RESOURCE GUIDE

AMERICANS for the ARTS CALL FOR ARTISTS RESOURCE GUIDE A Publication of the Public Art Network of Americans for the Arts [Image: im1] Call for Artists Resource Guide A Publication of the Public Art Network of Americans for the Arts Contents 1 / What is a Call for Artists? 1 / Call Elements: Definitions and Descriptions 4 / Getting the Word Out: Where to Advertise Your Call for Artists 5 / Sample Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 9 / Sample Request for Proposals (RFP) AMERICANS for the ARTS Washington Office 1000 Vermont Avenue NW 6th Floor Washington, DC 20005 T 202.371.2830 F 202.371.0424 [email protected] www.AmericansForTheArts.org New York Office One East 53rd Street New York, NY 10022 T 212.223-2787 F 212.980.4857 © 2003, Americans for the Arts. WHETHER YOUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM has been writing calls for artists for years or your organization is just getting started with commissioning public art, the Call for Artists Resource Guide contains information that will help you announce opportunities to artists that clearly describe your projects and give them the information they need to submit applications. The Call for Artists Resource Guide was developed by the Public Art Network (PAN), a program of Americans for the Arts. PAN is designed to provide services to the diverse field of public art and to develop strategies and tools to improve communities through public art. Its key constituents are public art professionals, visual artists, design professionals, as well as communities and organizations planning public art projects and programs. Copies of this resource guide may be downloaded free of charge on the Public Art Network section of the Americans for the Arts website, www.AmericansForTheArts.org/PAN. For more information about PAN or Americans for the Arts, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org/PAN. Author Renee Piechocki Public Art Network Facilitator Americans for the Arts Reviewers PAN Services Committee Members Greg Esser and Marc Pally What is a Call for Artists? Public art programs and organizations commissioning public art projects enlist artists to be considered for their projects in a variety of ways, including calls for artists, juried slide registries, and direct invitations. A Call for Artists is an opportunity notice that gives artists the information they need to know in order to apply to be considered for the project. Issuing a Call for Artists is a standard practice of the public art field. There are currently over 347 public art programs in the United States. They can be rural or urban; government agencies based in municipalities, counties, or statewide; or private nonprofit organizations run independently or as part of a local arts agency. Types of Calls There are two types of Calls for Artists: Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) and Requests for Proposals (RFP). An RFQ asks artists to send in their qualifications to be reviewed by the selection panel but does not ask for a specific proposal to be submitted. Organizations use RFQs when they choose to work with a smaller pool of artists, or a single artist, based on their qualifications, to develop a detailed proposal for the site at a later stage. An RFP asks artists to submit their qualifications as well as a proposal for a specific site. Organizations use RFPs when they want to solicit proposals from a larger pool of artists or need to solicit proposals based on funding or government regulations. There has been discussion within the field of public art about the appropriateness of RFPs and RFQs. PAN’s issue paper, Methods of Artist Selection: Best Practices, discusses this topic online at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/PAN. Call Elements: Definitions and Descriptions Below is a list of content typically found in a Call for Artists, with advice on how to clearly convey your information. Call Summary A brief project summary The Call Summary helps artists quickly decide whether they are interested or eligible for the call, and lets organizations posting your call decide how it should be advertised. Include the project name, commissioning organization, application deadline, project timeline, budget, geographic eligibility requirements, and whether it is an RFP or RFQ. Project Description An overview of the artist’s scope of services Discuss whether it is a design-team project, a commission of new work, an artist residency, a purchase of existing work, or another type of opportunity. Include a description of the organizations involved with the project. Artwork Goals A list of any predetermined goals for the artwork established by the commissioning organization, funder, or community The specificity of the artwork goals will range by commissioning organization and project.They can be broad—e.g., create a sense of place within the community—or specific—e.g., design streetscape elements that reflect the industrial history of the neighborhood. Artwork Location Description A description of where the artwork will be placed within the commission site Sometimes the location for an artwork is predetermined by the funder, commissioning organization, or community before a Call for Artists is distributed. If this applies to your project, give a highly detailed description of where the artwork will be located within the site, especially for an RFP. The description should include, but not be limited to: engineering or architectural information about the location’s structure, materials used at the location, visibility within the site, and lighting. If the artwork location is not predetermined, state whether or not the artist will be able to participate in selecting the artwork location(s). Site or Artwork Location Plans Plans, photographs, or other visual information of the site or artwork location If available, or applicable, include plans or photographs for the artwork location and project site. If this is not feasible, post the information online and include a link in the Call for Artists. Site History or Descript