CITY OF BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS For Bemidji, MN Public Art CROSSWALK DESIGN & STREET MURAL RFP Release Date: May 17, 2018 Proposal Due Date: June 14, 2018 Finalists Design Honorarium: $100 each Project Honorarium: $3,000
PROJECT OVERVIEW Purpose of RFP. The City of Bemidji and its Public Arts Commission Selection Committee, requests proposals from emerging or established artists or artist teams for a public art project. This project is contingent on the City receiving a grant. If the City does not receive the grant, this project may be postponed. Background. The City of Bemidji Public Arts Commission was formed to help bring quality arts to the City of Bemidji. The City, working with the Public Arts Commission, encourages the temporary and permanent display of public art works and memorial structures throughout the city, primarily in parks, city buildings, open spaces and the downtown area. The City believes that a vital public art presence will help establish a unique identity, build community, create civic pride, generate economic impact and support exceptional art. Public Art Intent & Goal. This location is one block west of the famous statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, and the new Downtown Bemidji. This location was chosen to encourage visitors and residents to explore historic downtown Bemidji, the Downtown sculpture walk, and other cultural and retail opportunities. Budget. Stipends of $100 will be paid to the finalists and an Honorarium of $3000 to the chosen artist. Crosswalk Design. The City proposes to hire an artist or artist team to create a design for a crosswalk. The artist will design and fabricate plywood stencils for the City to use to paint the crosswalk areas located at Third Street and Beltrami Avenue. The City s Public Works Department will provide the labor to paint the design on the crosswalk and to refresh the paint annually for the next five years. The City will also provide a coat of black paint on the crosswalk over which they will apply the new white, stenciled design. Street Mural Project. The artist or artist team will create a design for a 9 diameter circle in the center of the intersection, draw the circular design in the intersection, and lead adults and kids to fill in the design with colored chalk. This is a temporary art project that may remain for days, or may be washed off by the first rain. Public Celebration. A public celebration will be held after the Street Mural is completed. A tent will be erected to protect the artists and participants from rain or heat. Eligibility. Emerging and established artists or artist teams residing in Region 2 (Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen counties); and Native American artists in Becker, Cass, Roseau and Itasca counties, are also eligible to apply. PHASE I Overview. During Phase I of the RFP, the City will evaluate initial responses according to the criteria outlined in the Proposal Evaluation section of this document. Up to three artists whose proposed qualifications demonstrate in the City s sole opinion the qualifications that best fulfill the purposes of this RFP will move to Phase II.
PHASE II Overview. Up to three artists from Phase I of this RFP will be selected to develop a schematic design proposal. During Phase II, selected artists will enter into a contract with the City, and will receive $100 upon completion of all professional services and deliverables of the design proposal. Scope of Work. The scope of work for this project will generally include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Provide a schematic design proposal for the Crosswalk Design and for the Street Mural. 2. Provide dimensioned drawings depicting unique detailing and including all necessary specifications as required for approval prior to fabrication and installation. 3. Prepare and present, as necessary, the schematic design proposal, design development, and construction information. 4. Fabricate the artwork for the Crosswalk Design and Street Mural in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract and the approved design development. 5. The Artist or team will work collaboratively with the project Selection Committee, City staff, and the Bemidji Public Arts Commission to ensure the artwork is designed, fabricated, and installed properly. Projected Timeline. The following is the City s anticipated timeline for the process to retain an artist for this project. The City reserves the right to modify this schedule if necessary. May 17, 2018 RFP release date with extended deadline June 14, 2018 Phase I Deadline for proposal submissions June 19, 2018 Phase I Review meeting and finalist selections June 26, 2018 Mandatory design meeting at City Hall with finalists and City staff 2:00-3:30 July 17, 2018 Phase II Deadline for design proposals July 19, 2018 Public Forum at City Hall to meet finalists and view proposals 4:30-6:00 p.m. July 24, 2018 Phase II Interviews at City Hall and artist selection August 6, 2018 Consideration by City Council August 15, 2018 R2PAC grant selection deadline End of October R2PAC grant notification (yes or no) Spring 2019 Artwork Installation and Celebration (Tentative) Selection Process. Evaluation of Artists qualifications and proposals will be conducted by the Selection Committee. This group of individuals includes members of the Bemidji Public Arts Commission and other city staff as needed. Information Contact. Prospective applicants who have questions regarding this RFP may submit questions by email to: Michelle Miller at the following email address michelle.miller@ci.bemidji.mn.us
PROPOSAL CONTENT Deadline. Applications must be received via email no later than 4:30 p.m. (CDT), June 14, 2018. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered. Responders must submit the following information: Applicant Contact Information Please provide your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and county of residence. Letter of Interest (one page limit) Briefly describe your specific interest in the Crosswalk and Street Mural public art project and explain why your qualifications are well suited for this commission. The letter of interest should address the following questions: 1. What interests you about this project? 2. What themes/concepts might you explore if your proposal advances to Phase II of the RFP? 3. What experience do you have that is commensurate with the scope and budget of this project? 4. What is your experience collaborating with architects, design professionals, and community groups? Professional Resume (two page limit) An outline of the primary artist s background and experience with examples of work done by the primary artist; and a list of personnel who will complete the project, detailing their training, and relevant work experience. Personnel that will be involved in the fabrication, installation, and activation of the artwork should be included. A biography or an autobiography will not fulfill the resume requirement. Two Professional References Please include the names and current contact information for three individuals with whom you have worked, collaborated, or who have commissioned your work in the past. Actual letters of reference are not required and will not be accepted. Work Samples Submission Guidelines Proposals must be submitted electronically by email to Michelle Miller at michelle.miller@ci.bemidji.mn.us Proposals must be submitted as one compressed (zipped) folder attached to a very brief introductory email stating artist's name and Crosswalk Design and Street Mural. Limit email to one paragraph. Attached zipped folder contents must include either one compete PDF or one PDF and 5-10 individual JPG images. 1. PDF must contain the following clearly labeled items: a. Artist Contact Information b. Letter of Interest c. Artist Resume/CV d. 2 Professional References
