Elmwood Community Center Façade Art Call for Artists
Summary
The City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism (ACT), Providence Art in City Life Commission, and the Department of Public Property invite artists and artist teams to design and install a permanent public artwork on the exterior of the newly renovated Elmwood Community Center building at 155 Niagara Street. This call is open to artists working in a variety of mediums – including, but not limited to painted murals, cut 2D acrylic sculpture, metal work, sound and light art – and we encourage artists with a wide range of practices to apply.
Three artists or artist teams will be selected to develop a concept for the site, each receiving a $500 stipend for their design work. One artist or artist team will be selected to proceed with their proposed art concept.
The call is open to individual artists and artist teams nation-wide. Applicants must be 21 years or older to be eligible to apply. Providence residents and/or artists with previous lived experience in Providence are encouraged to apply.
The total project budget is $30,000, of which the awarded artist will receive $28,500 for artist fees, materials, labor, and installation. Please see the budget section below for more information.
Eligible artists may submit their artist statement, resume/CV, references, and three to eight examples of relevant projects through our submission portal.
The application deadline is April 2nd, 2023.
Questions about this Call for Artists must be submitted in writing by March 16th, 2023. Write Alexander Golob, ACT Capital Improvement Public Artworks Project Manager at agolob@providenceri.gov, with the subject line “Facade Art at Elmwood Community Center” A FAQ will be provided by March 22nd, 2023.
Project Goals
The goals of the façade art at Elmwood Community Center are to:
- Celebrate and reflect the creative culture of Providence and the Elmwood neighborhood
- Infuse art and creativity into everyday spaces used by all
- Create a unique, site-specific work of art
- Consider context created by nearby existing public artwork
- Develop an artwork that can withstand the elements and is low maintenance
Site and Location
Elmwood Community Center is located at 155 Niagara Street, Providence, RI. The intended site for the artwork is the community center’s eastern building, on the corner of Niagara Street and Atlantic Avenue. While the artwork can go across much of the façade, the focus of the work will be on the window bays and upper half of building.
Structure dimensions
Aerial View of Elmwood Community Center
Street View of Elmwood Community Center’s South face and East face (pre-renovation)
Street View of Elmwood Community Center’s North face (pre-renovation)
Project Budget
The total project budget for this installation is $30,000. The awarded artist or artist team will receive $28,500 to complete the project, inclusive of artist fees, materials, equipment, and installation. The artist may choose to allocate funds to supporting artists, assistants, interpreters, and/or to stipend community members in addition to the cost of doing business. The following breakdown serves as a guide:
| Concept Design | $1500 ($500/3 Finalists) | Provided directly to the finalists |
| Artist Fee and Materials |
$28,500 (approx $50/ sq ft) | Provided directly to the awarded artist or artist team |
Compensation for Artist Fee and Materials will be provided at stages. The first $14,250 will be provided upon being selected as the Finalist and the second $14,250 will be provided at completion of work.
Eligibility
- Applicant must be 21 years or older. Providence residents and artists with previous lived experience in Providence are encouraged to apply.
- This call is open to artists or artist teams.
- Applicant must have demonstrated experience with a portfolio consisting of at least one outdoor artwork.
- Preference will be given to artists who demonstrate cultural competency and previous experience working in intercultural modalities that foster innovation, diversity, and relevance within new and inter-generational audiences.
Art Selection Panel
The Art Selection Panel will be comprised of four panelists including:
- Art in City Life Commission representative
- Department of Public Property representative
- Department of Recreation representative
- Public Artist
- Community Champion
Round One: Selecting Finalists
The Art Selection Panel will review complete applications and score qualifications, limiting the selection pool to no more than three artists or artist teams.
Round Two: Concept Design-Based Selection
Finalists will be invited to develop a site-specific Concept Design for the project. For this method of selection, each finalist will be paid a $500 proposal fee to develop and present a rendering, a written project description, a description of materials and fabrication techniques, expectations regarding site preparation and infrastructure needs, a detailed budget and timeline, and a detailed installation plan.
Recommendation
The Art Selection Panel will recommend an artist/artist team and an alternate for award.
The Department of Art, Culture + Tourism will publicly announce the commissioned Artist in September, 2022.
Project Schedule
| Call to artists opens | March 8, 2023 |
| FAQ Deadline (questions can be submitted to agolob@providenceri.gov) | March 24, 2023 |
| FAQ Response Posted | March 29, 2023 |
| Application Deadline | April 2, 2023 |
| Panelists Recommend Semi-Finalists | April, 2023 |
| Semi-Finalists Submit Art Concept + Panelists Recommend Finalist and Alternate | May, 2023 |
| ACL Reviews Panel Recommendations + ACT awards contract | June, 2023 |
| Selected Artist Fabricates and Install Artwork | To be completed prior to October 1, 2023 |
| Unveiling | October, 2023 |
Art Selection Method
Artists will be selected through a competitive, two-tiered process. Qualified artists may submit their Artist Statement, Resume/CV, and three to eight examples of relevant projects by April 2,2023.
Round One: Selecting Semi-Finalists
The Art Selection Panel will review eligible and complete applications and score qualifications, limiting the selection pool to no more than three artists or artist teams.
Round Two: Concept Design-Based Selection
Semi-Finalists will be invited to develop a site-specific Concept Design for the project. For this method of selection, each finalist will be paid a $500 proposal fee to develop and present a rendering, a written project description, a description of materials and fabrication techniques, a written expectations regarding site preparation and infrastructure needs, a detailed budget and timeline, and, if relevant to the project, a detailed installation plan.
Recommendation
The Art Selection Panel will recommend an artist or artist team and an alternate the Art in City Life Commission for approval in June, 2023. The Department of Art, Culture + Tourism will publicly announce the commissioned artist no later than July 12, 2023.
Selection Criteria
Semi-Finalists will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Artistic excellence, innovation, and site-specificity as evidenced by previous work.
- Ability to manage budgets and complete projects on time, as evidenced by previous work.
- Demonstrated experience and interest in community engagement and cultural responsiveness.
Awarded artist Concept Design will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Feasibility and strength of proposed budget and installation plan.
- Quality of the Artist’s proposed concept.
To Submit
To apply, submit below.
Submission Checklist:
- Artist Statement:
- Please provide a brief Artist Statement to introduce the Art Selection Panel to who you are as an artist and some of the themes and ideas you explore in your artwork. Please do not insert a resume or list of accomplishments here. We look forward to learning about your practice. (500 word max)
- CV/Resume and References
- A resume/CV of no more than 3 pages in length
- The resume must include three references. You should include the references’ names, contact information, and position.
- A portfolio of 3 to 8 work samples.
- For each work sample submitted, the following should be included:
- Artwork title,
- Year of completion
- Medium
- Dimensions
- Total budget / cost
- Brief description of artwork (100 words or less) – please include the commissioning entity (if applicable), and state your role in the creation of the artwork if other artists or design professionals were involved in its creation.
- For each work sample submitted, the following should be included: