Wanna do a commissioned mural/ multi-media project/ public artwork on a massive silo here in San Francisco? Live in the Western United States? The commission pays $190,000, and the mural will be up for 5 years. Awesome opportunity, and if you think you have the right stuff, READ THE DETAILS AND APPLY.

Call for Artists: Port Pier 92 Public Art Project

Issued: May 4, 2012

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, July 9, 2012 (11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time)

Images of two grain silos and cranes

Applications are available through SlideRoom (https://sfgov.slideroom.com/), an on-line application system for calls for entry.  There is no charge to artists for using SlideRoom. If you are a first time user of SlideRoom, please allow adequate time to learn the use of this system.  Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility is open to professional, practicing artists residing in the Western Regions of the United States. These states include, and are limited to: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming.Entries not meeting eligibility guidelines shall be withdrawn from consideration. Artists residing outside these 13 states should NOT apply for this project.

SITE DESCRIPTION

The Port of San Francisco has retained the Arts Commission to assist in the commissioning of a public artwork to be located at Pier 92, near the intersection of Illinois and Cargo Way, along San Francisco’s southern waterfront. The site is primarily an industrial area with shipping cranes and two large grain silos that have not been in use since the 1970s. While the majority of traffic along Cargo Way is industrial, the Blue Greenway project will create open spaces along the waterfront that will attract a diversity of activities for Bay Area residents and visitors to the City.

ARTWORK OPPORTUNITY

Artwork opportunities may include a mural or kinetic artwork on the exterior wall of the northern grain silo or a lighting or multi-media project that illuminates or projects on the cranes or silos in the day or at night.  Pier 92 is located at the entrance to the Bayview community and the artwork should make a strong visual statement in keeping with the gateway experience and industrial setting. The work should enliven the area and bring a sense of transformation to the site. The artwork should also have a visual impact from a distance as the silos and cranes are highly visible from surrounding neighborhoods, as well as the 280 and 101 freeways. The work should recognize the maritime and other areas of history of the site.

The artwork is considered a long-term temporary installation, expected to be in a place for a minimum of 5 years. The artwork will be reversible in that it may be painted over or removed.

Artists should note that are some limitations for access to the artwork sites. For example, access to the cranes is only feasible from the water, and while the interior staircase of the northern silo is accessible, the interior of the southern silo is not. The Port will work closely with the artist finalists to provide more information during the proposal development phase.

PROJECT BUDGET

The total budget for artwork is $190,000, inclusive of all artist’s fees, associated expenses for design, fabrication, insurance, transportation and installation, and a project contingency of 10% to 20% depending on the nature of the project.

ARTIST SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS

• Artistic excellence, innovation and originality as evidenced by representations of past work and other supporting material.
• The artist’s work is judged to be appropriate to the goals of the project.
• The artist’s professional experience is adequate to meet the demands of the project.
• The artist is available to participate in the design, approval and implementation of the project as required.
• Assessed ability to meet project deadlines and to perform work in a timely and professional manner.
• Results of reference checks.
• Artists who live/work in the Bayview neighborhood.

TO APPLY

All application materials must be submitted online via SlideRoom.  Application materials include:

• Letter of interest
• Resume
• 10 images of previous work
• Annotated image descriptions

There is no application fee to apply or to use the SlideRoom online application system. To view the application, go to https://sfgov.slideroom.com/ (no “www”) and sign up for an account.   Applicants can receive support by emailing: support@slideroom.com or by accessing a help desk here:http://slideroom.zendesk.com.

PLEASE NOTE – FOR ARTIST TEAM APPLICATIONS

Artist teams must submit one application and are limited to 10 images total.

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS

After the RFQ deadline, Arts Commission staff will prescreen the applicants to establish a list of qualified candidates with experience creating work in media appropriate for the project site.

Arts Commission staff will present the qualifications and past work of the pre-screened pool of candidates to a selection panel consisting of three arts professionals, one community member, one representative of the Arts Commission, and one representative of the Port. The panel will identify three finalists (and one alternate) to develop site-specific conceptual proposals. Upon Port approval, each finalist will sign an MOU with the Arts Commission to attend an orientation meeting with the Project Team and develop a conceptual proposal for an honorarium payment of $1,000, plus the reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses as approved by the Arts Commission prior to travel arrangements being made for the orientation and panel interview.

The proposals will be displayed in the Bayview neighborhood and online for written public comment. Following public display, the selection panel will reconvene to consider the finalists’ proposals in an interview format along with any community input and will select one artist and an alternate for recommendation to the Port.

All panel meetings will be open to the public with opportunity for public comment. All panel meetings are posted on the Arts Commission website at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.  To check the meeting schedule for public art projects, please go to our website athttp://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/category/public-meetings/.

All Public Art selection panel meetings are posted on the Arts Commission website at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.  To check the meeting schedule for public art projects, please go to our website at http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/category/public-meetings/.

