PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN Proposal Submittal Due Date September 1, 2016 Submit Questions and Proposal to: Kevin Casey Community Development Specialist 39 Main St Montpelier, Vermont

2 THE OPPORTUNITY The (City) is soliciting proposals from qualified Firms, Consultants or Consultant Teams with specific experience in public art master planning for the purpose of developing a Public Art Master Plan which will be incorporated into the City Comprehensive Master Plan currently under development. The selected Consultant will work in conjunction with City staff and the project s leadership team to gather and utilize broad public involvement in the creation the Master Plan. Proposals should include information demonstrating experience in public arts planning, community outreach and information requested in this RFP. BACKGROUND AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION Montpelier has a population of 7,900 and is the cultural and economic hub of Central Vermont, serving a thirty-mile radius with 23 towns and a population of 66,000. Thousands of tourists visit the Capital City throughout the year to experience our lively downtown. All of Montpelier s neighborhoods are within walking distance of downtown, adding to the community s commitment to making the downtown a vibrant gathering place. Montpelier is known as one of Vermont s most progressive and activist communities with an engaged citizenry, which will serve the project well as we work to include diverse sectors of the community. The City is currently developing a new transit hub in the heart of downtown with $8.8 million in local, state and federal funds. Known as One Taylor Street, the project is Montpelier s largest private-to-public development in the past 30 years. One Taylor Street will break ground in 2016 on a four-story building with a 6,000 sq. ft. foot-print. The remaining portion of the site will include green space, the long-planned continuation of the Montpelier bike path connecting it into the heart of downtown the removal of two buildings to make way for the bike path and new green space, and a new pedestrian/bike bridge over the Winooski River to connect the transit hub site and bike path to downtown. One Taylor Street, which is being called the new gateway to Montpelier, has been catalytic for other design and community development projects. The recently participated in the EPA s Greening of America s Capitals project. Downtown merchants approved a Downtown Improvement District tax to fund downtown cultural activities and streetscape improvements. Additionally, a Downtown Design Summit was organized and attended by a standing-room-only crowd to better engage the community in these developing projects. Those efforts led directly to the city pursuing opportunities for beautification and art. Towards that end, the applied for and was awarded a $50,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in The City Council approved a $50,000 match. $15,000 has been secured in in-kind support, and the remaining $49,000 will be raised by the project leadership team. The project has a $164,000 total budget, split into three areas as follows: $50,000 for a consultant to develop the Public Art Master Plan; $50,000 for the commission and installation of a work of public art at the One Taylor Street site; and, $64,000 for creative visioning workshops, project administration, and publicity. The City will hire through this RFP a consultant to complete the first step above and help lead a 2

3 community-wide planning process that engages the greater community in the development of the Public Art Master Plan. The planning process will include small focus groups, individual interviews, large community exercises, and public hearings. The centerpiece of the planning process will be a series of five creative visioning workshops led by teaching artists from different disciplines. These hands-on workshops will lead community members to create expressions of their vision for how art can increase our sense of place and community. Each workshop will culminate in a public event to exhibit the creative visioning work, with reflection time with the audience to gather input for the master plan. These creative workshops will take place in various locations downtown. After the consultants work is complete on the Public Art Master Plan, the project will culminate with the installation of the first major city-funded public art work. This commissioned work, which is budgeted for $50,000 as part of the project, will celebrate the community s work at developing the Public Art Master Plan and the adoption of the plan as a central component of city planning. The consultant will not be responsible for fundraising. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Submission of Proposals One signed (1) original, six (6) bound copies, and one (1) PDF file on Compact Disc of all Proposal documents shall be submitted. Proposer s name and address should be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope/package. , facsimile, or telephone proposals will not be accepted or considered. Proposal information that is not submitted as part of the sealed packages will not be considered. Sole Point of Contact The sole point of contact for this RFP is Kevin Casey, Community Development Specialist, Kcasey@montpelier-vt.org. Direct all questions, comments, and/or requests for clarification or change regarding this RFP or the anticipated contract to this individual. Questions will not be accepted by phone. Mail or Hand-deliver Responses to: Delivery of Proposals Kevin Casey Community Development Specialist 39 Main St Montpelier, Vermont Kcasey@montpelier-vt.org Proposals must be received no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, August 15, The Consultant submitting the Proposal is responsible for the means of delivering the Proposals to the 3

