Call Detail
Sandia Science & Technology Park Public Art Project
Visit Organization Website
Contact Email: publicart@cabq.gov

Entry Deadline: 5/5/23
Application Closed
Work Sample Requirements
Images | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 10
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 10
Call Type: Public Art
Eligibility: National
State: New Mexico
Budget: $350,000 (up to $50,000 used for design development of up to 5 finalists teams and no less than $300,000 for the all-inclusive artwork design, fabrication, and installation)

CALL FOR ARTISTS: The Albuquerque Arts Board and its Sandia Science & Technology Park (SS&TP) Art Selection Committee have initiated a national open competition public art project to commission a large-scale, site-specific outdoor Work of Art for the SS&TP, located near Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.

Founded in 1998, the SS&TP is a 340-acre, master-planned technology community located south of Central Ave., along Eubank Blvd. Associated with Sandia National Laboratories and adjacent to Kirtland Air Force Base, SS&TP resident companies have easy access to world-class facilities, technologies, scientists, and engineers. From startups to large, established corporations, the SS&TP is where technology works.

*More about the SS&TP and partner SS&TP companies can be learned through attachments and the link at the end of this Call for Artists.

PROJECT INTENT/THEME: The Art Selection Committee seeks to partner artists with scientists and innovators from the SS&TP resident companies to develop technology-based public art for the area. SS&TP companies have been invited to share unique, and possibly proprietary, technologies with artists interested in incorporating such technologies with public art. Companies working in aerospace, nanotechnology, intelligent mapping, and many other highly specialized areas of scientific innovation have expressed interest in collaborating with artists ready to envision a state-of-the-art public artwork. Finalist artists will be given the opportunity to partner with like-minded scientists and company representatives to develop preliminary concept proposals. The artists and company representatives will be matched through an in-person meet and greet event in spring 2023. Finalist artist/company teams will be paid a design stipend to develop concept proposals.

SITE: The SS&TP grounds contain several locations suitable for large-scale public art placement (for example the Eubank Blvd. median), as well as smaller, more intimate, and publicly accessible spaces (such as Ted Hobbs Park). The finalist teams will determine the exact location for their proposed artwork as part of the proposal development process. A site map of the entire SS&TP is attached.

PROJECT FUNDS: The total project budget is $350,000 of which up to $50,000 is to be used for design development among up to 5 finalists teams. The remaining funds, not less than $300,000, are for the all-inclusive artwork design, design approval, fabrication, and installation of the technology-based artwork. Site modification costs, depending on the level of improvements, will be covered by the City of Albuquerque Public Art Program. Not less than 50% of the project funds shall be for the artist’s portion of the project.

From the pool of submissions, up to five finalists with their paired SS&TP companies will receive a $10,000.00 stipend to develop their public art proposals. The design team finalists will be presented to the Art Selection Committee comprising members of the SS&TP companies not competing in the project, citizen representatives, and Albuquerque Arts Board members. The fabrication, construction, and onsite installation process will be outlined in the winner’s final design presentation and will commence upon final City of Albuquerque mayoral and City Council approval of the concept, design, work schedule, and budget for the remaining $300,000.00.

APPLICATION/SELECTION PROCESS: This call is open to all qualified artists residing in the United States. The first round of applications will be handled as a Request for Qualification (RFQ) through which up to five finalists will be selected based on a review of their past projects of a similar nature, success of the projects previously undertaken, with emphasis on collaboration with stakeholders and commissioning organizations, and aesthetic, as well as scientific merit. Awareness of contemporary issues in placemaking and contemporary Public Art aesthetic issues will be weighed alongside demonstrable innovation in design, material selection, and scientific application. The finalists will travel to Albuquerque, if needed, to meet SS&TP partner companies. A presentation of each artist’s qualifications and past work will be followed by a question/response period, allowing the committee and partner companies a greater understanding of their individual approach, their viewpoints, and why their history and experience will be best suited for the SS&TP project. Detailed requirements for further consideration will be provided to the finalists prior to meeting representatives from partner companies. The preliminary design contract with the winning finalists will address the fabrication and installation of the Public Art concept, which will be the focal point of this competition.

It is the intention of the SS&TP Public Art Selection Committee to seek artists who can conceive a unique work addressing multiple levels of the scientific concepts that will be made available to them, as well as the role of that science in the regional environment of the high-desert Southwest. In addition to our scientific heritage, our unique climate and breathtaking exposure of the sky, the Sandia Mountains to the east of Albuquerque, the Rio Grande and its sheltering Bosque, and our region's diverse and varied cultures are all aspects the applicant may consider in their designs.

