PROJECT DESCRIPTION:          

The City of Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation Department invites artists and/or artist teams to submit their qualifications to envision, produce and exhibit a unique, surprising and inclusive temporary sculpture in naturalized areas at Burbank and/or Northwest Kiwanis Park that connects visitors to nature and celebrates the natural beauty of Upper Arlington. 

COMMUNITY CONTEXT:

The City of Upper Arlington is a premier, mostly residential community within the Columbus region.  Our residents are friendly, welcoming, engaged, passionate and creative, with high expectations from their local government.  Reflective of the educated, family-oriented community that we serve, the City’s Parks & Recreation Department is focused on providing meaningful opportunities to gather, celebrate and enjoy the many recreation amenities available within our beautiful park system. 

BACKGROUND:

The City of Upper Arlington strives to enrich the quality of life of the community through providing a variety of art experiences across multiple disciplines including acquiring public art.

After completing an Arts and Culture Master Plan in 2019, the Cultural Arts Division and Commission have completed formal policies and processes for bringing public art to Upper Arlington.  Northwest Kiwanis and Burbank Parks were identified as an area lacking public art and an ideal location for a temporary art installation, bringing art to the northern part of Upper Arlington.    

PROJECT GOALS:

• Inspire visitors to engage with nature and art to evoke reflection and conversation
• Bring a temporary art installation to Upper Arlington that celebrates the natural beauty of the community.
• Educate the community on the artist’s process of creating and installing a work of art.
• Bring awareness to naturalized areas in Northwest Kiwanis Park and/or Burbank Park

SITE DESCRIPTION:

Artists may choose one of the following site locations:

Northwest Kiwanis Park | 4840 Stonehaven Drive, Upper Arlington, OH 43220

Located in northeast Upper Arlington, Northwest Kiwanis Park includes 22 acres of sport fields, multi-use paths, playground, shelter house, public seasonal restrooms and naturalized areas. 

The wooded area along the south boarder of Northwest Kiwanis Park, was decimated by the effects of the emerald ash borer.  In an effort to more effectively manage the area and return it to its former state of thriving forest, the Parks & Recreation Department has cleared most of this area of the hazardous trees and undesirable species, preserving and maintaining as many safe and viable trees as possible. An additional 300 trees were also planted in the area.  A trail has been added to the center of the forest with logs from the tree removal, lining the trail.  6-8 foot tall tree trunks were left as snags and provide habitat for insects and wildlife. Additional clearing of invasive species to the area directly adjacent to Stonehaven Dr is scheduled for January/February of 2024.

Burbank Park | 4780 Stonehaven Drive, Upper Arlington, OH 43220

Adjacent to Northwest Kiwanis Park, Burbank Park includes 7 acres of sport fields, multi-use paths, public seasonal restrooms, a shelter house and naturalized areas. 

In 2021, an area of Burbank Park was identified for improved natural area management.  This area was once a thriving stand of young Ash trees.  Unfortunately, over the last decade the non-native invasive pest, the Emerald Ash Borer, killed most of these trees.  The Parks & Recreation Department cleared most of the woody plant material from this area, converting it to a combination of turf and pollinator habitat, with the addition of a mulched foot path. Our goal was to manage and provide a safe, inviting and more usable natural space.

BUDGET:

The budget for this installation is $10,000, all-inclusive - The fee will include, but is not limited to artist/design fee, materials, fabrication, installation, transportation/shipping, project documentation, engineering, travel, site modification, and per diem expenses.

SELECTION PROCESS:

Selection of up to three finalists will be determined by the Art Selection Panel consisting of the following:

• 3-7 members recommended by City Staff and appointed by the City Manager or designee.
• These members have a strong working knowledge of public art, including aesthetic concerns, community involvement, compatibility issues, funding and contracts, documentation, placement, landscaping and site concerns.
• At least one Upper Arlington resident
• 1 Ex Officio Cultural Arts Commissioner

A stipend of $300 will be provided to each finalist for the development of a proposal and creation of presentation. No travel expenses will be covered for any site visits, etc.  Final proposals will be presented virtually to the Art Selection Panel.  City staff will work to schedule these presentations.   

The Art Selection Panel will review the proposals and make a recommendation to the Cultural Arts Commission in accordance with the City’s acquisition policy. 

Incomplete application materials or artists who do not meet eligibility requirements will not be considered for finalist selection.

The City must approve designs before moving forward with fabrication.  If artist proposes any significant design changes after selected, these will be brought to the Cultural Arts Commission before the City approves any changes. 

PROJECT TIMELINE:

The tentative timeline is listed below.  This is subject to change as necessary.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Questions may be submitted anonymously by clicking this link:

https://airtable.com/appxEBmnMIylEdeEd/pagDH71o3ldqkYHqr/form

All questions must be submitted prior to Friday, March 15, 2024 at 3:00 PM, EST.

All questions and answers will be posted here no later than Monday, March 18, 2024:  Temporary Art Installation Questions and Answers

Application Requirements

Eligible artist or artist teams must reside in the Ohio and demonstrate:

• A level of quality and integrity in past artworks;
• Ability to complete projects on time and within budget;
• Ability to install artwork in an outdoor setting;
• An understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the site and the Upper Arlington Community; and
• Experience with community engagement, especially with youth.

Artists will be required to submit the following through the Café website:

1. An artist's statement.
2. A letter of intent detailing:
   1. The artist's knowledge of the City of Upper Arlington
   2. Brief narrative about the initial concept for the project
   3. The artist's capacity to implement the project
   4. Community engagement plan
3. A current resume.
4. At least 6 but no more that 10 digital images of past work.
5. An annotated image key, clearly labeled with your full name and a numerical listing for each image, the title of the work, the media, dimensions, and year of completion.
6. Up to three references (including full names, titles, affiliations and contact information)

There is no application fee to submit an application or to create an account on CaFÉ.

Please note that all materials must be submitted according to the specifications outlined on the CaFÉ website.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists who live in Ohio.  Artist teams will be considered, but only a single artist ‘project manager’ will be contracted.  The artist’s services will include design of an original temporary artwork, management of fabrication and installation of the work and availability for a public reception, community engagement opportunities, media interviews and other promotional events.