4 location listed in the paragraph above and in accordance to the established deadline. Delays for any reason will be the responsibility of the vendor or firm submitting the Proposal. Proposals must be completed and delivered in sufficient time to avoid disqualification for lateness due to difficulties in delivery. The City time and date stamp clock is the official clock for determining whether submittals are submitted timely. Late Proposal documents will not be accepted under any circumstances. General Instructions for Proposal Submittal I. Due Date - The proposal due date is subject to change. If the proposal due date is changed, all known recipients of the original RFP will be notified of the new date. II. III. IV. Submission - The submission of the Proposal shall be an indication that the proposer has investigated and satisfied him/herself as to the conditions to be encountered, the character, quality and scope of the work to be performed, and the requirements of the City, including all terms and conditions contained within this RFP. Completion of Responses - Information presented in the Proposals will be used to evaluate the Public Art Master Planning Services that best fits the needs of the City of Montpelier. The lowest proposed cost is not the sole criterion of recommending the contract award. Responses shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. Statements made by a Proposer shall be without ambiguity, and with adequate elaboration, where necessary, for clear understanding. Clarifications and Issuance of Addenda Any explanation, clarification, or interpretation desired by a Proposer regarding any part of this RFP must be requested in the form of writing, ed to Kevin Casey (Kcasey@montpelier-vt.org), by August 8. If the City, in its sole discretion, determines that a clarification is required, such clarification shall be issued in writing. Interpretations, corrections or changes to the RFP made in any other manner other than writing are not binding upon the City, and Proposers shall not rely upon such interpretations, corrections or changes. Oral explanations or instructions given before the award of the Contract are not binding. Any interpretations, corrections or changes to this RFP will be made by addendum. Sole issuing authority of addenda shall be vested in the City. Proposers shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda within the responses. V. Registration of Bidders All potentially interested responders to this RFP must register with Kevin Casey by sending an to Kcasey@montpelier-vt.org and stating interest in this RFP. Changes and clarifications to this RFP will only be sent out to those Vendors and Firms that have registered and identified themselves as an interested responder. VI. VII. Withdrawal of Proposals - An authorized representative of the company may withdraw a Proposal at any time, upon presentation of acceptable identification as an authorized representative of such company. Award of Contract - It is understood that the City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Proposals and to re-solicit for Proposals, as it shall deem to be in the best 4

5 interests of the City. Receipt and consideration of any Proposals shall under no circumstances obligate the City to accept any Proposals. The award of this contract shall be made to the responsible Vendor or Firm whose Proposal is determined to be the best evaluated offer, taking into consideration demonstrated competence, qualifications and response to the Scope of Work to perform the service solicited in the RFP. Any reference to the word bid contained in this RFP shall mean Proposal. VIII. IX. Tentative Schedule of Events RFP Release Date August 1, 2016 Deadline for Questions August 22, :00 PM (Eastern Time) Proposals Due Date September 1, :00 PM (Eastern Time) Proposer Selection September 2016 Contract Negotiations/Legal Review September, 2016 City Council Approval (anticipated) October, 2016 Notice to Proceed (anticipated) October 2016 Period of Acceptance - Proposer acknowledges that by submitting the Proposal, Proposer makes an offer that, if accepted in whole or part by the City, constitutes a valid and binding contract as to any and all items accepted in writing by the City. The period of acceptance of Proposals will be no more than one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the date of opening, unless the City determines a different period. X. Cost Incurred in Responding - All costs directly or indirectly related to preparation of a response to the RFP or any oral presentation required to supplement and/or clarify a Proposals which may be required by the City shall be the sole responsibility of proposer and shall be borne by the participating Proposers. XI. XII. XIII. Negotiations - The City reserves the right to negotiate all elements that comprise the successful Proposer s response to ensure that the best possible consideration be afforded to all concerned. Contract Incorporation - The contract documents shall include a Professional Services Agreement provided by the, the RFP, the Response to the RFP and such other terms and conditions as the parties may agree. In the event of a conflict between the documents, the order of precedence is (1) the Professional Services Agreement, (2) the RFP, (3) the Response to the RFP. Non-endorsement - If a Proposal is accepted, the successful Proposer shall not issue any news releases or other statements pertaining to the award or servicing of the agreement that state or imply the City s endorsement of the successful Proposer s services without prior approval of the City. XIV. Proposal Evaluation Process The Evaluation and Selection Committee will evaluate the Proposals and select a qualified Consultant. This Committee will determine the responsiveness and acceptability of each Proposal. The Evaluating Committee may request additional information from Consultants. Following their review of Proposals, the Evaluating Committee will interview the best-qualified Consultants who may be asked to present a demonstration of their proposed qualifications and scope of 5

