DC Creates! Public Art Calls for Entry

Calls to artists are open to professional artists with site-specific and/or public art experience. Preference is given to artists who reside in the District of Columbia. Artists who apply should have experience working with community representatives, landscape architects, businesses and government entities.

• Memorial Park Project
• Call to artists | ART BANK

Memorial Park Project

Commissioned by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in partnership with the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM), Department of General Services (DGS) and the Office of the City Administrator (OCA).

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Pursuant of a Memorial Park, the partnering entities request for local Artists and/or Landscape Architects to develop the artistic concept for a permanent memorial park with public art installations, to be implemented during the Spring of 2013.  The Artist’s work will also include the fabrication of all artistic elements such as statues or sculptures that will be included in the memorial park.  The development of working construction drawings for the park as well as the construction of the park itself will be handled under a separate contract issued by the District’s Department of General Services.  The selected Artist will be required to work closely with the DGS and its contractors to ensure that the park reflects the image contemplated by the Artist.

WHO WE ARE
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) is responsible for providing grants, programs and educational activities that encourage diverse artistic expressions and learning opportunities, so that all District of Columbia residents and visitors can experience the rich culture of our city. One tool with which the agency accomplishes this goal is our DC Creates! Public Art Program (DC Creates!). This program is responsible for purchasing, commissioning and installing public art works throughout the District to cultivate dynamic, vibrant and nurturing communities through the use of art and design. DC Creates! provides opportunities for individuals to encounter art in parks, libraries, community centers, government offices, bridges and other public venues.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
On June 22, 2009, two southbound Metro trains on the Red Line collided between the Takoma and Fort Totten metro stations, killing 9 and injuring 80, making this event the deadliest accident in the system's history. Families of the victims have been actively involved in developing the concept for this memorial park. Continued active engagement with the families is essential to the success of this project.

PROJECT SUMMARY
The purpose of this RFP is to commission an artist, landscape architect, or design team to develop an artistic concept for the memorial park and to fabricate the artistic elements to be included in the permanent memorial intended to honor the remembrance of the nine victims, first respondents and others whose lives were altered by the accident. The memorial park should allow for meditation, remembrance, reflection, hope and renewal. Accommodations are inclusive of memorial benches, a memorial wall, play areas, pedestrian walkways and site lighting, etc. along with other environmentally sustainable features.

The artwork shall be sculptural and serve as part of the memorial to the fallen victims of the train accident. This artwork shall also serve as a symbol of inspiration for the families of the victims, particularly the 12 descendant children.  Likewise, the artwork and the park as a whole will serve as hopeful inspiration to the residents of the neighborhood community and the broader Washington metropolitan area.

It is important that applicants educate themselves on the 2009 train accident and to convey knowledge and sensitivity through their application and design proposal.  The commissioned artist should expect to communicate extensively with the public, including descendant families, and to also present the final design publicly.  

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DCCAH will conduct a selection process to identify an artist, landscape architect, or design team to develop a proposal to design an artistic concept for the memorial park, fabricate the artistic components, and work with DGS to install all artistic elements of the permanent memorial park.

The Commission’s contract will be with the Artist and/or Team.  The artist/team will then if necessary, subcontract for the work of the artwork fabricator.

The memorial park will be located in the park area just beyond the corner of South Dakota and New Hampshire Avenue NE. There is a strong interest in incorporating the following design criteria:

• The creation of a serene setting where visitors can pause and reflect.
• A significant marker (i.e. bronze or granite plaque, wall, gateway, etc.) at the entrance of the Memorial Park with didactic information about the designation of the Park as a memorial for the families and affected community.
• Public Artwork (i.e. sculpture, statue, creative fence or wall, paving pattern, etc.)
• Seating (i.e. custom/artistic benches)
• Play area
• Pedestrian walkway
• Solar Lighting. Artists must keep in mind that the park sits directly across from residential homes, and the lighting design must not be disruptive to the neighbors living adjacent to the park.

This Project must also be designed and constructed as a “green project,” with conservation of energy as a major consideration.

PROJECT GOALS

• Design a memorial park that allows for meditation, remembrance, reflection,
  hope, and renewal.
• Incorporate entrance marker, public artwork, seating, play area, pedestrian walk way, solar lighting and landscaping into the art installation.
• Engineer the public art installation to ensure the work is stable and safely installed.
• Treat the landscape in a way that ensures a unified blend with the artwork.

NAMING OF MEMORIAL PARK
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/ACTIVITY

The community and descendant family members will be given the privilege of inspiring the naming of the memorial park prior to the final selection of the park’s artistic design.

A park naming survey will be conducted by the Executive Office of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs in order to further inspire the Artist/Team.

