Burlington Mural Program Burlington Mural Project Local Artists Local Stories Program Guide
Introduction 1 The City of Burlington public art program is launching an exciting new initiative, the Burlington Mural Project. Designed to tell local stories using local artists, this annual program will commission small to medium-scale murals throughout the city. The average commission for these murals will range from $5,000 - $10,000 (depending on scale and complexity of the project). Burlington residents will have the opportunity to submit suggestions for mural locations and themes and the resulting commissions will be open exclusively to local artists. Free professional development opportunities will be offered to artists who may not have previous experience creating public art and/or murals. Program Goals Increase local artist participation in the City of Burlington s public art program Support the growing arts community through free professional development opportunities and access to paid commissions Provide opportunity to artists working at various career levels and in a variety of mediums Engage residents in the creative process via mural site selection and community storytelling activities How It Works 1. Community Storytelling: Residents will be asked to suggest potential mural locations and stories. A community jury will work with staff to select the mural locations and themes for the following year s program. 2. Professional Development: Local artists will be provided with free professional development workshops and one-on-one support at all stages of the program. 3. Artist Application Process: Applications will be assessed through a 2-stage jury process. A community jury will select the successful artists. 4. Ongoing Project Support: Commissioned artists will be provided with ongoing professional development and project support. 5. Community Celebration: The murals will be installed and we ll have a community-wide celebration!
Community Storytelling
Community Storytelling 2 The Burlington Mural Project will be launched with a call to the community. Residents will be asked to submit potential mural locations targeting spaces that would be made more engaging if they were given an artists touch. This could include popular parks and meeting places, those hidden public spaces in need of beautification (i.e. underpasses, pedestrian bridges, alleyways, etc.), or sites with specific meaning to that individual or neighbourhood (i.e. the spot where we played hopscotch or road hockey as kids). In addition to selecting the locations, we ll be asking the public to submit local stories to inspire artists. These can be stories about amazing residents (past or present), historic events, future aspirations, or simply how the site selected has personal meaning to them. How can residents submit their ideas? Burlington residents will be able to share their stories with us in a variety of ways: 1. Online: Potential mural locations and stories can be submitted online via www.burlingtonpublicart.com and www.burlington.ca/culture 2. Events: We ll have booths set up at popular events such as the Lowville Winter Games to actively solicit community feedback. Visitors will be invited to participate in an interactive mapping activity as a way to share their stories and to suggest potential mural locations. 3. Call us: As always, we are always happy to chat! If you or your group/organization is interested in getting involved, call us at 905-548-0111 or email kim@cobaltconnects.ca How will the mural locations and stories be picked? A community jury comprised of arts professionals and residents / stakeholders from each ward will be created review the submissions. Working with staff, the jury will select one location and story per ward (Year 1). The stories and locations that are not selected will remain on file for future consideration.
Professional Development
Professional Development 3 Burlington has a diverse range of artists in the community. There are artists of varying skill and career levels working in virtually every artistic medium. As such, a one size fits all approach to professional development would be ineffective and likely result in low levels of participation. The following curriculum has been designed to allow for adaptability and flexibility while ensuring that key information is readily available. Workshops The following general information workshops will be offered to provide the core information required to prepare and submit an application to the Burlington Mural Project. These workshops will be available to any Burlington artist and are free to attend. Attendance is voluntary. Murals & Materials: The program will launch with a kick-off event featuring an interactive and inspiring panel discussion. The panel will include experienced mural artists / technicians who can speak to a variety of different types of mural projects. These artists will give real life examples of: materials, techniques, project budgets, timelines, etc. The intent of this discussion will be to both inspire and provide concrete examples of the ins and outs of mural production. An open question and answer period will follow. Public Art 101: The Public Art Managers will lead an in-depth workshop that covers many of the common questions and concerns artists have when responding to a public art call. Topics covered will include: How to read a public art call Preparing application materials (C.V., artist statement, images, etc.) Project management and budgeting Finding and working with fabricators, engineers and other sub-contractors
Professional Development 4 Online Resource Library In addition to the in-person workshops, the Public Art Managers will compile a list of online resources that can provide additional information relating to public art best practice, mural production and other relevant resources. These materials will be freely available on www.burlingtonpublicart.com Application Review Prior to the application deadline, the Public Art Managers will host an application review session. Artists will be able to book a 20-30 minute session with the Public Art Managers to review a draft of their application package and provide constructive feedback. This session will be open to all artists who are actively preparing an application to the Burlington Mural Project. Attendance will be voluntary and appointments must be booked in advance.