6 work for final evaluation. The City anticipates selecting a single Consultant or Firm that will be recommended for contract award. XV. XVI. Proposal Evaluation Factors All proposals received by the specified deadline will be reviewed by the evaluating committee for content, fee, related experience, and professional qualifications of consultants. City employees will not participate in the selection process when those employees have a relationship with a person or business entity submitting a proposal. Any person or business entity submitting a proposal who has such a relationship with a City employee who may be involved in the selection process shall advise the City of the name of the City employee in the proposal. The City may, during the evaluation process, request from any proposer additional information which the City deems necessary to determine the proposer s ability to perform the required services. If such information is requested, the proposer shall be permitted three (3) working days to submit the information requested. a. Errors - An error in the proposal may cause the rejection of that proposal; however, the City may, in its sole discretion, retain the proposal and ask for certain corrections. In determining if a correction will be made, the City will consider the conformance of the proposal to the format and content required by the RFP, and any unusual complexity of the format and content required by the RFP. If the proposer s intent is clearly established based on review of the complete proposal submittal, the City may, at its sole option, correct an error based on that established content. The City may also correct obvious clerical errors. The City may also request clarification from a proposer on any item in a proposal that the City believes to be in error. b. The, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to change or cancel this RFP; to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP; to decide whether a proposal does or does not substantially comply with the submittal requirements and procedures described in the RFP; to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal; to waive informalities and minor irregularities in any proposals received; to obtain references regarding any Proposer s past performance from any source; and to negotiate a contract with the successful Proposer. Failure to furnish all information requested or to follow the format requested herein may disqualify the proposer, in the sole discretion of the City. False, incomplete, misleading or unresponsive statements in a proposal may also be sufficient cause for a proposal s rejection. Neither issuance of this RFP nor evaluation of any proposal(s) obligates the City to award a contract from this RFP. c. The City reserves the right to select the proposal which in its sole judgment best meets the needs of the City. The lowest proposed cost is not the sole criterion for recommending contract award. d. All firms responding to this RFP will be notified of their selection or non-selection in writing after the evaluating committee has completed the selection process. Proposal Format and Contents: This section outlines the general conditions under which the Proposal shall be made as well as instructions on how to prepare and submit the official proposal to the City. For ease of review and to facilitate evaluation, the proposals for this project should be organized according to the Table of Contents, indexed (including tabs), numbered pages, and bound. Proposals shall be on 8-1/2 6

7 X 11 paper using a font size no smaller than 11 point, with an easily readable font. The total numbers of pages in the proposal shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages (suggested page limits are listed below). Include all listed items in the sequence indicated and presented in the order defined below. Cover Page: Name of the Consultant and project title Table of Contents (tabbed and indexed in this order, tabs only needed for numbered categories): 1. Executive Summary (1 page) 2. Contact Information and Experience (5-7 page) a) Contact information b) Central Point of Contact c) Organizational Information d) Qualifications and Experience 3. Scope of Work (5-12 pages) a) Project Implementation and Timeline b) Community Outreach and Public Participation c) Master Plan 4. Budget (2 pages) 5. Identification of Subcontractors (1 page) 6. Attachment A - Budget Form (1 page) 7. Attachment B - Authorized Representative Certification Form (1 page) 8. Additional Information 1. Executive Summary 2. Contact Information and Experience a) Contact information Name, title, , and contact information of person able to enter into agreements for the consultant or firm. Include the name and telephone number of the person(s) authorized to execute the proposed contract. If two or more firms are involved in a joint venture or association, the proposal must clearly delineate the respective areas of authority and responsibility of each party. All parties signing the Agreement with the City must be individually liable for the completion of the entire project even when the areas of responsibility under the terms of the joint venture or association are limited. Proposal Questions - Name, , title and contact information for person responsible for questions related to this Proposal. Authorized Negotiator - Name, , title and contact information for person that is authorized to negotiate contract terms and render binding decisions on contractual matters. b) Central Point of Contact 7

