Pendleton Neighborhood Public Art Project, in Historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati Ohio


Request for Qualifications


ArtWorks Cincinnati is seeking qualifications from an artist or a team of artists for the commission and installation of multiple permanent site-specific scupltural public works of art to be incorporated into the street-scape redesign in the historic Pendleton neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. This project must include an artist-developed creative community engagement strategy.

Eligibility:
This RFQ is open to all professional artists and artist teams over the age of 18, who currently reside in the United States.

Application Deadline:
Deadline for application has passed and applications are no longer being accepted.

Project Budget:
$125,000 includes design, fabrication, engineering, installation, and all travel.
$10,000 is dedicated for the development and execution of a creative community engagement process.

Project

Background Details Goals

Project Background


In 2009, planning began for the Horseshoe Casino just south of the Pendleton neighborhood along Reading Road. The Casino is scheduled to open in spring 2013. In the summer of 2012, ArtWorks was awarded an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in conjunction with tax-increment financing from the casino development to commission a series of site-specific public works of art to be incorporated into the adjacent neighborhood of Pendleton, as part of a streetscape redesign. Streetscape improvements include new sidewalks, street-trees, street lighting, street furniture, and four landscaped plazas appropriate for public art. The Pendleton Public Art Project will emphasize creative place-making through public art, including vertical elements at key intersections and creating a vibrant public identity for the neighborhood.

Pendleton is a small neighborhood in Cincinnati Ohio, just north of the central business district and is part of the Over-the-Rhine Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood is home to a rich architectural and cultural history. Existing assets include the headquarters of Verdin Bell Clocks, the world’s largest clock manufacturer, the Pendleton Arts Center, formerly the Krohn-Fecheimer Shoe Company and now home to studios for 200 working artists. On the last Friday of each month the Arts Center’s four building complex open their studios and galleries for the popular Final Fridays gallery event. However, despite this concentration of artisans and entrepreneurs, Pendleton goes largely unnoticed as an arts district.

Project Details


The Pendleton Public Art Project infuses public works of art as an enhancement to the ongoing streetscape improvements. The priority is to develop four scupltural elements on curb bump-outs at two key intersections along Pendleton Street. (See site map). Additionally, this RFQ seeks a vision that infuses other artistic elements along the street including ideas for a Gateway at the intersection of Reading Road and Pendleton Street. These permanent works of art should be informed by the legacy of artistic craftsmanship in the neighborhood. ArtWorks encourages imaginative and innovative approaches to the creation of these works.

The creative place-making strategy, which ultimately informs the final artistic outcomes, must include rigorous planning with key stakeholders and residents of the community. We encourage you to provide thoughts on how your creative community engagement process would promote civic participation. As the artist, you may choose to lead these engagement sessions or hire and work with local facilitators. ArtWorks values employing local talent. Therefore, if an artist from outside the Cincinnati region is selected, ArtWorks expects the artist to engage and work collaboratively with local talent on appropriate components of the project.


Project Goals


  • Encourage visitors to explore the neighborhood by providing a pleasant and engaging pedestrian experience.
  • Develop sense of visual identity for the neighborhood to distinguish it from surrounding neighborhoods.
  • Invite and promote connectivity to and from neighboring areas
  • Stimulate dialogue and understanding around the cultural, economic and social significance of Pendleton’s past, present and future.

Budget

Budget Community Engagement

Budget


Up to five finalists will be selected to develop concept proposals for this project. Selected finalists will be paid an honorarium of $1,000.

Budget:
$125,000 - Includes design, fabrication, transportation, installation, and all travel.
$10,000 - Dedicated for the development, coordination, and execution of a creative community engagement process.

The design review committee expects that the chosen artist will commit to work collaboratively with local talent in the completion of this project. ArtWorks will help identify and hire appropriate local talent to support the completion of the project.

Community Engagement


In a time in which technology and networks rapidly connect people and ideas, many cities and groups are re-thinking the way they define community engagement. Creativity, cell phones and conversations join formal and traditional strategies as effective forms of input and engagement. This project has dedicated $10,000 for the development and execution of creative community engagement strategy. The artist may lead this process or work with ArtWorks to hire other individuals or firms to assist in the development and execution of this process. This stipend will be awarded based on plans from a final proposal. Successful examples of this type of community engagement include:
Salt Lake City Workshop
Candy Chang, Civic Center New Orleans
Daily Tous Les Jours

Selection

Timeline Selection Process Selection Criteria Terms Additional Info

Timeline


Estimated Timeline
November 9, 2012
December 11, 2012
December 10-19, 2012
February – June 2013
June – Fall 2013
 RFQ Released
5pm EST Deadline for Submissions (NO Exceptions)
Review Submissions & Announce Finalists
Final Artist Selection and Design Phase
Fabrication, Installation, Dedication

Selection Process


A Design Review Committee, consisting of neighborhood residents, business owners, public art experts, and stakeholders will review qualifications for the project and select up to five finalists who will be invited to submit complete proposals.