Application Process
Application Process 5 Who Can Apply? The Burlington Mural Project is open to artists at various stages of their career (i.e. emerging, mid-career, established) working in a variety of mediums. You do not need past experience in public art and/or murals in order to apply for this program. Applicants must be permanent residents of Burlington in order to apply to the Burlington Mural Project. Artists may submit artwork concepts for more than one mural project / location each year. However, only one commission per artist will be awarded. As such, applicants are encouraged to focus their time and energy on the commission(s) that best match their interest and abilities. Artists selected for a commission will not be eligible to apply to the program the following year. Request for Proposals A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued for each of the 6 mural locations / stories (Year 1). The RFP will include the following information: Site Information: Detailed information and photos of each mural location will be provided. This will include any technical requirements, measurements, site restrictions and opportunities, material requirements, etc. Detailed site photos will also be provided. Story / Suggested Theme: A brief overview of the community story / theme selected for each site will be provided. This may include specific details (i.e. of the story relates to a historical event, key details, dates, etc. will be provided) or more general information relating to theme. Relevant details relating to the community / ward for each mural location will also be included. Application Requirements: A detailed checklist of application requirements will be provided Scoring Criteria: The scoring criteria that the jury will use to evaluate the applications will be provided
Application Process 6 Application Package Artists will be asked to respond to a RFP (Request for Proposals) with the following information: 1. Completed Application Form 2. Mural Artwork Concept: One preliminary sketch of the proposed mural design. All applicants will be asked to submit a sketch using a standardized template. The sketch may be created digitally or as a hard copy sketch. 3. Concept Statement: 500 word (maximum) statement outlining the proposed artwork concept 4. Curriculum Vitae: Artist resume; 2 pages maximum 5. Artwork Samples: 6-8 images of past artistic work (not necessarily public art / mural) and image list Jury Process & Artist Selection A major barrier for emerging artists or those new to public art is competing against established artists who have greater project history and experience. It is the age-old problem of not being able to get experience due to lack of experience. Often, public art juries place great emphasis on the applicant s C.V (resume) and past work. Often, this prevents the jury from considering emerging level artists who may have the right skills, artistic merit and ideas for the project. To address this issue, the Burlington Mural Project will utilize a blind jury process to ensure that the artistic merit of the proposed artwork concept are given greater weight than past experience: Phase One: The jury will evaluate all submitted artwork concept proposals in Phase One (digital image and 500 word description). These proposals will be evaluated without identifying the artist or evaluating other components of the application package. The jury will then create a short-list of proposals to move on to Phase Two. Phase Two: The jury will review the additional application materials for each of the short-listed concepts (i.e. images of past work, CV/resume). The artists identity will be revealed at this stage. During Phase Two, the full application will be evaluated and the winning artists will be selected.
Application Process 7 Scoring Criteria PHASE ONE Artistic Excellence Strength of artwork concept, originality and artistic merit of proposed mural. Context The proposed mural creatively responds to the Community Storytelling profile, site and neighbourhood. Execution & Feasibility The artwork concept, scale and suggested materials are feasible within the budget and timeframe of the project. 10 points 10 points 5 points PHASE TWO Artwork Samples The artwork samples provided display a high level of artistic merit within the artist s chosen discipline (not necessarily mural production / public art) Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) The artist s qualifications and experience demonstrate a high level of commitment to their chosen discipline (not necessarily mural production / public art) 10 points 5 points Jury Composition A community jury will be assembled annually to evaluate all proposals submitted to the Burlington Mural Project. The jury will be comprised of a combination of residents and stakeholders from each ward and arts professionals (i.e. artists, administrators, curators, etc.). Jury members will be selected through the input of the Public Art Managers, Council and PADIT (Public Art Development and Implementation Team). Each jury will serve a maximum term of 2 years.
Project Support & Mentorship
Project Support & Mentorship 8 The Burlington Mural Project will support the artists selected for a commission through all stages of the project: from the initial project-planning phase through to implementation and installation. Support will be offered through a variety of mechanisms: Mentorship Artists who are selected for a commission through the Burlington Mural Project will be given access to mentors who are experienced in the field of public art. The mentors will be available to artists via one-on-one meetings, phone and email to answer specific questions and provide ongoing project support. Please note, the mentors will not be engaged in the design or installation of the murals but rather will be providing support through the following: Project start-up meeting: Each artist will have the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting the mentor(s) to discuss his or her project plan. The mentor(s) will review the artist s plan and provide specific, detailed advice to help improve his/her project (i.e. material selection and handling, time management, budgeting, etc.) Ongoing Support: Each artist will be allotted a limited number of phone calls and/or emails to the mentor(s) that they may use throughout the duration of the project. The intent of this is to provide ongoing support to deal with specific problems or questions that may arise. Administrative Support The Public Art Managers will provide ongoing administrative support to the commissioned artists for the duration of the project. This can take on a number of forms such as: budgeting assistance, connecting artists with suppliers and fabricators, community outreach and consultation, etc. Where possible, the Public Art Managers will work with the commissioned artists to pool resources and find efficiencies (i.e. sharing equipment rentals, bulk purchases of materials, etc.). The Public Art Managers will be available during normal office hours (via phone or email) to provide support on an as needed basis.
2015 Program 9 Timeline December January February April May June July August September September October November Program Guide released Launch public outreach for community storytelling Program launch, release Request for Proposals (RFP); ongoing professional development RFP due; community jury to select winning proposals; ongoing professional development Contract successful artists; announce winning designs Artists work with Public Art Managers and mentor(s) to refine designs, develop project plan, finalize artwork concept Installation Mural unveilings; community-wide celebration Program review and recommendations for 2016 program Contact Us We are always happy to hear from you! Please do not hesitate to contact if you have any questions: General Program Information City of Burlington Kim Selman Angela Paparizo Public Art Manager, Cobalt Connects Manager of Culture, General Manager s Office T: 905-548-0111 T: 905-335-7600 ext. 7352 E: kim@cobaltconnects.ca E: Angela.Paparizo@burlington.ca W: www.burlingtonpublicart.com W: www.burlington.ca/culture