Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

Call for Artists (Request for Qualifications): Public Art commission for the new Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center Passenger Facility, Rhode Island

Budget for acquisition of artwork: $25,000

Application Deadline: Jan. 21, 2025 

Eligibility: This Call is open to all artists and artist teams residing in Rhode Island. Students are not eligible to apply.

Artwork for the Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center Passenger Facility, Pawtucket RI., will be commissioned by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) through Rhode Island’s Public Art Law, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to the acquisition of works of art to be placed in public places constructed. Through this program, the State recognizes that “public art creates a more humane environment: one of distinction, enjoyment, and pride for all citizens.”

About RIPTA

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is a quasi-public, independent authority. Established in 1966, RIPTA is authorized to operate public transit services throughout the State of Rhode Island. RIPTA’s Mission is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective transit service with a skilled team of professionals responsive to their customers, the environment, and committed to transit excellence.

About the Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center

The new Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center opened for service on Jan. 23, 2023. It was the culmination of more than a decade of work from a collaboration of state and local officials, transit, bus transit, and railroad stakeholders. It provides a robust combination of commuter rail and bus service in an emerging area of transit-oriented economic development in Pawtucket and Central Falls. It allows riders to switch modes of transportation easily between the commuter rail operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and RIPTA’s statewide bus network – making it easier and more convenient for many Rhode Islanders traveling to and from Boston and other destinations in Massachusetts.

About the RIPTA Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center Passenger Facility

Located at 300 Pine St., Pawtucket, the new passenger facility will feature public restrooms, driver restrooms and break room, a waiting area with seating and real-time passenger information screens, and a Pawtucket Police sub-station and security office. RIPTA will also have a staffed customer service window to assist riders as needed. This new building will improve the passenger experience for both bus and rail passengers, ensuring that bus and rail connections can be made at a convenient and comfortable location, as recommended in Rhode Island’s 2020 statewide Transit Master Plan, Transit Forward Rhode Island.

About this Call

Members of the selection committee met onsite in November. They toured the construction site and heard about the new facility and its use. The new facility is intended as a satellite hub for RIPTA’s operations and will not replace Kennedy Plaza. It will have a much-needed break room for bus drivers. RIPTA staff noted, “Without our drivers, we’re nothing”, and “if our drivers are happy, our customers are happy.” There will also be a police substation in addition to the public waiting room and restrooms.

The design of the building features large windows facing the sidewalk, allowing riders to monitor the arrival of their bus from inside. The interior finishes include polished concrete floors with blue wave accent, a blue tile backsplash in the water fountain area, and a blue accent wall. Walls are sheetrock. The walls above the two doorways have open areas that are appealing for the incorporation of artwork, available area of each wall roughly 4’ high x 19’ long.

The panel prioritized the interior for placement of artwork, noting that this is where riders will wait, and that artwork could help create a welcoming atmosphere. Interior artwork might also be lit so that it would be visible from the outside at night. It was noted that buses connect people and places and that this might be a possible theme. 

The panel established the following:

·      Artwork is desired for the interior only.

·      Interior artwork could create a welcoming atmosphere.

·      Artwork might be lit at night, increasing visibility from the outside.

·      Artwork should be durable and require minimal maintenance.

Additionally, panelists noted:

·      Pawtucket and Central Falls have a strong history of movement, work, and providing haven.

·      Buses connect people and places, so connection might be a possible theme.

·      The train station and bus facility are located within the Conant Thread District, which could be explored as a possible theme.

·      The communities served are very diverse, and artwork could celebrate or represent this diversity.

·      Artwork that is welcoming, vibrant, fun, colorful, or bright is desirable.

·      Emerging, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, gender nonconforming persons, LGBTQIA+ community members, and people with differing physical abilities are encouraged to apply. Artists living throughout Rhode Island are encouraged to apply.

ESTIMATED TIMELINE:

Dec. 12, 2024: Application opens.

Jan. 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (M.S.T.): Deadline for submissions

Feb. 2025: Panel meeting for review and selection of semifinalists.

Spring 2025: Finalist site visits.

Spring 2025: Finalist presentations to selection panel; work selected.

June 2025: Final approval by RISCA’s Council and RIPTA.

TBD with artist: Contract signed. Work fabricated, installed, and completed.

Application Requirements

Please note: This Call for Artists is the first step in the RISCA public art selection process. It is not considered best practice for an agency to ask an artist to craft a proposal without financial compensation. Therefore, RISCA will conduct the Public Art application process online, with all materials submitted in digital format through the CaFÉ web site (www.callforentry.org). There is no charge to apply.  

At this preliminary selection stage, we request submissions from artists or artist teams consisting of six (6) images representing work completed within the past ten (10) years, a brief, one-paragraph statement of interest, and a document describing the relevant experience of all team members.

No slides or hard copy materials will be accepted for this call. First time CaFÉ applicants must allow enough time to prepare their CaFÉ formatted digital images and electronic submission prior to the deadline.

Three finalists will be selected from the pool of applicants. Finalists will be invited to a site visit and to craft a detailed proposal including an itemized budget, scale models and/or renderings, and an in-depth project description. For this they will each be paid a stipend of $750. Finalists will provide a valid W9 for this payment. This stipend includes all travel expenses for both the site visit and the subsequent presentation meeting. Finalists will not be reimbursed separately for any travel costs. 

Intent of this Call and Scope of Work

Finalist’s site-specific proposals should convey the artist’s ideas and plans through designs, renderings and/or scale models with a statement that describes the project's intent, proposed materials, fabrication and installation methods, and an itemized budget including 10 percent contingency fee. Finalists will also be asked to explain how their artwork will be sourced and fabricated.  The finalists will be supplied with plans, photographs, and specific information about the facility. A site visit and review of architectural plans will be scheduled for finalists. The proposals will remain the property of the artist; RISCA, however, reserves the right to retain proposals for up to one year for display purposes and the right to reproduce final proposals for documentation and public information.

The budget is all-inclusive, including but not limited to all materials, fabrication, engineering fees, artists fees, travel, insurance, permits, installation, lighting, wiring, support, bases, etc. 

Eligibility Criteria

This Call for Artists is open to artists residing within the state of Rhode Island. For the purposes of this application, residency is determined as the state in which one files their personal tax return. Undergraduate students are not eligible. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, gender nonconforming persons, LGBTQIA+ community members and people with differing physical abilities are encouraged to apply. Artists living throughout Rhode Island are encouraged to apply. The panel will not discriminate against any applicant artist based on age, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or physical challenges. Excluded from participation are RISCA Council members, staff, and their family members as well as Public Art Selection Panel members and their families.

Selection Criteria

The panel will select the artist/s based on the following criteria:

1. Appropriateness of artwork for this facility.
2. Artistic vibrancy.
3. Safety, durability, and value of the materials and work for this public facility. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that artwork meets safety standards, adheres to building codes, ADA requirements and other state regulations. Artworks must require minimal maintenance.
4. Collaborative spirit. Willingness of the artist(s) to consult with facility staff, design team, and RISCA staff to assure smooth integration of the artwork into the site.
5. Artist and/or artist team who demonstrates the ability to manage and complete a commission.

Additionally, one finalist will be selected from those identifying as an emerging artist, defined for the purposes of this commission as someone who has not yet received a permanent public art commission of more than $15,000.