request for qualifications houston arts alliance & … · about alief neighbohood center the...

Project OverviewThe Civic Art Program of the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA), requests the submission of qualifications from artists or artist-teams for consideration to design, fabricate, and install major permanent works of public art for the AliefNeighborhood Center. Three Opportunities for the Commission of Original Permanent

Artwork Client/Funder: The City of Houston General Services Department Budget: Up to $262,633.00 for each of the three artwork

opportunities. Location: 11903 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, Texas Artist Eligibility: Greater Houston Area Application Deadline: Monday, May 11, 2020 at 11:59 pm CST

About the City of Houston’s Civic Art Program Houston’s Civic Art Ordinance was established in 1999.

The ordinance requires that 1.75 percent of the budget for eligible City-funded construction projects be used to create new artworks for conserve artworks in the City Art Collection.

Houston’s Civic Art Program has commissioned hundreds of site-specific artworks and completed conservation projects across the city.

The City Art Collection provides residents and visitors the opportunity to encounter art in airports, the convention center, libraries, parks, police stations, health and recreation centers and streetscapes.

There are more than 600 pieces in the City Art Collection that include paintings, murals, prints, drawings, photographs, videos, stained glass, statues, sculptures, monuments, and fountains.

About Houston Arts Alliance Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture

organization whose principle work is to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments.

HAA’s work is conducted through contracts with the City of Houston, overseen by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

HAA also executes privately funded special projects to meet the needs of the arts community, such as disaster preparation, research on the state of the arts in Houston, and temporary public art projects that energize neighborhoods.

In short, HAA helps artists and arts nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong.

About Alief Neighbohood Center

The Alief Neighborhood Center combines three City of Houston departments under one roof creating a civic center at the heart of a redeveloped 38-acre active urban sports park. A new paradigm for providing City services, the 70,000sf 3-story building is the first-of-its-kind, designed to leverage synergies between the Houston Health, Houston Parks and Recreation, and Houston Public LibraryDepartments for the benefit of residents with special focus on community engagement, identity, and overall wellbeing.

Project Goals Artworks should be sensitive and/or responsive to the diverse history, culture,

and identity of the neighborhood and surrounding community.

Artworks must be family friendly, suitable for public display, and free of safety hazards

Artworks must meet or exceed City of Houston ADA requirements

Artworks should be resistant to graffiti and vandalism and require minimal maintenance.

Artwork must have an expected life span of at least 20 years

Artwork should make a significant artistic addition to the City Art Collection.

Budget Up to $262,633.00 for each of the 3 project sites. This

amount is inclusive of all work including, but not limited to, design proposals, artists fees, design, engineering, permitting, insurance costs for each year of the project, lighting (if necessary), software, studio and project administration, travel, fabrication, all materials, installation, and required documentation.

Locations and Site

INTERIOR ARTWORK, “STAIR-A-TORIUM” - A suspended sculpture, structure, or other artistic intervention located within the West entrance to the building. The artwork will be visible to all visitors in the facility.

INTERIOR ARTWORK, EAST ENTRY - A suspended sculpture, structure, or other artistic intervention located within the East entrance to the building. The artwork will be visible to all visitors in the facility.

EXTERIOR ARTWORK, BUTTERFLY GARDEN - A sculpture, structure, or other artistic intervention located near the planned Butterfly Garden.

About Alief

https://www.houstontx.gov/superneighborhoods/25.htmlCommunity Motto: "The friendliest, most diverse community in Houston“

http://aliefsuperneighborhood.org/

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

View from Bellaire Blvd.

View from the Butterfly Garden

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

West Entrance “Stair-a-torium”

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

West Entrance “Stair-a-torium”

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

West Entrance “Stair-a-torium”

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

West Entrance “Stair-a-torium”

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

East Entrance Interior

The New Alief Neighborhood Center

East Entrance Interior

Eligibility

Image and map from “Houston Facts” published by Greater Houston Partnership

Greater Houston Area

• Harris County• Fort Bend County• Montgomery County• Brazoria County• Galveston County• Liberty County• Waller County• Chambers County• Austin County

Eligibilty Open to all artists and artist-teams over 18 years of age residing and working in the

Greater Houston Area, except as indicated below. Houston-area artists and artist-teams are strongly encouraged to apply. Artists not currently represented in the City of Houston Art Collection or artists whose

work in the Collection was acquired for less than $50,000.00 on a single project.