e. Numbered Image List of 5 minimum to 10 maximum relevant work samples, including Title, Dimensions, Medium, and Completion date. Include commission budget for each if applicable. f. Corresponding Numbered Images (one per page, 10 maximum). 2. Images may be included as individual pages in the above required PDF (preferred) or submitted separately as individual JPG files of no more than 1MB file size per image. If submitting images separately please rename each file according to this method: 01- artistlastname.jpg, 02-artistlastname.jpg, and so on. Files overlarge or improperly named may not be reviewed. 3. In either case, the PDF and images must be contained within one compressed folder attached to the email. Please name the compressed folder following this method: Submission-PACartistlastname.zip Uncompressed or improperly named folders may not be reviewed. PROPOSAL EVALUATION All responses received by the deadline will be evaluated by representatives of the City. Proposals will first be reviewed for responsiveness to determine if the mandatory requirements have been met. Proposals that do not include the compulsory elements will not advance to the next phase of the evaluation. The City reserves the right, based on the scores of the proposals, to create a short-listing of artists who have received the highest scores to interview, or conduct demonstrations/presentations. The City reserves the right to seek best and final offers from one or more artists. A 100-point scale will be used to create the final evaluation recommendation. Phase I Mandatory Requirements (scored as a Pass/Fail) Applications that do not include the mandatory information will be rejected without further consideration: 1. Proposals must be received on or before the due date and time specified in this solicitation. 2. Artist, or artist team, submits a complete proposal as outlined in Section II of this solicitation. Phase I Evaluation Factors (scored based on percentage as indicated) The Selection Committee will consider the following factors and weighting on which proposals will be judged during Phase I of this RFP. Expressed understanding of project objectives Artistic quality, design, and permanence Presents variety of work. Expressed understanding of the themes and concepts reflected in the project. Past performance Artistic quality shall be demonstrated by the artist s work samples, experience in production of public art, and evidence of ability to work within budget. Design shall be demonstrated by aesthetic compatibility with the site, and appropriate medium, given the function and use of the site. Secondary criteria include the acquisition of a variety of work appropriate to a public collection, which is demonstrated by artwork in different mediums and styles, and a breadth of themes or
subjects; artwork which recognizes and fosters diverse social, cultural, and historical values; and artwork which is memorable, thought-provoking, and enduring. Additional criteria are strong conceptual skills with innovative approach to other creative projects; ability to effectively engage with the community; and successful implementation of projects of a similar scope. Phase II Mandatory Requirements for Finalists (scored as a Pass/Fail) Proposals that do not include the mandatory information will be rejected without further consideration: 1. Artist attends and participates in the mandatory design meeting with city staff. 2. Artist signs and returns all contract documents to the City. 3. Artist submits all compulsory elements of the proposal via the US Postal Service or other delivery service. 4. Finalist artists attend an informal public forum with their designs. 5. Artist presents Schematic Design Proposal at an interview in-person with the Selection Committee. Phase II Evaluation Factors for Finalists (scored based on percentage as indicated) Artists whose proposed qualifications demonstrate in the City s sole opinion the qualifications that best fulfill the purposes of this RFP, will enter into a contract with the City and receive a stipend of $100 each to develop proposals for the project. The site Selection Committee will consider the following factors and weighting on which artist s proposals will be judged during Phase II of this RFP. Crosswalk and mural designs Written narrative Installation Maintenance and safety Schedule 35 points 10 points 10 points 5 points 10 points CONTRACT The final design is subject to approval by the Selection Committee, the Public Arts Commission, the City Council, and may be subject to review by other relevant individual or groups. The City reserves the right to seek best and final offers from one or more artists. Contract Term. Pending the receipt of a project grant, the City desires to enter into a contract with the successful artist in the fall of 2018. The contract will begin on the date stated in the contract or upon full execution of the contract, whichever is later, and will be completed by Fall 2019. The City reserves the right to extend the installation deadline. This RFP does not obligate the City to award a contract or complete the project, and the City reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest. The City also reserves the right to waive minor informalities and, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP. Financial Requirement. The City s contract language includes the following summarized terms and conditions which responders should understand when preparing their response.
A. Compensation will be for all services performed, unless a specific payment schedule is mutually agreed upon. The City does not make regular payments based on the passage of time and only pays for services performed or work delivered after it is accomplished in a satisfactory way. B. Payment is made only after approval of the project by the city council and the submission of an authorized invoice by the artist. C. Parties to any contract entered into as a result of this RFP will be with the City of Bemidji. General. This document, including attachments, constitutes a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) and is a competitive solicitation. Therefore, the respondent shall carefully follow the instructions herein to be considered fully responsive to the RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any proposal that is determined to be incomplete or which does not follow the required structure or format. However, when such statements are innocent or inadvertent in the opinion of the City, the City reserves the right to waive them as informalities.