Norman Arts Council on behalf of                             

The City of Norman and Norman Forward Percent for Art

Griffin Park                                                                                         

Norman, Oklahoma

Request for Qualifications

Project Description

Norman Arts Council, on behalf of The City of Norman and Norman Forward 1% Percent for Art for Griffin Park, is seeking an artist (or team of artists) to create a significant work of art for Griffin Park located at 1001 E. Robinson Street, Norman, Oklahoma.

The area of the park that is included in the current project is approximately 83 acres within the total 110 acres of the park.

Norman is a growing, progressive city located 20 miles south of downtown Oklahoma City and is the third-largest city in Oklahoma. The citizens of Norman initiated NORMAN FORWARD, a proposal to renovate, expand, construct and fund Quality of Life projects, such as multiple recreational facilities, libraries, parks, athletic venues, public art, trails, swim complexes and other quality of life projects throughout Norman.  The initiative went to the City Council from community groups, stakeholders and Norman residents, who prepared an initial package using analysis and information from recreational planning professionals and research firms. In 2015, the City Council placed NORMAN FORWARD on a ballot that was overwhelmingly supported by Norman voters. For more information about Norman, please see http://www.normanok.gov/cm/norman-forwardand www.visitnorman.com.

Griffin Park History

Of the 64 neighborhood and community parks in Norman, Griffin Park has perhaps one of the most unique histories within the City of Norman. In 1891, a State mental institution was established on over 600 acres of land in Norman. Much of that land was occupied by the hospital’s 450 head of cattle. This area was a farming operation that produced most of the food for the facility and the dairy was run by the patients of the hospital. Today, the old grain storage towers remain in the park - an un-marked reminder of the past use of the land.

The farming operation closed in the 1960’s and now 320 acres of the land are leased to the City of Norman. Over time, The City built soccer, baseball, and football fields in the park. Just to the north of the park is the George M. Sutton Urban Wildlife Park.

After decades of popular use by families in Norman, the Park is being renovated and updated for use by both residents and the Norman Youth Soccer Association with plans to attract major regional and national youth soccer tournaments to the park.

The Artwork

The Selection Panel has determined that the most effective artwork will be an iconic three-dimensional sculpture centrally located in the park in a 6,400 square foot triangular greenspace just north of a parking lot and south of the NW Concession Plaza (see attached map of park).

This location has been selected because of the potential for the artwork to be very visible and accessible to the largest number of visitors to the park.

The renovated park will contain 22 soccer fields and will be completed in 5 phases. The Norman Youth Soccer Association (NYSA) leases the fields from the City and all of the fields, including the space allocated for the work of art, are gated and locked at night. The local use of the fields reaches over 3,000 children during spring and fall leagues with thousands of family members attending games each season. NYSA and the City of Norman hope the new fields will also allow the community to host 2 to 3 large, national tournaments that would include over 200 teams of both adult and youth players bringing 7,000 to 8,000 visitors to the park each tournament and to increase the park’s attraction to even more tournaments in the future.

In addition to being situated in a sports complex, the Selection Panel desires the work of art to fulfill the mission of NYSA: “Passion, Respect, Integrity, Development, and Excellence” (PRIDE). The work should reflect the culture of the community of Norman to both residents and visitors. The selected work will promote diversity and inclusivity through inclusive design principles.

We anticipate the artwork will be interacted with in a variety of ways. Visitors will be around it both day and night when fields are in use by NYSA. (The work will be behind protective fencing when fields are not in use by NYSA). We would like it accessible to people of varying abilities which could include it being tactile or have sound elements. We would also anticipate it being a meeting place for teams and families and would likely serve as an iconic backdrop for team and individual photo opportunities. Due to the anticipated accessibility, the work must be highly durable and should be easily visible from distances within the park.

The Selection Panel is open to any media or material that is appropriate to the site as long as it is durable, safe, low maintenance, and vandalism resistant. Weather in Oklahoma is unpredictable – extreme heat and sunlight should be a consideration as should damaging winds and hail. Because Griffin Park has a very large number of youth visitors, it is crucial that the design and materials are child-friendly and safe. The City of Norman and Norman Arts Council stress that the public art in Norman is ADA compliant so it is accessible and enjoyed by everyone.