Selection Process


Artists will be selected based on the following criteria:
  • Originality, creativity, and uniqueness demonstrated in previous projects;
  • Quality and craftsmanship exhibited by past work;
  • Prior experience with public art and community engagement;
  • Materials appropriate for outdoor sculpture and scale appropriate to site;
  • Maintainability, structural and surface soundness, durability and resistance to vandalism, weathering, maintenance and upkeep requirements;
  • Appropriateness for placement in an urban streetscape setting, including ability for artwork to withstand public interaction;

The committee will be interested in your experience in the following areas:
  • Proven ability to work collaboratively in the completion of a project;
  • Experience in designing creative/participatory community engagement processes;
  • Track record/ability to complete work on time and on budget.

Terms


  • ArtWorks and the City of Cincinnati accept no responsibility for the loss or damage of artist submission materials.
  • ArtWorks retains the artist information for future reference only.
  • Submitted examples of artist’s past work may only be used as a qualification reference for this project. Any further use by ArtWorks must be under explicit permission of the artist.
  • ArtWorks and the City of Cincinnati accept no responsibility for costs incurred by the artist in responding to this Call to Artists.
  • Artists and artist collaborations selected for this project will be required to meet contract terms and budgets. It is further understood that all budgets include travel costs. No additional and/or contingency funds will be available.

Additional Info


For more information on project and recent developments in Cincinnati please visit the following sites and watch the following videos:
ArtWorks and the City Win $75 NEA Grant

Pendleton
Pendleton Art Center
Pendleton Neighborhood

Cincinnati
Lets Start-Up the City
Cincinnati Growing Cincinnati
Cincinnati - A New Perspective

Submission Instructions

Submission Instructions Checklist Downloads

Submission Instructions


This RFQ is the first step in the public art selection process.  This is a preliminary round. If you are chosen as a finalist, you will then be asked to provide more specifics.

All proposal materials must be in electronic format. You may submit required material in the following ways: upload .zip file of all files through ArtWorks Pendleton Public Art Project webpage, save all files to compact disc and mail to ArtWorks, or send attachments via email (Emails must be smaller than 5mb). Paper applications will not be accepted.

All submissions must include the following digital files:

  1. Download and complete application form, (save as: LastName_application)
  2. Current résumé (two page limit)
  3. Artist’s statement (maximum 2 pages, single spaced):
    1. Collaboration experience,
    2. Describe your experience working in public spaces,
    3. Clear description of ideas and likely approach to the Pendleton Public Art project,
    4. Ideas for creative community engagement process
    5. Process and timeline for completion
  4. List of professional references (at least three): Please include name, address, phone number, and email address for each individual.
  5. Ten digital images of previous work.
    1. File Format: JPG (do not use progressive JPGs, GIFs, or TIFFs) at 72 DPI
      1. Do not embed images in .doc,.pdf, or.ppt files.
    2. Dimensions: Minimum 800 x 600pi; maximum 1600 x 1200pi
    3. Every image file must be titled first with the number of images in the order to be viewed (use “0” in front of single digit numbers), followed by the artist’s last name [for example: 01_LastName; 02_LastName]. The numbers must correspond to the annotated image list
  6. Annotated image list (two page limit): Please include the artist’s name as a heading, and a brief description of each image, including title, date, medium, dimensions, and budget or price. [Example file name: LastName_ImageList]

Please name digital files the following:

File names for Items 1-4 must begin with artist’s last name, followed by a one word description of the file. [i.e.: LastName_application, LastName_resume, LastName_statement, LastName_references].

ArtWorks recommends compressing all files into a single .zip file [LastName_PendletonPublicArt]

To upload your .zip file to ArtWorks, locate the “Drop it to ArtWorks” box at the bottom of the RFQ Page at www.artworkscincinnati.org/pendleton

Enter the password "pendleton" and click the Login button.

Click "Choose file" and navigate to your .zip file and then click open.

After you have chosen your file, click the Upload button and please wait while the file is uploading. This may take several minutes depending on the file size.

When you see the message "File successfully uploaded to my Dropbox!" you have successfully uploaded your application. You are finished.

Please do not submit paper. Materials not requested will not be reviewed. If submissions are incomplete or incorrectly filed ArtWorks reserves the right to disqualify the submission.

Applications must be submitted in digital format and received by mail, hand, or electronically by December 11th, 2012, 5:00pm EST. No Exceptions. Submission after this date will not be considered.

If submitting a disk by mail, send to:
ArtWorks Cincinnati
ATTN: Pendleton Public Art Project
20 East Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45202

If submitting electronically, email all materials to: David@ArtWorksCincinnati.org

Checklist


☐ Application Form, Filled out and Saved as “LastName_Application”
☐ Resume, “LastName_Resume”
☐ Artist’s Statement – “LastName_Statement”
☐ List of Professional References – “LastName_references”
☐ 10 digital images of previous work
• “01_LastName, 02_LastName, 03_LastName…”
☐ Annotated List of Images – “LastName_ImageList”

Downloads


(PDFs - Right click and save as)
Full RFQ
Submission Instructions w/ Checklist
Application