Survey results will be agreed upon by cooperative discussion and vote to incorporate recommended words and or phrases. Additional information will follow separately.

SITE LOCATION
South Dakota and New Hampshire Avenue NE Washington, DC 20011
(The memorial park will be located in the park area just beyond the corner)

SITE PHOTOS

Download the PDF below

ELIGIBILITY 

This commission is open to Artists, Architects/Landscape Architects, and Design Professional teams. All members of the team must be practicing, professionals residing in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area.  The artist member shall be the lead designer of the Design Team.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

All Applicants will:
• Visit the site and seek input from victim families and community members.
• Submit an application to include an:
1. Application Form
2. Cover Letter
3. Resume
4. Work samples and Image List
5. 1 page Written Design Concept for the Memorial Park
6. 2-d Schematic Design Concept for Memorial Park
7. References

Semi-finalists will be awarded a $4,000 honorarium to:
• Create a Site-Specific Design Proposal to include:
1. Site Specific 2-d Schematic Design
2. 3-d Scale model
3. Itemized Budget
4. Implementation Schedule
5. Project Narrative
• Present their site specific proposals to the families, community and Art Selection Panel. The proposals will be voted on by the Art Selection Panel and one (1) finalist will be selected.

Finalist will:
• Have a fabrication budget of $165,000.00 which must include artists’ fees (no more than 10% of fabrication budget) costs associated with design, fabrication, transportation, insurance and documentation of the artwork.
• If necessary, revise the Site-Specific Design Concept and present to DCCAH board for final approval.       
• Work with the DGS engineer, construction manager and contractors in order to finalize site-specific drawings and implement the artistic concept.
• Secure fabricators as well as obtain cost estimates and fabrication schedule for all artistic elements.
• Work with DGS and DCCAH to determine the best strategy for final documentation (stamped drawings, shop drawings), fabrication and installation of the artwork.  
• Prepare and conduct presentations as necessary to receive approvals.
• Fabricate artistic works (i.e. statues, sculpture, etc.) that will be incorporated into the memorial park with the understanding that such works of art will be installed by DGS and its contractors
• Provide a maintenance plan for the site, based upon the proposed design (artwork, benches, play area, pedestrian walk way, grounds and lighting)

BUDGET

The design and artwork fabrication budget is $200,000, which must include site specific design honorarium, artists’ fees and costs associated with design, fabrication, transportation, insurance and documentation of the artwork.

Each Semi-Finalist will be awarded a $4,000 honorarium to create a site-specific design proposal to include a 2-d schematic design, 3-d scale model, itemized budget, implementation schedule, and project narrative that they will present to the Art Selection Panel

Implementation and Construction Budget: estimated up to $1million.  The final budget will be determined after September 30, 2012 and is dependent on the final design and success of fundraising efforts. We are open to making budget adjustments as appropriate.

SELECTION PROCESS

DCCAH will convene an Art Selection Panel, representing diverse interests and expertise, to review the qualifications of artists who respond to this call. The Art Selection Panel will review proposals/work samples submitted by the artists or design teams and recommend (3) three Semi-Finalists.  

Each Semi-Finalist will be awarded a $4,000 honorarium to create a site-specific design proposal to include a 2-d schematic design, 3-d scale model, itemized budget, implementation schedule, and project narrative that they will present to the Art Selection Panel on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. The selection panel will review designs and recommend (1) one finalist for the project.  

The design proposal and the selection panel’s recommendations will be forwarded to DCCAH Board of Commissioners for review and approval.   The artist whose design is approved will then enter into an agreement with DCCAH for fabrication of the artwork. The Artist will work with DGS to install the Artwork.

Selected Semi-finalists must be available to attend the Friday, June 22, 2012 Plaque Dedication to unveil their 2-d concept rendering and 3-d model to the public. Upon approval of the designs, the final artist, DGS and DCCAH will determine the best strategy for final documentation (stamped drawings, shop drawings), fabrication and installation of the artwork. 

ARTIST / DESIGN TEAM EVALUATION CRITERIA
The lead of the design team must be a practicing professional artist, supported by a team of design professionals.  The artist’s team of design professionals must include either an architect or landscape architect.  
• Artistic and design excellence, innovation and originality as evidenced by representations of past work and other supporting material.  The aesthetic sensibility of both the artist and design professional (s) on the team will be considered.
• The artist’s work is judged to strengthen the District’s collection of monuments and public artwork.
• The design team’s professional experience is adequate to meet the demands of the project.
• The design team is available to participate in the design, approval and implementation of the project as required and will be available to participate in public meetings to present their proposal.
• Assessed ability to meet project deadlines, and to perform work in a timely and professional manner.
• Assessed ability of the design team to create a memorial of lasting significance for the Fort Totten Metro victims.
• Results of reference checks.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