Budget 

The total artist's fee for the project is $89,000.00. This amount must cover all associated costs including design, materials, fabrication, lighting, travel, insurance coverage, shipping, and installation.

Artist Eligibility

Open to professional artists with experience working on public art projects of this scale and working in creating site-specific works.

Artists identifying with an ethnic, cultural, sexual, gender, economic, or ability minority are encouraged to apply.

Timeline

• RFQ Deadline: December 23, 2022, 11:59pm MST

The following dates are approximate and subject to change:

• Notify Artists:  Week of January 23, 2023
• Finalists’ Site Visit: Mid February 2023
• Finalists’ Presentation of Proposals: Late March 2023
• Contract with Selected Artist: May 2023
• Installation and Dedication of Artwork: Fall 2023

Application Guidelines

All applications must be submitted via CaFÉ

Submissions for this project must contain the following materials:

• A one page maximum typed letter of interest outlining your qualifications for and interest in the project, as well as the general idea for your approach.  Please consider the following questions when developing your letter of interest:
  • Why do you want to work on this project?
  • How would you approach this project?
  • What materials do you work with that would be appropriate for outdoor use?
  • Have you worked on similar projects? If not, what relevant experiences do you have?
  • How does this project relate to your current work?
• Resume/CV
• Artist Bio/Statement
• Three references with whom you have worked on a public art project, including current telephone number and email address.
• 10 - 15 high-resolution images of previous work you feel would support your ability to carry out this project. Include all pertinent information on your Cafe slides: title, medium, size, date of completion, location, and project details (i.e. Budget commissioning agency, etc., if public art).

Committee and Selection Criteria

Selection for this project will be made by a panel including stakeholders, design professionals, City representatives, a member of the Norman Public Art committee, a member of the Norman Arts Council Board, and members of the arts community.

Three finalists will be selected based on the materials submitted---please see the Application Guidelines above.

After a formal presentation by the finalists, the selection panel will choose the best project for the site based on the merit of the artist’s work, past experience, and appropriateness of the proposed concept. The Panel will also focus on artists who can demonstrate sensitivity to the site and surroundings. Artists must be able to commit and effectively work within the project timeline and collaborate with the administration of City of Norman Parks and Recreation Department and Norman Arts Council.

Selection Process

1. The Selection Panel will review all applicants who respond to this RFQ.
2. Three finalists will be invited to move on in the process.
3. Finalists will come to Norman for a mandatory site visit to meet with the Project Team and others. Finalists will be paid a $600.00 allowance to cover transportation, hotel, and per diem expenses for the site visit.
4. After the site visit, finalists will be asked to create a site-specific design proposal that will include:
   1. a scale model, maquette, or computer-generated design
   2. an itemized budget
   3. a project timeline
   4. project narrative
   5. maintenance plan
5. Finalists will each be awarded an honorarium of $1,000.00 for their proposal.
6. Finalists will be required to present their proposals in-person to the Selection Panel and will receive a $600.00 allowance for transportation, hotel, and per diem expenses for the proposal presentations.
7. The Selection Panel will make the final decision on the artist awarded the project pending approval of the Norman Arts Council and Norman City Council.

Application Requirements

All applications must be submitted via CaFÉ

Submissions for this project must contain the following materials:

• A one page maximum typed letter of interest outlining your qualifications for and interest in the project, as well as the general idea for your approach.  Please consider the following questions when developing your letter of interest:
  • Why do you want to work on this project?
  • How would you approach this project?
  • What materials do you work with that would be appropriate for outdoor use?
  • Have you worked on similar projects? If not, what relevant experiences do you have?
  • How does this project relate to your current work?
• Resume/CV
• Artist Bio/Statement
• Three references with whom you have worked on a public art project, including current telephone number and email address.
• 10 - 15 high-resolution images of previous work you feel would support your ability to carry out this project. Include all pertinent information on your Cafe slides: title, medium, size, date of completion, location, and project details (i.e. Budget commissioning agency, etc., if public art).

Eligibility Criteria

Artist Eligibility

Open to professional artists with experience working on public art projects of this scale and working in creating site-specific works.

Artists identifying with an ethnic, cultural, sexual, gender, economic, or ability minority are encouraged to apply.