8 Consultant must provide a central point of contact for the project. This person would be the go-to when staff have questions or issues during the Master Planning process. c) Organizational Information Provide specific information concerning the consultant or firm in this section, state organization s full name and address and identify parent company if the organization is a subsidiary. Specify the branch office or other subordinate element that will perform, or assist in performing. Indicate whether the organization operates as a partnership, corporation or sole proprietorship (public or private). Include the state in which Vendor is incorporated or licensed to operate. d) Qualifications and Experience Provide specific information in this section concerning the Consultant s experience in the services specified in this RFP, preferably within the Northeast region of the country. Relevant information includes, but is not limited to: o Total number of years in operation, general scope of services provided, and current principal area of expertise o Number of years the firm has been providing master planning services o Provide a concise description of each team member s qualifications related to the Scope of Work and of arts and culture plans that the applicant has been involved in o Include any experience working with the public, with local government, and/or under public/private partnerships o Identification of team members who will be involved with the project as well as professional resume of each member is required. Team members may only be added with written notification to the City s project manager o List of Similar or Comparable Projects with client s name (list projects in reverse chronological order beginning with the most recent and include project description, project initial budget, initial project cost, contracted cost, current cost and duration of the project). Full contact details to be provided if requested. o Minimum qualifications include previous experience in developing public art master plans for communities and municipalities, the ability to gather and evaluate qualitative data and effectively communicate effectively, the ability to build consensus among varied constituents, and strong research and technical writing skills. This Master Planning project requires a consultant with strong observation, listening, analytical, and public speaking skills; attention to detail and the ability to work independently 8

9 and produce high-quality written materials within the given deadlines. An understanding of contemporary public art within an historic community setting is also desired. o Provide five (5) business references, include entity name, address, and telephone number, contact person s name and a brief synopsis of Vendors product and/or service relationship. Two of these references should be from other organizations of preferably of a similar size for which the firm or consultant has provided similar services. o Any and all judgments, pending, or expected litigation or other real or potential financial reversals that might materially affect the viability or stability of the proposing organization or warrant that no such conditions exist. The City may, at any time, investigate a Consultant s ability to perform the work. The City may ask for additional information about a company and its work on previous contracts. Please be aware that the City may use sources of information not supplied by the Vendor concerning the abilities to perform this work. Such sources may include, for instance, current or past customers of the organization; current or past suppliers; articles from data processing, communications and related publications; articles from other published sources such as industry newsletters or from nonpublished sources made available to the City. 3. Scope of Work - The purpose of this RFP is to enter into an agreement with an individual/vendor/firm that will develop a Public Art Master to guide the City in the creation and programming of public art and related activities. a) Project Implementation and Timeline - The City s proposed start date for this project is October 2016 and a completion date of July 2018 (See project timeline in NEA Narrative Attachment B). Describe how you or the Team will respond to this timeline. The proposal should include a detailed project implementation plan, including specific tasks, who performs those tasks (e.g. City, Vendor, etc.), and a timeline for project completion. b) Research - Reviewing the s existing public design initiatives. c) Community Outreach and Public Participation - Coordinating community input process to assess current and projected public art needs in Montpelier, including but not limited to: surveys, public meetings, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups from: Community meetings from broad sectors Focus groups especially with members, organizations and businesses in the arts and culture sector Random sample, statically valid surveys of the community Ethnically and culturally diverse residents 9

