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CALL FOR ARTIST OR ARTIST TEAM

Request for Qualifications

 

The City of Bellingham is seeking an artist or artist team to design, fabricate and install artwork at the North End Regional Pond (NERP) along Mahogany Avenue in Bellingham, WA.

$60,000 is available for design, materials, fabrication and installation of the artwork.

Submission Due Date: November 2, 2018 by Noon

Submit to:

City of Bellingham

Bellingham Arts Commission

Attn:  Shannon Taysi

360-778-8360

[email protected]

Background

The North End Regional Pond (NERP) is a large stormwater facility located adjacent to Mahogany Avenue north of Costco in the Meridian Neighborhood.  The surrounding area will be undergoing substantial residential development over the next several years; the NERP and adjacent trail provide a serene respite and pedestrian connection from the commercial area to the neighborhoods to the north. Mahogany Avenue, currently under construction, will become a busy east-west connection from Pacific Highway to Northwest Avenue.  See attached location map for site reference and NERP pond configuration image.

The City’s One Percent for the Arts program dedicates one percent of large capital project budgets for the incorporation of artwork. The inclusion of artwork in public places reinforces the City’s status as a regional arts destination, increases quality of life and attracts tourism and visitors to the area. The primary goal of this project is to create a feature of interest (to be viewed) from the newly developed Mahogany Avenue and the pedestrian trail adjacent to the North End Retention Pond (NERP).

Description of Project and Site

The NERP water lever rises and falls with the fluctuation of rainfall with the depth of the pond ranging from 10′ deep at its peak, to dry during the summer months.  The City has identified the artwork should be visible from Mahogany Avenue and potentially along the trail which would likely require elevated artwork along Mahogany Avenue due to the slope.  The “bench” area of the pond, shown in the attached image, is easily accessible and available for artwork installation of a limited profile. Exploration of other areas in or around the pond is a possibility.  The City will work with the selected artist or artist team on the specifics of placement, to be determined by the feasibility of the proposal.  Due to the nature of the pond fluctuation, and the importance of the pond to regional stormwater management, the City is not interested in proposals for floating or otherwise unsecured artwork.

Required Qualifications

Interested parties should consider installation challenges and location of the artwork during the proposal development stage. Up to the top four respondents to this RFQ will be selected and paid a small stipend to develop a specific proposal.

The selected professional artist or artist team will develop, fabricate and install artwork at the described site.  To be considered for this Request for Qualifications, the artist or artist team must meet the following criteria:

Experience in design and installation of artwork in the public realm.
The ability to furnish all supplies, materials and equipment necessary for the design, execution, fabrication, transportation and installation of the artwork on site.
The willingness to provide professional documentation photos at conclusion of the project.
The ability to provide proof of required insurance during the duration of the project. Coverage shall include but is not limited to:

Workers Compensation                                                              Statutory Amount
Automobile Liability                                                                    $1,000,000
Broad Form Comprehensive Liability                                                                                                        $1,000,000/occurrence
$2,000,000 aggregate

And, an endorsement listing the City as additionally insured.

Ability to perform the requested work within the timeline outlined below.

Project Timeline

November 2, 2018                                         Request for Qualifications deadline

November 9, 2018                                         Semi-finalists announced

December 28, 2018                                       Deadline for semi-finalist proposals

January 18, 2019                                            Final artist or artist team announced

Early February 2019                                      Contract complete

Late Spring/Early Summer 2019                 Installation/ Dedication

Selection Process

Jury will select no more than four semi-finalists from Request for Qualification submittals.
Semi-finalists will receive a packet of specifications regarding site locations, design criteria and any design limitations or requirements.
The semi-finalists will be requested to submit a conceptual idea for consideration.
Semi-finalist may be asked to present proposals in Bellingham, WA.
Selected semi-finalists will receive a stipend of $1000 for travel and design fees following the submission and presentation of a design proposal.
Jury will select the final proposal and the City will enter into a contract with the selected artist or artist team.
To Apply

Application materials must include:

Letter of interest that describes how the artist or artist team would approach the design of this public art project.
Resume(s): include name, address, phone number, e-mail address and website (if available) for all members of the team, along with descriptions of previous work and/or relevant employment.
Description of previous public art installations.
Color digital images of previous relevant work with annotated image descriptions.
Two professional references (each team member will need to provide).
 

Materials must be received by Noon, Friday November 2, 2018.  E-mail all materials to [email protected].

Please keep in mind this is a Request for Qualifications only, not a request for proposals or art projects. Specific proposals will be requested of the semi-finalists selected through this process.

The City of Bellingham promotes equal opportunity and shall not discriminate against any person based upon race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, nationality or disability.