PROJECT TIMELINE:
Friday, May 5th, 2023 at 11:59 pm local time: Deadline for Call for Artists
Mid-May 2023: Art Selection Committee to review artists submissions to select up to 5 qualified finalists to partner with SS&TP Companies
Late July 2023: Artists and SS&TP Companies Presentations and Meet and Greet
July - August 2023: Artists and SS&TP Companies form teams and develop preliminary concepts
August 1, 2023: Preliminary concept proposals due from artist/company teams
Late August 2023: Art Selection Committee selects finalist team to complete a full design proposal
October 2nd, 2023: Finalists Proposals Due
October 16th, 2023: Art Selection Committee to make final recommendation to Arts Board
October 18th, 2023: Arts Board approval and recommendation to City administration 
November 2nd, 2023: Recommendation of Award to City Council
Late November 2023: City Council approval of recommended artist team
January 1st, 2024: Artist and SS&TP Company team begins project

DEADLINE: Final deadline for this application is May 5, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Please note, support from CABQ staff will not be available after 5:00 pm on May 5, 2023. 

Important reference links:

https://sstp.org/

https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/public-art/for-artists/opportunities-for-artists

Attachments:

SS&TP Overview Brochure download here: https://sstp.org/about-sstp

SS&TP Site Map download here: https://sstp.org/wp-content/uploads/SSTP_Map_Jan2021.pdf

Meet the SS&TP Partner Companies:

BioFlyte, Inc.

BioFlyte commercializes a fieldable mass spectrometer that enables miniaturized, low-cost and low-power detection and identification of airborne microbes and toxins in real-time. Their instruments identify microbes including spores, vegetative bacteria and viruses, bio-toxins, opioids, and other airborne threats to our safety and security.

BlueHalo

BlueHalo provides industry-leading capabilities in the domains of Space Superiority, Space Technology, Directed Energy/cUAS, Autonomy, Advanced RF, Cyber, and SIGINT. BlueHalo focuses on engineering to develop, transition, and field next generation capabilities to solve our nation’s most complex challenges.

IDEAS Engineering & Technology

IDEAS Engineering & Technology provides cost-effective embedded system solutions for high-reliability applications to government and commercial customers. With a strong focus in the aerospace market, the company’s portfolio of solutions includes digital microelectronics, high-performance and high-reliability embedded systems, and computing and sensing systems.

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering reliable launch services, spacecraft, satellite components, and on-orbit management. Rocket Lab is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high efficiency solar cells, solar arrays, and composite structural products for satellite and aerospace applications produced at their Albuquerque facility. Since 2001, Rocket Lab solar products have powered over 1,100 successful space missions with zero on-orbit failures.

Team Technologies, Inc.

TEAM Technologies is an Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing company. From new product design, development and supplemental engineering services to manufacturing services, TEAM supports government and commercial clients with innovative solutions. TEAM has management and engineering professionals, electronics assembly, and state-of-the-art machine shop capability to meet virtually all technical and manufacturing challenges.

Application Requirements

MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION: Artists must submit the following items for consideration for this first phase of the competition:

1)    An introductory letter of intent, not to exceed 1,000 words, stating your qualifications and general ideas for this project based on the materials provided for all applicants.

2)    Visual representations (a maximum of 10 individual images) of relevant past work/projects that demonstrate your skills and scientific or aesthetic approach. Note: This Call seeks experienced practitioners with general experience in art and science collaborations and creating unique public art.

3)    An annotated image key that numerically corresponds to the work-example images and includes project titles, dates, materials, and dimensions.

4)    A current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV), including statements regarding your artwork and art education.

5)    Three current references with contact information and relationship to the artist(s).

If submitting as part of a team, please include separate résumés and statements for each individual and clearly indicate on all materials: Name, Name of Team, and Project.

If an artist is selected for a Public Art project, whether as an individual or as a member of a team and a contract for the project has been executed by the parties, the artist is not eligible to apply, separately or jointly, for another Albuquerque Public Art project for a period of one year from the date of final execution of the contract.

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY: This call is open to qualified artists residing in the United States. New Mexico artists will be given a standardized local preference of 5% in all scoring methods. Uniform qualifications for artist applicants are their 1) history of successful projects of a similar nature, 2) demonstrable skills at negotiating and navigating a path forward with numerous stakeholders and clients, 3) unique approach to site and scientific technologies usage, and 4) blending of concerns for contemporary art and awareness of the site environment.