10 People with disabilities Youth and senior populations This process should also include work sessions with staff, the Project Steering Committee, the City Council and other community stakeholders and should result in recommendations concerning programming, facilities and physical artworks needed to serve the community s needs and interests. Please provide details in your proposal about the number of surveys you anticipate needing, anticipated time and location of public meetings and other specific and detailed information about the public input process. Deliverables: Develop work plan detailing the community outreach strategy and timeline Graphic and written information (flyers, surveys, questionnaires, press releases, etc.) to support the public outreach efforts On-site educational programming related to public art Presentations to Public Boards, Commissions and City Council as needed A minimum of three public meetings: o Broad spectrum community o Businesses o Art Organizations Surveys including the follow at minimum: o Businesses and community organizations o Artists o Neighborhood Organizations o Art Organizations/Groups NOTE: The Proposer will not be responsible for implementing the creative visioning workshops outlined in National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant proposal narrative (see Attachment B). The Proposer will work closely with the Executive Committee on the design and scheduling of the workshops to ensure that they serve the goals of the project. However, the Proposer should not include any expenses related to the creative visioning workshops in their proposed budget. Master Plan - Developing a plan that articulates goals, identifies resources and proposes prioritized strategies, timelines and cost estimates for the funding, placement, creation and maintenance of public art in Montpelier, with a focus on the Downtown. The Master Plan should include but is not limited to the following elements: Summary of research, observations and community outreach results; confirmation or revision of the community s arts and culture goals Summary of the relevant, unique, cultural characteristics, elements and aspirations of Downtown Montpelier as a focus area Suggestions and rationales for themes or aspects of the community s unique character to highlight or address through public art 10

11 Suggestions and rationales for the placement of artwork at specific sites to support and enhance the community s goals Suggestions and rationales for happenings, time-based art, temporary art, cultural events or any other arts and culture-related activities that will support and enhance the community s goals Summary of funding models for public art projects, analysis of existing funding sources and recommendations for which model(s) this community should use A clear implementation strategy that includes priorities for the short term (6 months to two years), midterm (two to five years) and long term (five to ten years), as well as estimated costs associated with each priority Deliverables: All written and graphic materials to conduct community engagement, workshops and presentations Cost Estimates for plan implementation Master Plan delivered on CD or Flash Drive in both PDF and other original format (such as Word) and 10 (ten) final bound copies (all copies must be in color and bound with Spiral Binding or Wire-O binding, plastic comb is not acceptable) 4. Attachment A Budget Form - The total budget for the work requested in this RFP should not exceed $50,000. The budget is intended to cover the expense of a Consultant, Consultant Team or Firm to conduct research, gather community input, and develop a plan that articulates goals, identifies resources and proposes prioritized strategies, timelines and cost estimates for the funding, placement, creation and maintenance of public art in Montpelier, with a focus on the Downtown and all the other deliverables mentioned in the Scope of Work. The proposal shall clearly state all of the costs associated with the project, broken down by category of products and services. Provide all fixed fees that are available. If some fees will be based on a time and materials-based payment model, include information listing the hourly rates by name and title for each key personnel proposed by role and title. Provide sufficient information for City staff to determine the total contract price for all components that make up the total budget. Please utilize the Budget Form (Attachment A) in the creation of your project Budget. The project costs should include all expenses that will be charged to the City including, but not limited to: a. Costs for professional services, broken down by hours and rates for each type of service (e.g Project Management, Research, Writing, Surveying, Meeting Facilitation, Presentations, etc.) b. Communications c. Documentation reproduction d. Travel and Expenses e. Taxes f. Other fees Failure to not clearly identify all costs associated with the proposal may be cause for rejection of the Consultant s proposal. 5. Identification of Subcontractors Identify all subcontractors intended to be used for the proposed scope of work. For each subcontractor listed, indicate (1) what 11

