Prospectus

INTRODUCTION

The Initiative for Public Art – Reston (IPAR), in partnership with the Reston Association (RA), the Reston Community Center (RCC) and the Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, seeks an artist to develop a contemporary artwork in a permanent medium that enhances two or four of the faces that frame the entrance to the Glade underpass.The artist will work with the students of the Hunters Woods Elementary School to develop the concept of the public art project and to involve them in the realization of the artwork. The artist will work with the students after school and on weekends.

This opportunity is open to established professional artists living in the metropolitan DC area. The application deadline is 11:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 7, 2010.

BACKGROUND

Community Infrastructure - Underpasses

The Public Art Master Plan for Reston adopted in December 2008, identified the underpasses that carry Reston's path system under major roadways as locations for new artwork commissions, partnering artists with Reston's elementary schools to create both temporary and permanent enhancements.

Some of Reston's most wonderful artworks were created by Gonzalo Fonseca in the underpass under North Shore Drive as part of the original development of Lake Anne Village Center. Reston's remaining 26 underpasses, however, have not benefited from such careful design or the integration of artworks. Reston's public art initiative will support the creation of new permanent artworks in and around the remaining underpasses. The initiative will especially support projects that couple artworks by professional artists with artworks by local students.

The Public Art Goals identified for the underpass projects are as follows:

• Bring distinction to the four concrete walls that frame the entrances to the underpass.
• Engage the community — schoolchildren, their parents and teachers, pedestrians and bicyclists — through direct involvement in the creation of a work of art, guided by a professional artist.
• Enhance the perception of safety by eliminating graffiti.

In addition to the general priorities for public artworks in Reston, the following priorities should guide the selection of underpass projects, in the following order of importance:

• The structure and surfaces of the underpass should be in sound condition.
• There should be a willing community partner, potentially a nearby school, that will help organize the youth component.
• The underpass should provide access to a Village Center, school or community facility.
• The underpass should be in an area of Reston that otherwise lacks public artworks.

ELIGIBILITY

The competition is open to established professional artists living in the metropolitan DC area.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Initiative for Public Art – Reston (IPAR), in partnership with the Reston Association (RA), the Reston Community Center (RCC) and the Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, seeks an artist to develop a contemporary artwork in a permanent medium that enhances two or four of the faces that frame the entrance to the Glade underpass located near Hunters Woods Elementary School and used by many of the schoolchildren.  The artist will work with the students of the Hunters Woods Elementary School to develop the public art project and to involve them in the realization of the artwork. The artist will work with the students after school and on weekends.

Outside the Glade underpass structure are concrete wing walls that extend 33 feet and rise to a height of 11 feet. The wing wall on the north side has an attached wall that is 14 feet wide and 6 feet tall. See attached photos of the exterior walls.

(click image to enlarge)

The artwork should be such that any graffiti can be cleaned off with chemical removers or by sandblasting. The artwork should be sturdy enough to withstand an urban environment. Reston Association will remove the paint that is currently on the concrete and will prepare the surface for the new artwork.

The selected artist will work with IPAR, Hunters Woods Elementary School for Arts and Sciences, RCC, and RA staff to create a site-specific, durable, artwork that attaches to the exterior faces of the underpass and serves to connect the underpass to the school and the community. The artist will be asked to address the work and spirit of the Hunters Woods Elementary School and the surrounding community; respond to the cultural diversity of the Hunters Woods community; and develop an artwork that identifies the underpass as a civic facility within the fabric of the surrounding neighborhood.  Through workshops with the schoolchildren, the artist will introduce creative skills, thereby providing them with tools to articulate their ideas and observations and the confidence to transform their physical environment.

Applicants will ideally have specific skills designing, fabricating and installing artwork in one or more of these media:

The selected artist should be able to work with plans and have an interest in working cooperatively with children, schools, community staff and community members. Artists should have experience working within the public process, in public settings, as well as a proven ability to fabricate their own work.

IPAR is committed to excellence in environmental stewardship and in sustainable practices. We encourage artists whose work addresses issues of sustainability and 'green' design to consider applying for this project.

BUDGET ($28,000)

The selected artist will receive a commission of $28,000.00, inclusive of all costs to design, fabricate, install artwork on the exterior faces of the underpass, and to work with the schoolchildren to develop a concept and guide them through the realization of the project. The artist will first receive a contract for $2,000.00 to design the artwork for the exterior faces of the underpass. Following design approval, the artist will receive a contract for $26,000.00 to fabricate and install the artwork on the faces of the underpass.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

TO ENTER

Each application requires an on-line application through Juried Art Services and must include the following:

• Non-refundable application fee of $20.00
• 2 works ( 2 views each for a total of 4 images)
• Resume highlighting experience, including completed site-specific artwork and/or public commissions
• Artist's statement
• Applications without the prerequisite components described above will be deemed incomplete and not included in the application pool reviewed by the selection committee.

IMAGES

Artists must submit 4 images (2 views of 2 works) of their work in any media of the media listed above. 

Label each image with the following:

• Title
• Date
• Medium
• Dimensions
• Budget of the project

ARTIST' RESUME AND STATEMENT

• Include a brief, one-page resume with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and website at the top.
• Include a brief (no more than 200 words) statement about the artwork you are submitting.

ENTRY FEES AND PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

$20.00

Fee is non-refundable and are payable online by credit card.

SELECTION PROCESS

Proposals will be evaluated based on aesthetic quality, sensitivity to community, responsiveness to functionality, feasibility and compatibility to the existing underpass design. Other selection criteria include adherence to specific dimension requirements, technical proficiency, durability of materials, resistance to vandalism, concern for public safety and minimum maintenance.

The selection panel will also identify artists who have a demonstrated interest in and commitment to sustainability.

IPAR is committed to reflecting the diversity and cultural richness of our community in the selection of artists and artworks.

The artist selection and design concepts will be reviewed by two committees, the Art Selection Committee and the IPAR Public Art Committee, and will then be approved by the Reston Association Design Review Board. RA staff, which will be responsible for general maintenance of the installation, will also provide a review on the maintainability of the submitted concepts.

The Art Selection Committee consists of representatives from IPAR, RCC, RA and Hunters Woods Elementary School, and professional artists who will review all applications and will select up to four finalists. The selection of the finalist(s) will then be reviewed by the IPAR Public Art Committee for their recommendations to the Art Selection Committee.

The artist selected will be notified on April 14, 2010. A meeting with the students and the parents of Hunters Woods Elementary School will be set up the week of April 26 to discuss ideas for design concepts. The artist’s design concept will be reviewed by the Art Selection Committee. The approved design concept will reviewed by the IPAR Public Art Committee for their recommendation. The approved design concept will then be presented to the Reston Association Design Review Board on May 18, 2010.

CALENDAR

The commissioned artwork for the exterior faces of the underpass should be completed by or near the end of June 2010.

Deadline for entries: 11:00 p.m., EST, Wednesday, April 7

All submissions will be online through Juried Arts Services

Art Selection Committee/Public Art Committee notification: April 14, 2010

Meeting with students of Hunters Woods Elementary School: Week of April 26, 2010

Submission of design concepts to Art Selection Committee/Public Art Committee: May 10, 2010

Presentation to the Reston Association Design & Review Board: May 18, 2010 

May/June: Workshops with students on the medium used for the artwork and realization of the artwork.

Inauguration: July, 2010

Information: Initiative for Public Art - Reston (IPAR) at info@publicartreston.org