FOR ARTISTS:
•      APPLICATION FORM If you would prefer to type your information please follow this format.  Make sure you include your full Legal Name (and other Professional Name as applicable), Address, Daytime Telephone, Evening Telephone, Email Address
•      A COVER LETTER describing how this project relates to your past work, and how you would approach the project. This letter should not exceed two (2) pages.
•      Current artistic RESUME highlighting experience with site-specific work and public art commissions.
•      1 well developed, written DESIGN CONCEPT for the Memorial Park Project. This should not exceed one (1) page.
•      Create a 2-D SCHEMATIC CONCEPT
•      WORK SAMPLE up to 10 DIGITAL images of previous artwork. Digital images should be uploaded through the online application platform called SlideRoom and submitted as jpgs. Submit only “High” quality jpgs (do not use gifs, tiffs or other formats). Each file must be labeled with a number indicating the viewing order, followed by the artist’s last name. The numbers must correspond to the accompanying Image List.  Example: 01_Jones; 02_Jones. If using Mac OS 8 or 9 include a “.jpg” extension at the end of each image. Example: 01_Jones.jpg. All images will be viewed on PCs, not Macs. Do not embed images into PowerPoint or submit moving image or audio files.  

•      A corresponding IMAGE LIST with image number, title, medium, dimensions, brief description, date of work and budget.
•      The names of three REFERENCES with current contact information including phone numbers and email addresses.

FOR DESIGN TEAMS:
IN ADDITION TO THE APPLICATION FORM, COVER LETTER, RESUME, WRITTEN CONCEPT, 2-D SCHEMATIC DESIGN, IMAGE LIST AND REFERENCES:
• WORK SAMPLES should consist of a total of 20 DIGITAL images of previous artwork.  Please include the artist’s or designer’s name in the title of each work.
• The Artist member is required to submit 10 images.
• The Design Professional member(s) are required to submit 10 images in total.
All design members included on the team should submit examples of their work.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The artist/team selected and approved by the Board of Commissioners shall be required to enter into contract with DCCAH for the duration of the project. Throughout the duration of the contract, the artist, design team and the artist’s subcontractors, will be required to maintain license and carry professional liability insurance.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Submissions must be received by:  11:59PM on Wednesday, May 16, 2012        

HOW TO APPLY
Please follow the link http://dcarts.slideroom.com to upload all requisite materials for the Memorial Park Project Application. In order to access the application portal, all applicants or applicant teams will first be prompted to create a SlideRoom account, at no cost. Once logged into the newly created account, applicants will be allowed to submit all materials outlined above in this Call to Artists. SlideRoom will allow applicants to save incomplete applications and return to them for completion until 11:59PM on the May 16th deadline. Any incomplete submissions at that time will be disqualified.

The cost for each application ranges between $5 and $10 (dependent on the number of uploaded images) and is payable online at the end of the SlideRoom application.

SCHEDULE

MEMORIAL PARK APPLICATION CHECKLIST:

• APPLICATION FORM
• COVER LETTER
• RESUME
• WRITTEN DESIGN CONCEPT
• 2-D SCHEMATIC DESIGN CONCEPT
• DIGITAL IMAGES
• IMAGE LIST
• REFERENCES

Related Documents:

• Memorial Park - Call to Artists [PDF] - /DC/DCARTS/Publication Files/MemorialPark-CalltoArtists.pdf
• Memorial Park - Application Form [PDF] - /DC/DCARTS/Publication Files/MemorailPark-ApplicationForm.pdf

Call to artists | ART BANK

The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH) is seeking to purchase two and three-dimensional works of art including, but not limited to, prints, drawings, mixed media compositions, paintings, photographs, ceramics, and moveable sculptures to be included in the Art Bank Collection. We also strongly encourage submissions by video artists and other technological innovators as we look to expand the Art Bank Collection to include more diverse and dynamic forms of contemporary art. Representational, conceptual, and abstract works will be equally considered.

This year, the Art Bank application process will be done entirely online. In order to access the application, all applicants will first be prompted to create a SlideRoom account, at no cost. Once logged into their new account, each applicant artist will be allowed to submit up to ten labeled images to be considered for acquisition into the Art Bank. All artwork submitted must be available for purchase upon submission and must be created with archival materials. Work shall not exceed 96” in any direction or 100lbs in weight.

In addition to ten images of prospective artwork,
a completed online application will include:
• An artist statement
• A current CV or resume
• An image list of all works submitted, in the order of submission

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY:
This call is open to all artists who reside or maintain studio space in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. However, preference will be given to District residents.

For More Information, contact Zoma Wallace, Curator and Art Collections Manager
of DCCAH at Zoma.Wallace@dc.gov or 202.724.5613