The Linn County Public Art Commission is seeking qualifications from artists for artwork to be incorporated into the redesigned Greene Square in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
BACKGROUND
The Linn County Public Art Commission was established in 2010 by an ordinance adopted by the Linn County Board of Supervisors to direct funding for the inclusion of works of art in County capital improvement projects. The Commission, overseen by the County’s Board of Supervisors, is responsible for the planning, commissioning, and acquiring of all artwork in Linn County capital improvement projects. The mission of the Linn County Public Art program is to enrich the lives of local citizens and visitors by integrating public art into County planning, services, design and infrastructure. This project is a gift of public art to a city owned and managed park that serves as the heart of the City of Cedar Rapids.
DESCRIPTION OF OPPORTUNITY
The Linn County Public Art Commission invites artists to submit their qualifications for consideration for the following opportunity:
GREENE SQUARE PUBLIC ART
Greene Square has long been the center of Cedar Rapids. Visitors coming to Cedar Rapids in the 1800s disembarked from the trains in Union Station and walked out into Greene Square. The park was named in honor of Judge George Greene, an early pioneer and leader in Linn County. Greene Square has always been graced by large trees and formerly included a fountain. Over its history it has been flanked by the former Washington High School (space now occupied by the Cedar Rapids Public Library) and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (with the original Carnegie Library) and several churches. Now Greene Square is undergoing a transformation along with the rest of the city. The renovation will include a new water feature, new trees and a significant piece of public art. There are also newly placed pieces of public art at the Library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art which remain as bookends to Greene Square. We encourage artists to take time to investigate the history of Greene Square to understand its place in the future of the city. The art is being commissioned by Linn County as a part of its support of the renovation of Greene Square.
The site identified for the sculpture is in the central allée at the north end of the park, within a landscaped space that is 41’8” by 129’. The work of art should be of an appropriate scale in its relationship to the surrounding area. A site plan link is included showing several representations of the renovated park and the location of the sculpture (the area bordered in red designates the site).
Project Goals
• Create a sense of place-making in this central city park and gathering space.
• Aesthetically enhance the park.
• Integrate well not only with the park but also the surrounding buildings and public art.
Budget
$225,000, including design, fabrication, and installation. Primary lighting of the public art piece is to be included in the art budget and can be designed in consultation with the project architect.
Up to three finalists will be selected to develop concept proposals for this project. Each will be paid a $1,000 proposal fee.
SELECTION PROCESS
Eligibility
This Request for Qualifications is open to all professional artists and artist teams. Only the first 250 applications received will be accepted. Linn County is not required to make selections from the submissions if, in its opinion, qualifications are not appropriate. Linn County and the Public Art Commission reserve the right in their sole discretion 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. Applicant agrees that any and all materials submitted pursuant to this call for entry become the property of Linn County and shall not be returned to Applicant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicant shall retain all copyright in the work which may be held by Applicant.
Review Process
A selection panel will review qualifications for each project and select up to 3 finalists for the project who will be asked to develop concept proposals. A proposal fee of $1,000 will be paid to each finalist. Finalists will make proposal presentations to the selection panel via conference call or in person, if all finalists agree.
The selection panel will include members of the Linn County Public Art Commission, a representative from the architectural firm working on the park, the Director of the City’s Parks and Recreation department, and community stakeholders. The final recommendation of each panel must be approved by the Public Art Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
Selection Criteria
· Artistic excellence as demonstrated by past work and the submitted qualifications and as shown in the concept proposal and interview.
· Understanding of the project and ability to create an artwork that responds to the goals of the project.
· Availability to meet the project timeline.
ANTICIPATED TIMELINE
· Deadline for submittal of materials – January 30, 2015
· Review qualifications and select finalists – by February 26, 2015
· Finalist proposals – March 30, 2015
· Commission awarded – April 2015
· Installation – late August/early September 2015 (anticipated)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The submission process for this Request for Qualifications will be administered through CaFÉ.™ CaFÉ™ is an interactive online system which allows artists to submit responses to public art organizations' call for artists. All information about the Linn County Public Art Commission’s Request for Qualifications is listed on CaFÉ™. Artists interested in being considered for this project must register with CaFÉ™ and submit their qualifications. Registration is free for artists.
Artists must submit the following through the CaFÉ™ online system:
· A typed Letter of Interest. This letter should not exceed three (3) pages and should briefly address how you would approach the call.
· Current artistic Resume, no longer than three (3) pages.
· At least five (5) but no more than ten (10) DIGITAL images of previous artwork. Title, medium, dimensions, brief description, location, date of work, and budget or price must be entered into the CaFÉ™ system for each image.
· The names of three (3) references with current contact information including phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Deadline:
Artists must submit their qualifications through CaFÉ™ by January 30, 2015. CaFÉ™ offers assistance with image resizing, creating a profile, and using the online system, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, at https://www.callforentry.org/cafehelp.phtml
For questions specific to the content of this call please contact Barbara Schmitz at barbara.schmitz@linncounty.org.
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