DEADLINE EXTENDED!

CALL FOR ARTISTS 

Rhode Island State Police, Southern Barracks

65 New London Turnpike, West Greenwich RI 02898

Budget: $100,000

Deadline: May 8, 2023

Eligibility: This Call for Artists is open to all working artists regionally residing in the states of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire Vermont, Maine and New York. Undergraduate students are not eligible to apply. 

Artwork for the Rhode Island State Police Southern Barracks will be commissioned through Rhode Island’s Public Art Law, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to the purchase and maintenance of public art.  Through this program, the State recognizes that “public art creates a more humane environment: one of distinction, enjoyment, and pride for all citizens”. 

ABOUT THE RHODE ISLAND STATE POLICE

The Rhode Island State Police (RISP) was created in 1925 at the request of the State’s General Assembly. Today, the RISP is comprised of approximately 250 sworn officers and 75 civilians who serve the citizens of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island State Police is a full-service, statewide law enforcement agency whose mission is to fulfill the law enforcement needs of the people with the highest degree of fairness, professionalism, and integrity, and protect the inherent rights of the people to live in freedom and safety. To this end, Division employees shall perform their respective patrol, investigative and support functions to the best of their ability and cooperate with other state agencies, as well as with local and federal authorities.

The Division Motto is “In the Service of the State” and the Division Creed is “You are always to remember that you are in the Division of State Police and in the service of the State. It is a call to honor. It requires unselfish devotion to duty, the highest type of honesty and downright courage.”

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN BARRACKS

The new Southern Barracks involves the construction of a 35,000 square foot Barracks and land development to consolidate services in the southern portion of the State of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island State Police will be closing their barracks located in Hope Valley and Wickford. The new barracks shall be located at 65 New London Turnpike, on 6.74 acres of land at the extreme Northwest corner of West Greenwich adjacent to the northbound ramp of Exit 21 off of I-95.

The State Police barracks of Hope Valley and Wickford have a history of deep connection to the local communities they serve. These barracks serve the surrounding rural communities in a way that is unique compared to other RISP barracks. The RISP serves as the municipal police for the town of Exeter in addition to its core mission of highway patrol and statewide enforcement of laws.

Among the communities directly served by the Hope Valley and Wickford barracks are East Greenwich, portions of Warwick, Narragansett, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, West Warwick, New Shoreham (Block Island), Jamestown, Exeter, West Greenwich, Charlestown, Coventry, Hopkinton, Richmond, and Westerly.  

The Wickford Barracks also provides coverage for the towns of Newport, Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Warren at this time as there is no barracks operating on the East Bay. This may change if the RISP Portsmouth Barracks is re-commissioned in the future. 

The new Southern Barracks will house an estimated 80-100 troopers. Its exterior design references that of the historic barracks around the state, while providing a fully modern, state of the art facility for State Police operations. The barracks can be used by the Emergency Management Agency as a satellite base if the need arises. Canine training will relocate here from Wickford.  RI state troopers work 13 hours shifts and their barracks are their home-away-from-home. In the training academy, they are taught to “take care of your house”. Troopers spend a lot of time together and are a tight-knit community. There is an appreciation of the traditions and history of the RISP.

The training/community room planned for the new building can be used also by civilian and community groups for meeting space. Many troopers engage with their local towns through coaching, school-based outreach, and sponsorship programs, to name a few. The state police serving in this portion of the state may have greater interaction with the community than their counterparts elsewhere.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• Artwork will be commissioned for the Southern Barracks through the State’s percent-for-art law. The budget for the acquisition of artwork is $100,000.
• In January of 2023, the selection panel visited the Hope Valley and Wickford Barracks and the RISP Museum in addition to the new Southern Barracks site. The panel determined that an exterior artwork is desirable as the facility will face the busy New London Turnpike and the adjacent DOT Park and Ride lot.
• Without belying the dignity of the State Police, panelists noted that an artwork could create a welcoming atmosphere. Artwork might help “humanize the badge” and create connection with the community.
• Mottos of the state police offered by the panel include “In the Service of the State” and “Always There”. The RISP insignia patch includes an anchor and the word HOPE.
• A figurative statue or memorial is not desired.
• There is no limit on media except that artwork affixed to the building itself will not be considered.
• The entrance walkway/plaza and lawns present good opportunities for the siting of artwork.
• "View site plan" to see rendering. Additional images at https://risca.online/call-for-artists-for-r-i-state-police-southern-barracks/
• One artist or artist team will be commissioned.

