Open Call: NYC Percent for Art for Port Richmond Library in Staten Island
Permanent Public Art Commission
Budget: $80,000
Deadline: 8/10/18
Open to All Professional Artists
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Percent for Art Program, in conjunction with New York Public Library (NYPL) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is issuing this Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) to engage an artist or artist team (Artist) to create a permanent public artwork for the the Port Richmond Library in Staten Island.
Commissioned by the New York City Percent for Art program, the selected artist will create a permanent artwork within the interior of the historic 112-year-old library which will receive a much-needed renovation.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The New York Public Library has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for more than 100 years. Founded in 1895, NYPL is the nation’s largest public library system, featuring a unique combination of 88 neighborhood branches and four scholarly research centers, bringing together an extraordinary richness of resources and opportunities available to all.
In 1901, Andrew Carnegie donated $5.2 million to build a system of libraries in all five boroughs of New York. Ultimately, the New York Public Library was able to build 39 libraries through this program. In 2016, NYPL selected the Port Richmond Library (Staten Island) as one of 5 branches to receive new funding to address both fundamental infrastructure needs and programmatic requirements that will prepare each branch for present needs and anticipated demands of community based learning.
The Port Richmond Library, located at 75 Bennett Street in Staten Island, opened in 1905. With more than 70,000 visits last year, the branch works closely with local organizations and offers a robust suite of services to provide patrons in the community with access to after-school programs, English Literacy classes, and technology workshops. The library’s holdings include large young adult and Spanish language collections. Port Richmond also houses a small collection of materials on the history of Staten Island.
SUBMISSION AND SELECTION PROCESS
This competition is organized in two phases.
Phase One is a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) in which artists may respond with samples of past work and supplementary materials. The City, in partnership with a committee of local arts and design professionals, will select atleast 3 artists as finalists to proceed to Phase Two of the selection process.
During Phase Two, the City will invite the selected Finalists to submit conceptual proposals for review by a selection committee organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs. Finalists will receive an honorarium of $500 for submission of a conceptual proposals.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
All artists interested in being considered must apply through the online program at:
https://nyculture.submittable.com/submit
Submissions will only be accepted using this online application program. Submissions must be completed by midnight on August 10, 2018.
Interested artists must submit the following application materials online as described below:
1. Statement of Interest (500 words max)
Provide a narrative description of how your art practice can be translated to this project and how you might approach this project.
2. Artist’s Statement (250 words max)
Provide a narrative description of your work past work and current practice, including reference to submitted work samples, as relevant.
3. Resume or CV
Provide a current resume or CV, highlighting artistic excellence, any teaching experience, community engagement work, and/or experience working with multiple stakeholders.
4. References
Provide the name, phone number and email addresses of two (2) professional references that have experience working with you as a partner or client on a creative project. Please indicate your relationship to each reference.
5. Work Samples
Provide up to 10 digital images of recent works and/or up to 3 links to video or audio with maximum lengths of 5 minutes. For literary projects, submit samples no longer than 5-10 pages of scripts, poetry, prose or other relevant materials.
6. Work Sample List
Provide a list of submitted work, including title, date, materials and dimensions, locations, and/or running times. Include 1-2 sentence descriptions as needed.
QUESTIONS
Please direct all inquiries regarding this open call to percent@culture.nyc.gov