12 products and/or services are to be supplied by that subcontractor and, (2) what percentage of the overall scope of work that subcontractor will perform. 6. Additional Information - Include any other information you believe to be pertinent, but that is not required. Do not exceed the page limit listed above. XVII. XVIII. XIX. Disqualification of Vendors Vendors may be disqualified for any of the following reasons: Reason to believe collusion exists among the Vendors The Vendor is involved in any litigation against the City The Vendor is in arrears on an existing contract or has defaulted on a previous contract with the City Failure to perform under previous or present contracts with the City Insurance The selected proposer will be required to obtain liability insurance as required of all City vendors performing services on behalf of the City. Securing this insurance is a condition of award for this contract. Rules and Regulations a) All proposers submit their proposals to the City with the understanding that the recommended selection of the review committee is final and subject only to review and final approval by the City Manager and/or City Council. b) Upon submission, all proposals shall be treated as confidential documents until the selection process is completed. Once the selections are made, all proposals shall be deemed public record. In the event that a proposer desires to claim portions of its proposal exempt from disclosure, it is incumbent upon the proposer to clearly identify those portions with the word Confidential printed on the top right hand corner of each page for which such privilege is claimed. Each page shall be clearly marked and readily separable from the proposal in order to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the proposal. The City will consider a proposer s request for exemptions from disclosure; however, the City will make its decision based upon applicable laws. An assertion by a Proposer that the entire proposal, or large portions, is exempt from disclosure will not be honored. Prices, makes and models or catalog numbers of the items offered, deliverables, and terms of payment shall be publicly available regardless of any designation to the contrary. c) The City will endeavor to restrict distribution of material designated as confidential to only those individuals involved in the review and analysis of the proposals. Proposers are cautioned that materials designated as confidential may nevertheless be subject to disclosure. Proposers are advised that the City does not wish to receive confidential or proprietary information and proposers are not to supply such information except when it is absolutely necessary. All confidential or proprietary information must be labeled. If any information or materials in any proposal submitted are labeled confidential or proprietary, the proposal shall include the following clause: 12

13 i. [Legal name of proposer] shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the, its officers, agents and employees from and against any request, action or proceeding of any nature and any damages or liability of any nature, concerning or in any way involving any materials or information in this proposal that [legal name of proposer] has labeled as confidential, proprietary or otherwise not subject to disclosure as a public record. XX. Duration of Proposal; Cancellation of Awards; Time of the Essence a) All proposals will remain in effect and shall be legally binding for at least one hundred eighty (180) days. b) The selected firm will be required to execute an agreement with the City for the services requested within sixty (60) days of the City s notice of intent to award. If agreement on the terms and conditions that are acceptable to the City cannot be achieved within that timeframe, or after reasonable attempts to negotiate such terms and conditions, it appears that an agreement will not be possible, as determined at the sole discretion of the City, the City reserves the right to cancel any intent to award and proceed with the awards to other consultants. Attachments: Attachment A Budget Form Attachment B National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant Proposal Narrative 13

14 Attachment A Budget Form Note: Add details and make changes as appropriate Entity (Consultant or Sub-consultant) Consultant X Contractor Y Task 1: Professional Services Project Management Research Writing Surveying Meeting Facilitation Presentations Task Description Rate Unit Cost Number of Units Total Task 2: Communications Task 3: Documentation Reproduction Task 4: Travel and Expenses Task 5: Taxes Task 6: Other Expenses or Fees Total Budgeting

15 Attachment B National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant Proposal Narrative Excerpts The following excerpts are from the s application to the National Endowment for the Arts for support to develop a Master Plan for Public Art. The City was awarded $50,000 for the project, which has a $164,000 total budget over the two-year span of the project. The budget includes expenses for planning, hiring a consultant to help implement the project and write the final Master Plan report, visioning workshops led by teaching artists to engage the community in the planning process, and the commission and installation of a major work of public art to be installed at the One Taylor Street site at the conclusion of the project and the announcement of the Master Plan. PROJECT TITLE Montpelier ArtSynergy Project MAJOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES This project comes at an exciting time for Montpelier. The City is currently developing a new transit hub in the heart of downtown with $8.8 million in local, state and federal funds. Known as One Taylor Street, the project is Montpelier s largest private-to-public development in the past 30 years. One Taylor Street will break ground in 2016 on a four-story building with a 6,000 sq. ft. foot-print. The remaining portion of the site will include green space, the long-planned continuation of the Montpelier bike path connecting it into the heart of downtown the removal of two buildings to make way for the bike path and new green space, and a new pedestrian/bike bridge over the Winooski River to connect the transit hub site and bike path to downtown. One Taylor Street, which is being called the new gateway to Montpelier, has been catalytic for other design and community development projects. The recently participated in the EPA s Greening of America s Capitals project. Downtown merchants approved a Downtown Improvement District tax to fund downtown cultural activities and streetscape improvements. And a Downtown Design Summit was organized and attended by a standing-room-only crowd to better engage the community in these developing projects. Although these design and cultural initiatives are generating excitement and new energy, there is not any public art master planning that connects horizontally through all projects. The Montpelier ArtSynergy Project seeks to create a Public Art Master Plan that will bring the community together to understand how to connect-the-dots between these and future design and cultural initiatives for greater community and economic development. The City will hire a consultant to help lead a community-wide planning process that engages the greater community in the development of the Public Art Master Plan. The planning process will include small focus groups, individual interviews, large community exercises, and public hearings. The centerpiece of the planning process will be a series of five creative visioning workshops led by teaching artists from different disciplines. These hands-on workshops will lead community members to create expressions of their vision for how art can increase our sense of place and community. Each workshop will culminate in a public event to exhibit the creative visioning works, with reflection time with the audience to gather input for the master plan. These creative workshops will take place in various locations downtown. The Montpelier ArtSynergy Project will culminate with the installation of the first major city-funded public art work. This commissioned work will celebrate the community s work at developing the Public Art Master Plan and the adoption of the plan as a central component of city planning. 15

