Public Art Commission for the Carl G. Brewer Community Center in Wichita, Kansas. 

Full details in attached RFQ: https://bit.ly/BrewerRFQ

MCADAMS PARK

The existing recreation center at McAdams Park was renamed to honor the legacy of the late Carl G. Brewer, the first African American elected mayor of the City of Wichita. Throughout McAdams Park, various facilities are named in honor of African American men including Jackie Robinson Plaza and the League 42 baseball fields, the Antoine Carr basketball courts, the Barry Sanders football field, the Charles McAfee Swimming Pool, and Toussaint L'Ouverture Elementary School.

The goals of this project are to celebrate African American leadership and to continue an on-going relationship with the country of Ghana that Mayor Brewer helped to initiate more than 10 years ago.

Budget: $120,000 (plus travel stipend to Wichita for shortlisted artists)

PROJECT SCHEDULE

• Monday 10/17 - Lead Artist RFQ announced on CaFÉ
• Friday 10/27 - Questions from artists due in writing to wisdomtreeict@gmail.com
• Wednesday 11/1 - All questions answered by WisdomTree Arts
• Monday 11/13 - Deadline for Lead Artist to submit qualifications
• Monday 11/20 - Finalists notified
• Saturday, Sunday 12/16-17 – Site Visit + Local Artist Interview
• Friday 2/2 - Request for Proposals Due (design proposal + estimated budget)
• Friday 2/16 – Commission Awarded

Fabrication May 2024 – April 2025

Project Completion Approximately May 2025

*If this schedule changes, WisdomTree Arts will revise the schedule and send notice.

Deadline: Please submit your application on CaFE̒ by 11:59PM CST on November 13, 2023. 

PERCENT FOR ART & CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

This project is funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance and the City of Wichita’s Capital Improvement Plan. In 2019, the Wichita City Council approved an ordinance that allotted 2% of capital improvement funds to a pool of funding allocated for the commissioning of on-site artworks that then become part of the citywide art collection. The administration of the Percent for Art Program is overseen by the Design Council, an 11-member advisory board. 

ARTWORK OPPORTUNITIES / LOCATIONS

Public Artwork proposed and installed in the facility should be compatible and responsive to the site, landscape, architecture, and interior design. Final location will be determined in collaboration with the Art Consultant with approval by the Stakeholder group.

Application Requirements

Please submit all of the following information. Applicants who fail to include all submittal requirements may not be considered for the project.

1. Artist name, phone number and email address.

2. Website and/or social media links (if applicable).

3. Submit a one-page letter of intent stating why the Carl G. Brewer Community Center opportunity is meaningful and appropriate for the applicant’s work.

4. Resume or CV.

5. Three (3) client references for completed projects.

6. Submit six to ten images of relevant examples of past work (video accepted). Images should represent the artist’s style, format, medium, or breadth of work.

7. Annotated image list for all work examples including title, media, year completed, dimensions, location, project budget, timeline, and client or commissioning entity for each corresponding image. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Experience with building and managing creative teams to produce successful collaborative projects
• Experience managing budgets and timelines to deliver work within budget and on time
• Interest and commitment to mentoring artists with lots of talent but less experience with public art
• Experience incorporating youth driven ideas into projects with professional results
• Established relationships with Ghanaian artist(s) - preferred
• Scope of experience with similar projects
• A body of work reflective of a professional artist/designer/consultant