PROJECT SCHEDULE (subject to change):

RFQ Deadline: July 9, 2012

Finalist Selection: week of July 23rd, 2012

Finalist Orientation: week of August 6, 2012

Finalist Proposals due October 5, 2012

Artist Selection: first week of November 5^th, 2012

Design Development: Winter 2012- Spring 2013

Fabrication, installation: Spring to Fall 2013

APPLICANT WORKSHOP

The Arts Commission and the Port will hold a workshop at the end of May 2012 to describe the opportunity to interested artists and neighbors, as well as to provide information about the selection and application process. Information about the workshop will be posted here in the coming weeks.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact Mary Chou, Project Manager, at (415) 252-2551; mary.chou@sfgov.org

STAY IN TOUCH

Artists interested in other public art commissions are encouraged to visit the San Francisco Arts Commission’s the Public Art Program website http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/Information is updated whenever new opportunities arise.

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ADDITIONAL POLICIES

Rights Reserved by the Port

The Port reserves the right to not accept any applications, to not accept any artist recommended by any of the selection panels, to initiate an alternate Selection Process, or to reissue the RFQ for additional pre-qualified artist candidates.

Proposal Board and Maquette Policy

In the event that you are asked to develop a proposal, the following policy shall apply. The Port shall:

• At its sole discretion, have the unconditional right to own proposal maquettes or drawings selected for implementation as part of commission awards or may alternatively choose to retain all such maquettes until the project is complete.
• Retain first right of refusal to purchase proposal maquettes and drawings submitted by the artists not selected for implementation.
• Be given credit upon display and/or reproduction of any maquette or proposal commissioned, whether selected for implementation or not.
• Require that all proposals and/or maquettes submitted are original and unique.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Benefits Ordinance

The City and County of San Francisco, in its effort to provide equality of opportunity and equality of benefits, requires that individuals and businesses doing business with the City comply with Sections 12B and 12D of the Administrative Code.  This requires that if you are an employer, and if you provide health or other benefits to the spouses of your employees, you must provide equal benefits to the registered domestic partners of your employees.  This section also requires demonstration of good faith efforts to hire local disadvantaged business enterprises.  More information on these policies may be found at: http://www.sf-hrc.org/index.aspx?page=86

Americans with Disabilities Act

The selected artist(s) will be required to comply with Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements in addition to related federal, state and locals codes and will be encouraged to develop artwork(s) sensitive to programmatic as well as physical accessibility issues in cooperation with the Arts Commission and disabled communities.

Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO)

(This requirement only pertains to artists who have over 20 employees, or artists who may have their artwork fabricated by a company with over 20 employees.) The selected artist(s) will be required to agree to comply fully with and be bound by the provisions of the Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO), as set forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12P. Generally, this Ordinance requires contractors to provide employees covered by the Ordinance who do work funded under the contract with hourly gross compensation and paid and unpaid time off that meet certain minimum requirements. Currently, the hourly gross compensation is $9.00 an hour. For the contractual requirements of the MCO, see paragraph 42 of the Ordinance. Note that the gross hourly compensation for covered employees increases to $10.00 for For-Profit entities on January 1, 2002 and increases 2.5% annually thereafter for 3 years. For Nonprofit entities and public entities, this increase is required only if the City makes the finding required by Section 12P.3(a)(ii) of the San Francisco Administrative Code. Additional information regarding the MCO is available on the web at:www.sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=403

Health Care Accountability Ordinance (HCAO)

(This requirement only pertains to artists who have over 20 employees, or artists who may have their artwork fabricated by a company with over 20 employees.) The selected artist will be required to agree to comply fully with and be bound by the provisions of the Health Care Accountability Ordinance (HCAO), as set forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12Q.  Artists should consult the San Francisco Administrative Code to determine their compliance obligations under this chapter. Additional information regarding the HCAO is available on the web atwww.sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=407

Required Forms and Contracts

In addition to the proposal MOU, as part of the City’s contracting process, the artist selected and approved by the Port shall be asked to enter into contract with the Port for the entire duration of the project.  The contract for the Port will be similar to the Arts Commission’s standard template contract. Artist applicants should review the Arts Commission standard template contract which can be found on the Arts Commission website:http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/documents/pa03-sample-artist-contract/. While some items specific to individual projects such as scope of work, payment schedule and schedule of deliverables may be negotiated, the terms of the contract will not be changed.  Depending upon the specific scope of the project, prior to the issuance and throughout the duration of the contract, the artist will also be required to maintain a San Francisco business tax license, go through the Vendor set-up process, fill out specific documents from the Human Rights Commission and will be required to carry various types of insurance, including Automobile Liability, General Liability, Fine Arts, and other insurance as required by the Port.

Permitting

The selected project may require permitting, including building permits, encroachment permits and environmental review consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act. If such permits are required, the Project Artist will provide the necessary information regarding the project to Port staff, who will submit the applications and applicable fees for the appropriate permits.

All information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.