1. Executive Summary

Project Opportunity and Budget: 

San Gabriel Storage Owner, LLC, is seeking applications from professional Artists and Artist Teams to create an original, permanent work of public art, “Perforated Image Walls,” to be installed in the San Gabriel Artists & Makers Studios complex. This work of art, made of four large wall sections of perforated metal, two on the West elevation and two on the East elevation of the building, will be fabricated and installed by our Contractors. 

The selected Artist or Artist Team, selected by a Panel, will be awarded $12,000 for their design. This fee includes travel and any other expenses as well as fulfillment of all conditions described in this RFP and in any related documents.

Deadline for Applications: October 6, 2023 (11:59 pm). Please email the Project Curator ASAP to receive an invitation to the virtual Site Visit on 9/14: Robin Moore (Robin Moore Legacies, LLC), robin.f.moore@gmail.com.

All questions should be addressed to the Project Curator via email: Robin Moore (Robin Moore Legacies, LLC), robin.f.moore@gmail.com

UPDATE 9/22/23

Site visits in September resulted in many questions. Answers to those questions are in a document in Dropbox at these links: Perforated Image Wall Link

If the link is not live in your document, please email the project curator at robin.f.moore@gmail.com

The address is 414 South San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel CA 91776: https://goo.gl/maps/Y394SPge9yUZuqss8   Please note that this is a construction site with no art project personnel on location. 

2. Background  

San Gabriel Storage Owner, LLC, is building a multi-use project at 414 S. San Gabriel Boulevard in San Gabriel, CA. The project will include artists’ studios and a separate climate controlled self-storage facility, on a site that is 1.56 acres and includes a building area of 199,358 square feet on 6 floors. 

Artists & Makers (A&M) Studios, San Gabriel, will occupy 9,500 square feet on the first and second floors. Founded in 2014, A&M has created an innovative model to create supportive and vibrant environments for artists in Maryland, Arizona, and California. Learn more: https://artistsandmakersstudios.com/ 

Fronting on San Gabriel Boulevard, A&M San Gabriel will be devoted to studios for rent to individual artists, larger group studios available at lower rents for emerging artists, and a shared community room / art gallery. 

Artwork commissioned through this call will be installed during the finishing phases of building construction. It is expected that most functions of the complex will be open to the public only after the Artwork is installed.

3. Project Description

The site for the Perforated Image Walls is described in Exhibit 1, which is attached to this RFP. The Project comprises four wall sections of perforated metal covering two walls of a parking and loading area along the eastern portion of the property. The components will be fabricated and installed by our specialized Contractor. The four wall sections will be fabricated from sheet metal and perforated. There is no option to add color or images to the surface. Your proposed artwork should consist of solid (gray metal surface) and open (perforations) and should utilize all four sections, two on the West Elevation and two on the East elevation. More details will be made available at the Site Visit on 9/14.   

The goals for the selected Project are: 

• To serve as secure screening for the parking and loading area.
• To be part of the overall “activation” of the Artists & Makers Studios complex.
• To connect the Artists & Makers Studios complex with the surrounding neighborhood.
• To enhance the sense of place of the Artists & Makers Studios complex.
• To communicate the richness that artists bring to the San Gabriel Community.
• To create a sense of destination for those using the studios or storage facility.

Description of the successful Project: 

• The Artwork should occupy the spaces indicated in Exhibit 1.
• Artwork should be intended for view by the general public, taking into account the prominent location and 24/7 nature of the viewing environment.
• We encourage Artists to consider the unique cultures, histories, and/or natural elements of San Gabriel and surrounding communities.
• The winning Proposal must be approved by a Design Review board and other groups. Project Award will not be finalized until these reviews are complete.
• Artwork may not include logos, copyrighted or trademarked images or promotion in any way. The Artwork is not expected to serve as primary signage for the site.

4. Process

This Project is an Open Call to Artists and Artist Teams. Our Panel will select one Proposal for development. The selected design will be subject to approval by other groups, such as local Design Review, and the Award is contingent on this approval. 

Interested Artists are encouraged to attend a virtual Open House to learn more about the Selection Process, to view the site, and to ask questions of the Project Team.

The Selection Panel will consist of seven members: 

• Project Curator, Robin Moore;
• One staff member, San Gabriel Storage Owner, LLC;
• Judith HeartSong, Founder, Artists & Makers Studios;
• Two arts professionals, curators, arts writers, or artists, from the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities;
• One community member, from the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities;
• One community member, from the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities, representing a local business.