16 PROJECT OUTCOMES Livability outcomes for the Montpelier ArtSynergy Project include: 1) increased capacities of our cultural sector, city government and greater community to work together to create a stronger sense of place that supports shared community and economic goals; 2) Increased interweaving of cultural and community assets: arts, transit, commerce, green space; 3) Increased opportunities for expression of our community s cultural values; 4) increased levels of social and civic engagement through the arts. BREIFLY DESCRIBE SUBSTANTIVE AND MEANINGFUL ENAGEMENT WITH THE TARGET COMMUNITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHARED VISION FOR YOUR PROJECT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION. At the heart of the project will be a five creative visioning workshops led by teaching artists from various disciplines. The workshops will be designed to engage diverse segments of the community, from elementary students to elderly, and traditionally marginalized communities. Workshops will range from stand-alone events, to residencies of up to a week. The teaching artists will lead the participants to engage in a creative process that expresses their feelings about the future of Montpelier and the role that art could play in bringing the community together. The workshops will culminate in public performances/exhibits in the downtown district of the works created by the participants. These culminating events will include a facilitated reflection with the audience and the participants to explore the ideas and questions raised about the future role that art can play in strengthening Montpelier s livability and vibrancy. PRIMARY PARTNER PROPOSED ROLE: The Community Engagement Lab (communityengagementlab.org) has had a lead role in planning the project for the past two years, helping to organize stakeholders, designing the project scope, and presenting the project vision to the City Council for funding approval. Going forward, CEL will work closely with the project consultant and leadership team as follows: 1) identify and manage the teaching artists for the visioning workshops; 2) lead the design of the visioning workshops, in close partnership with the teaching artists, project consultant and leadership team; 2) lead constant communications between stakeholders; 3) lead the design and implementation of the fundraising campaign. SELECTION AND DESCRIPTION OF KEY WORKS OF ART: The project will conclude with the installation of the City s first major commission of public art on the site One Taylor Street project. Michelle Bailey, Senior Program Officer at the Vermont Arts Council, and David Schutz, State Curator, will advise on the selection of a three-member artist jury panel to choose the artist. An RFP will call for Vermont artists that incorporate community engagement in their design process. The artists will work in-residence in Montpelier over five days to engage the community in his/her process and to gather inspiration from the aspirations that our residents have for public art. The commission was first suggested by Mayor John Holler, as a way to use the One Taylor Street project as a catalyst for a public art program. The project leadership team proposed expanding on Mayor Holler s suggestion to include a full public art master planning process. The City Council quickly approved the proposal and a $50,000 cash match. SCHEDULE OF KEY PROJECT DATES: OCT 2016-JAN 2017 (3-4 months): Final assemblage of key stakeholders and consultant. Responsibility outlines with project scope and details. JAN-JUN 2017 (4-6 months): Information-gathering and research, planning, additional partner development. JUN-OCT 2017 (4-5 months): Confirm artist jury, RFP to artists, commission artist, engage teaching artists for visioning workshops. OCT-NOV 2017 (2 months): Initial public consultations. JAN-MAY 2018 (4-5 months): Creative visioning workshops and community-engaged design sessions with commissioned artist. MAY-JUL 2018 (2-3 months): Finalizing and adopting of the Public Art Master Plan. JULY 2018: Commissioned art work installation and celebration/public announcement of the Public Art Master Plan. 16