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY: Artists currently under contract for a City of Houston Civic Art project. Artists currently represented in the City of Houston Art Collection by an artwork with

an original cost above $50,000.00. City of Houston employees. Elected City Officials, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Staff, and their immediate

family. Employees, Board members, and Advisory Board members of Houston Arts Alliance,

and their immediate family.

Selection Process

A Selection Panel comprised of arts professionals and City Department Representatives will review qualified submissions.

Three (3) short-listed artists will be commissioned to create concept designs for each project and paid a $1,500 stipend to present their concept design to the artist Selection Panel.

Finalist Concept designs will be available to the community for input and voting.

Contracting Artist finalists will be contracted to create their proposals.

The final commission for this project will be broken out into two separate contracts with HAA, one for design and one for construction (i.e. “commission”). The selected artist must be able and willing to sign contracts for design and commission.

Sample Contracts (links on the project application): Attachment A2 - Artist Services Agreement for Design:

https://files.haatx.com/docs/public-art/Attachment_A2_-_Artist_Services_Agreement_for_Design.pdf

Attachment A3 - Artist Services Agreement for Commission: https://files.haatx.com/docs/public-art/Attachment_A3_-_Artist_Services_Agreement_for_Commission.pdf

Application Requirements 1. Resume(s) - Artist(s) resume or CV, relevant information for any other

key team members (3 pages maximum per team member)

2. Statement of intent – stating your interest in the project and ability to complete the project (1,000 words maximum)

3. Biography/artist statement - (500 words maximum)

4. Work examples - Digital images of completed commissions/artworks. Applicants should submit up to 10 images in JPEG format only with each image no larger than 5 MB.

Application Requirements 5. References - Contact information for three professional references

Please read the application requirements carefully.

To submit, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs/alief-rfq.html

You must have or create a Submittable account to view the application.

Applications not sent via Submittable will not be considered.

Timeline: Application Process RFQ released: Week of April 1, 2020 Artist Info Session # 1 Thursday, April 16, 2020 Artist Info Session # 2 Saturday, April 25, 2020 Deadline for questions: Friday, May 1, 2020 RFQ deadline: Monday, May 11, 2020 RFQ notification: Monday, June 1, 2020 RFP released to finalists: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 RFP deadline: Monday, July 20, 2020Please note that all dates are subject to change without notice.

RFQ deadline: Monday, May 11, 2020 RFQ notification: Monday, June 1, 2020 RFP released to finalists: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 RFP deadline: Monday, July 20, 2020 Artist proposal presentations: Week of July 20-24, 2020; Date TBD Selection and approvals: July 27 – August 28, 2020

Finalist proposals reviewed by Selection Panel Recommended artist presented for a vote to the HAA Civic Art

Committee Recommended artist then presented for a vote to the HAA Board

of Directors Recommended artist then presented to the City of Houston for

approvalPlease note that all dates are subject to change without notice.

Timeline: Selection Process

Timeline: Fabrication and Installation Selected artist notified by HAA: Friday, August 28, 2020 Contract released to artist: Monday, August 31, 2020 Project design, fabrication, and installation:

September 2020 – Winter 2021 Project completion: Winter 2021

Please note that all dates are subject to change without notice.

Questions? If you have other questions, please submit them by

email by Friday, May 1, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. CST to civicart@haatx.com.

Questions will be answered as they are received and no later than Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Other HAA Opportunities COVID-19 Resources for the Arts Communityready.haatx.com/covid-19

GREATER HOUSTON AREA ARTS RELIEF FUNDDeadline: April 30, 2020

Let Creativity Happen! Digital GrantDeadline: May 18, 2020houstonartsalliance.com/funding-and-services/grant-opportunitiesup to $2,500 for specific projects that amplify artistic creativity and innovation taking pace in the city of Houston. LCH! Digital is a new pilot program, under this grant category, that specifically supports the use of technology to connect people to art beyond the physical boundaries of a space and to expand the value of art in communities.

THANK YOU!

Stay Safe!