Any art professionals who serve will have at least five years of direct experience in the arts. Any community members should have lived or worked in the area for five years. 

Proposals will be judged based on these and other factors: 

• Artistic excellence
• Relevance to the San Gabriel Community
• Suitability for the materials, fabrication method, and location.

5. Budget

There is no compensation for submitting a Proposal. The selected Artist or Artist Team, selected by a Panel, will be awarded $12,000 for their design. This fee includes travel and any other expenses as well as fulfillment of all conditions described in this RFP and in any related documents. Fabrication and installation will be done by our Contractor, who is not considered a part of the Artist’s team. The Artist will be expected to respond to our Contractor’s questions, to present their work or proposal to Design Review and any other groups, and to attend an event celebrating the facility’s opening. 

Payments will be made in installments according to the schedule in Section 7.
 

6. How To Apply

All submissions must be made using this Project’s CaFE website. No emailed, printed, or other documents will be accepted. The deadline is October 6, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

Artists over age 18 may apply. Teams of Artists who work collaboratively are also eligible to apply; we use the terms “Artist” and “Artist Team” interchangeably. All principals must be US citizens. 

Your submission should include: 

• An Artist’s Statement of not more than 1,000 characters.
• Work Samples. Five to ten digital images of previous work. Please be sure that all materials are clearly identified so that, if you refer to those works in your letter of interest, a reader can tell which piece is relevant to the discussion.

Your submission must include detailed information about the proposed Project, not to exceed 25 pages: 

• Project Description. A narrative or structured description of your concept or approach.
• Project Documents. Drawings and schematics as necessary to illustrate your proposed artwork. These materials should reflect understanding of the fabrication method of metal perforation to be executed by our Contractor.

Your submission should also include information about the Artist and their team: 

• A description of the team, whether applying as an Artist or as an Artist Team. This should include a listing of partners, staff, and others involved, description of their roles (including who will serve as Project lead), complete contact information for each, their resumes and related work experience. If the team has shared work experience, please indicate that in your team description.
• Copies of your staffing agreements or contracts, indicating their compensation and employment terms.
• Names and contact information for three professional references for the Artist, or, if a team, for each member.

Applicants may be expected to provide some demographic information to our application website, CaFE. This info will not be shared with the Panel. 
 

7. Schedule

We reserve the right to adjust the schedule if the Design Review process takes more or less time than scheduled. Please email the Project Curator ASAP to receive an invitation to the virtual Site Visit on 9/14: Robin Moore (Robin Moore Legacies, LLC), robin.f.moore@gmail.com. 

8. Questions?

All questions should be addressed to the Project Curator via email: 

Robin Moore (Robin Moore Legacies, LLC)      

robin.f.moore@gmail.com

Application Requirements

Your submission should include: 

• An Artist’s Statement of not more than 1,000 characters. .
• Work Samples. Five to ten digital images of previous work. Please be sure that all materials are clearly identified so that, if you refer to those works in your letter of interest, a reader can tell which piece is relevant to the discussion.

Your submission must include detailed information about the proposed Project, not to exceed 25 pages: 

• Project Description. A narrative or structured description of your concept or approach.
• Project Documents. Drawings and schematics as necessary to illustrate your proposed artwork. These materials should reflect understanding of the fabrication method of metal perforation to be executed by our Contractor.

Your submission should also include information about the Artist and their team: 

• A description of the team, whether applying as an Artist or as an Artist Team. This should include a listing of partners, staff, and others involved, description of their roles (including who will serve as Project lead), complete contact information for each, their resumes and related work experience. If the team has shared work experience, please indicate that in your team description.
• Copies of your staffing agreements or contracts, indicating their compensation and employment terms.
• Names and contact information for three professional references for the Artist, or, if a team, for each member.

Applicants may be expected to provide some demographic information to our application website, CaFE. This info will not be shared with the Panel. 

PLEASE NOTE. Visual reference materials such as the panel dimensions are included elsewhere on this website, upper right of this text block, under "Site Details," as well as on SanGabrielArtRFP.com. Do not prepare your proposal until you have reviewed these. 

Eligibility Criteria

Artists over age 18 may apply. Teams of Artists who work collaboratively are also eligible to apply; we use the terms “Artist” and “Artist Team” interchangeably. All principals must be US citizens.