety of churches, including Mississippi Boulevard, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Beth Sholom Synagogue, and Church on the Square. Volunteers from businesses including FedEx, UPS, Comcast, and others have tackled Handyman projects over the years. In addition, Handyman hosts several alternative college break trips and youth group mission trips every year. In fiscal year 2010, over 1,200 volunteers donated over 13,300 hours of service.

Target Properties:
This project will operate across the city for single-family residences or duplexes and specifically target properties in lower-income neighborhoods which have been vacant for some time and which have already been the subject of some damage. A formal system for individuals and community groups to refer properties for board-up is still under development.

Handyman staff and volunteers will contact property owners in an attempt to obtain permission to come onto the property. No one will go onto the property if the owners refuse permission. If the owners cannot be located, volunteers may go onto the property to install the painted panels after they have been fully informed that no permission exists for them to go on to the property. If properties are owned by the City of Memphis or Shelby County, we will work with the departments in charge of securing those properties to obtain permission to enter them and to obtain the plywood for securing the property.

Handyman staff and volunteers will survey the properties after permission is obtained in order to determine the number and dimensions of the plywood panels.

Property Sponsorships:
This project will seek to find a sponsor for each house that is boarded up. Sponsors may be individuals, churches, schools, businesses, neighborhood groups, non-profits, and others. The two primary functions of the sponsors will be to provide the paint for the panels and to help provide enough volunteers to paint all of the panels needed. The volunteer groups will be encouraged to actively participate in the design of the paint scheme for each of the panels. Sponsors will be able to add their logo to at least one window panel for the property if they so desire. Sponsors will be asked to provide volunteers to install the plywood panels, but Handyman will help identify additional volunteers for installation if needed. Finally, sponsors will be asked to help monitor the on-going condition of the sponsored property by visiting the property every month or so and reporting its condition to Handyman.

The Handyman program is working to secure grant funding to pay for the majority of the plywood and other materials needed for painting, such as paint brushes and rollers, paint buckets, tarps, and painter’s tape.

Painting the Plywood:
The painting will be done during “painting parties” where groups of volunteers will gather to design and paint all of the plywood panels needed for at least one property. Painting parties will be held on the MIFA parking lot on select Saturdays. Painting parties can also be held at other community gathering spots, such as churches or schools, or at the sponsor’s location, if appropriate. The plywood panels can be cut either ahead of time or at the start of the painting parties.

The plywood can be painted in one of three ways. First, the panel can be painted in a basic representational manner, such that the panel will simply look like an empty window. The panel will be painted dark grey with white trim. Second, the panel can be painted in an artistic and creative manner, i.e., a mural. Third, the panel can be painted with a middle-ground manner. For example, the basic window panel could have the addition of curtains or objects sitting in the window (a cat, a flower vase, etc). The basic panels could be used anywhere on the home. More advanced panels would only be used on parts of the property facing the street; otherwise the impact would be lost.

Other Goals of the Board Up Project:
This project will also seek to effect lasting change in the Memphis metropolitan area thru changes in legislation and government policies. First, the project will push for legislation authorizing community groups to enter vacant properties to secure them and to maintain the grounds, and file a lien against the property for reimbursement of expenses. The primary point of this legislation is to remove the issue of trespassing when people just want to try to improve their own neighborhood by themselves. Second, the project will push for legislation to require that all vacant properties be secured with plywood that is of sufficient thickness, well-fitted to the structure, and painted in a manner consistent with the structure. Finally, the project will push for the City and County to better monitor and secure the vacant properties which they have, possibly in partnership with this project.