INTENT OF THE CALL AND SCOPE OF WORK

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Please note: This Call for Artists is the first step in the RISCA/RISP public art selection process. It is not considered best practice for an agency to ask an artist to craft a proposal without financial compensation. Therefore, RISCA will conduct the Public Art application process online, with all materials submitted in digital format through CaFÉ. There is no charge to apply.

At this preliminary selection stage, we request submissions from artists or art teams consisting of 6-10 images representing work completed within the past ten years, a bio or resume, and a very brief description of potential site-specific proposals, (as in, “If commissioned, I envision creating a 2D painting or “a 3D wooden sculpture”, etc).  

If an artist wants to apply as an individual as well as part of a team, two separate CaFÉ profiles and two separate CaFÉ applications must be completed (i.e., one application submission for you and one application submission for your team). Applications consisting of images and resumes will be reviewed by the RI State Council on the Arts Public Art Selection Panel to assess the quality and appropriateness of the artist's work, and their ability to carry out a substantial public art commission.

Three finalists will be selected from the pool of applicants and those finalists will craft detailed proposals including an itemized budget, scale models and renderings, and an in-depth project description. For this they will each be paid an honorarium of $2,500. This stipend includes all travel expenses: hotel, transportation, mileage, etc., for both the site visit and the subsequent presentation meeting. Finalists will not be reimbursed separately for any travel costs.

No slides or hard copy materials will be accepted for this call. First time CaFÉ applicants must allow enough time to prepare their CaFÉ formatted digital images and electronic submission prior to the deadline.

ESTIMATED TIMELINE:

March 9, 2023: Applications open

May 8, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. (E.S.T.) Deadline for submissions

Early June 2023: panel meeting for review and selection of semifinalists

June 2023 (TBA): Finalist site visit

Late August/Early September 2023 (TBA): Finalist presentations to selection panel

September 2023: Final approval by RISCA Council at quarterly meeting

Tbd with artist: Contract signed

By June 2025: Artwork installed 

Finalists will be invited to create a site-specific proposal. Finalist’s proposals should convey artist’s ideas and plans through designs, renderings and/or scale models with a statement that describes the project's intent, proposed materials, fabrication and installation methods, and an itemized budget including 10% contingency fee. Artists chosen as finalists are also asked to explain how their artwork will be sourced and fabricated.  The finalists will be supplied with plans, photographs, and specific information about the Barracks and the campus. A site visit as well as a meeting with the architect and the administration will be scheduled for the finalists.  An honorarium of $2,500 will be awarded to the finalists following presentation of their proposals. The proposals will remain the property of the artist. However, RISCA reserves the right to retain proposals for up to one year for display purposes and the right to reproduce final proposals for documentation and public information purposes.

The Public Art Selection Panel reserves the right to determine which proposal will be funded and the extent of funding. The panel also reserves the right not to accept any proposal submitted. According to law, recommendations of the selection panel will be presented to the governing council of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts who will have final approval of the public art selection. The selected artist/s will enter into contract with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the Rhode Island State Police for the commission of artwork. The accepted artwork will be owned and maintained by the State of Rhode Island.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The panel will select the artist based on the following criteria:

1. Artistic vibrancy and relevance

2. Responsiveness to the Request for Qualifications

3. Permanence, durability, and value

5. Collaborative spirit

6. Capacity to succeed

Application Requirements

Each application must be submitted via the CaFÉ (tm) web site (www.callforentry.org) and must include:

• A written statement, narrative or resume that describes the applicant’s relevant experience, connection to or interest in the project. Include a very brief description of potential site-specific proposals, (as in, “If commissioned, I envision creating a 2D painting or “a 3D wooden sculpture”, etc.).
• 6-10  digital images of relevant artwork. Please fill out all fields to describe your image, including media, size, title, date of completion, purchase price or fee if applicable, and a brief description of the artwork.  Please do not present more than one view of artwork per image .
• Technical assistance is available through the platform callforentry.org, or by appointment with RISCA staff.

Questions?

If you have questions about this Call, email Molly Dickinson, molly.dickinson.ctr@arts.ri.gov.   

If you require technical support for CAFÉ, please email cafe@westaf.org 

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all working artists regionally residing in the states of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire Vermont, Maine and New York. For the purposes of this application, residency is deemed to be the state in which one files personal and/or business taxes with a permanent address. Undergraduate and secondary students are ineligible. RISCA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and welcomes applications from all individuals and groups. Please contact Molly Dickinson, molly.dickinson.ctr@arts.ri.gov if you require assistance or accommodations to apply. Excluded from participation are RISCA council members, staff and their family members, as well as any members of the selection panel and their family.