The UrbanArt Commission commissions (hires or pays for) the
creation of artwork on behalf of other entities, such as corporations,
nonprofits or government agencies. The Memphis UAC often commissions artwork (murals
or sculptures) on behalf of the City of Memphis or local businesses or
organizations. These projects often are commissioned through a request for
qualifications and/or a request for proposal.
A request for qualifications simply prequalifies an artist
or group of artists to complete the proposed project. It does not mean the
artist or artists are hired to create the work—just that they are qualified to
do the work or create the project. So an RFQ usually requires artists to submit
a resume or CV, samples of previous works of art and ideas (not designs) for
the current project. This process helps generate a strong pool for consideration.
So RFQs are preliminary to RFPs, and RFQs are always followed by an RFP.
The RFP is the actual call to artists for their ideas and
designs for the commissioned artwork. The RFP may be open to all artists or
artists selected through the RFQ process and requires artists to submit
background information along with their creative ideas, designs, budget and
deadline. A selection committee made up of UAC staff, the commissioning
organization, members of the local art community and people living and working
around a project site reviews and selects the winning proposal. Winning
proposals best meet the criteria, budget and creative needs identified in the
RFP. Artists may or may not be paid an honorarium for completing the proposal,
but the winning artist will be paid to complete the project. The RFP will
indicate the budget for the creative design and fabrication of the artwork.
The first key to winning an RFQ or RFP is providing all the
designated information in the format requested. Failure to do this often
disqualifies an artist from the process, especially if all other entries
provide this information. Additionally, it is important that the artist
understands the artistic needs of the commissioning organization and the
creative preferences of the community, as well as provides a creative solution
to those needs.
Artists should expect to maintain communication with the
commissioning organization and the public to ensure the project continues to
meet the organization’s and public’s needs and adheres to proposal guidelines. So
while the artist provides the creative ideas, he or she must work within the
guidelines provided through the RFP. Often, there are approval processes along
the way to ensure the project stays on task, budget and deadline. Payment is
often tied to this schedule.
Working in this way may be a challenge for some artists but
the commissioned art process can be a satisfying and enriching experience,
especially when artists get to share their artistic vision with the community. We
hope we answered your questions about the commission process and how to submit
a winning RFQ or RFP. And we hope to see your qualifications or proposals soon!
