Fire Station #72 Public Art Project - Call for Artists

Project Budget:
$30,000 Inclusive of design, fabrication, installation, travel and WA sales/use tax.

Eligibility/Restrictions:
Professional artists who are Washington State residents are eligible to apply.

Deadline:
Monday, November 23, 2009 (postmarked by)
________________________________________

Project Opportunity
The City of Issaquah is seeking an artist/artist team to create an outdoor, site-specific artwork for a new fire station (#72) at 1575 NW Maple Street. The station will include 6,900 square feet of living/office area and 4,500 square feet of support/operational space, with three truck bays. The facility, designed by TCA Architecture and Planning, will be LEED certified and zero-net energy.

The City of Issaquah has allocated a percentage of the construction costs of this new facility for public art. The objectives of the artwork are to become a focal point that enhances the new fire station, to draw public attention to the new facility and (if possible) to reference the energy efficiency of the facility.

Artistic elements integrated into the exterior of the building are preferred over the use of stand-alone sculpture type art. Possible areas for public art include:

• Concrete retaining wall
  
• Pavers, stones, granite, tile and other elements in pathways and common areas
  
• Fence or railing features
  
• Features to be imbedded in or attached to the architecture of the building
  
• Entry way
  

Schematic plans are included at the end of this document.

Artist Qualifications
The artist must have the ability to propose, develop, design, produce, supervise and install art that will be durable over time, meet safety codes and regulations, and be integrated into the construction and the site.

Coordination will be required with the architect, construction contractor and project manager during the artwork installation.

Installation dates must comply with construction documentation.

Scope of Work
The artist will:

Design and fabricate public artwork that is highly durable and requires a minimum amount of ongoing maintenance.

Deliver the art on a timely basis

Be present to supervise installation

Materials to Submit

• Profile — Applicant Contact Information
  
  
• Current Resume (two pages maximum)
  
  
• Statement of Interest - 300 words or less that explain why you are interested in the project, how your work is appropriate for this project, and relevant past experience. If submitting as a team, the statement should include a description of how the team works together and clearly explains any collaborative work experience.
  
  
• Up to twelve images of recent work that best illustrate your qualifications for the project. Provide an explanation of the material used and the location and date of the work. JPG format only. Please burn all images to one, clearly labeled CD.
  
  
• Preliminary design sketches (can be very basic and rough — just to show general idea) with very brief explanation of the proposed design as it relates to this specific project. Explanation should include materials to be used, construction/installation method, maintenance requirements and a proposed budget.
  

Send proposal materials postmarked by November 23, 2009 to:
Amy Dukes
Arts Coordinator
City of Issaquah
PO Box 1307
Issaquah, WA 98027

Please note materials will not be returned.

Questions?
Contact Amy Dukes at amydu@ci.issaquah.wa.us or 425-837-3024.


Schedule
RFP Released October 2009
Proposals due (postmarked by) November 23, 2009
Artist Selection Panel December 2009
Artist Award Notification January 2010
Final Design Spring/Summer 2010
Installation 2011

*Schedules are subject to change


Artist Selection Process
The limited competition is open to artists who meet the following criteria:

• Responds to the RFP by the stated deadline (November 23, 2009)
  
• Submits completed information as requested in this proposal
  
• Responds to the projects objectives and demonstrates sensitivity to the public benefit
  

The artists will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Quality and strength of past work as demonstrated in the submitted application materials.
  
• Ability to create distinctive, engaging artwork appropriate in concepts, materials and scale for this project.
  
• Previous experience and/or interest in working collaboratively.
  
• Availability to start design work in early 2010.

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