Call Description

MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE             
Request for Qualifications
East High School
1% for Art Program /Public Works
PO Box 196650
Anchorage, AK  99519-6650
(907) 343-6473
 
Project:                                               East High School Renovation 2013
Deadline for Entries:                         Friday, March 14, 2014
Contact:                                              Curator of Public Art, 1% for Art, (907) 343-6473
Amount of Commissions:                  $19,000
Eligibility:                                           National Call; Alaskan Preference
 
Code                                                   
In accordance with Municipal Code 7.40, the Municipality of Anchorage is announcing a call for qualified artists to create artwork for East High School in Anchorage, Alaska. 
 
Project Information
Project construction was completed in 2012.
 
Site Description
The art selection jury intends to commission one artwork to be permanently installed on the exterior of the remodeled school which is located on 4025 E. Northern Lights Blvd in Anchorage, Alaska. 
 
The first location is located on an exterior wall facing Bragaw, north of the Bragaw Entrance on the west side of the school.  The exterior wall is outside of the school’s cafeteria on the second floor.  Because of the proximity of the wall to an existing 1% for Art installation by Marcus Tingle the artwork will need to complement the stained glass window.
 
The wall consists of insulated panels over concrete situated 15’ above the ground.  The panels are 18’5” tall and 5’ wide each.  The area for an exterior artwork should measure approximately 20’ wide and 8’ 5” tall.
 
The second location is an exterior plaza near the center of the school grounds.  The plaza is located adjacent to the student entrance to the school near the center of the school campus.  The proposed art location is a raised, circular grass mound that measures approximately 20’ in diameter.
 
Themes
East High School opened in 1961 and has three previous major renovations.  The school colors are red and Columbia blue and the mascot of the school is the Thunderbird, although it is not necessary to include the mascot in the artwork.  The high school is the most urban school in the Anchorage School District and is one of the most diverse high schools in the nation.  Approximately 2,175 students attend the school annually.
Past additions and renovations have added public artwork to the school building including a suspended artwork by Koryn Rolstad in the multi-purpose room, a stained glass window by Marcus Tingle, and a media installation by Golan and Levin near the Northern Lights entrance and in the library.
Requirements
There are no restrictions on style or the design of the artwork, but the proposal must provide assurance the artwork will be durable and routine maintenance requirements must be minimal.  Also, surplus materials (2%) will be required for future maintenance needs, if appropriate.  The installation must be permanent and must be designed to last the life of the building.  This is an earthquake area and needs to meet standards in the IBC 2009 building code as amended by the Municipality of Anchorage. 
 
Sculptures taller than 6’ must be engineered and permitted through the MOA system set up for works of art. 
 
Budget
The amount budgeted for the art commission for this renovation is $19,000.
 
Selection Criteria:
Artists will be selected to develop proposals with the project team based on:

1. Artistic Merit as evidenced by representation of relevant past work in images. 
2. Appropriateness of the artist’s medium, style and previous experience in relation to the project goals and setting.
3. Experience with projects of a similar scale and scope including familiarity with the public art process, the public review approval process, and/or collaboration with schools, and design agencies; and art selection juries. 
4. Artists must have good communication skills and be able to work with diverse community members.
5. Diversity of artists and mediums reflects the overall program goals to strive for diversity in style, scale, media and artists in new and traditional art forms. Artists with no prior public art experience will be seriously considered.  Artists with strong bodies of work, with little public art background are encouraged to apply and will be given equal consideration.  

 
Artists are required to submit the following items:
1. Six digital images of past work should be loaded into CaFE (callforentry.org) following the guidelines on that site.
2. Each image should be identified with title, materials, dimensions, and value;
3. Current 1-2 page resume.
4. Your artist statement should include a description of why you are interested or particularly qualified for this project, this is especially important if you are proposing a project that you do not illustrate in the images of past work.
5.  Please answer the required questions for each project for which you are applying including which location(s) you are applying, what medium/media or general approach(s) to the project(s) you are applying (ie. aluminum bas-relief sculpture, ceramic tile mosaic, etc.), and what range of commission you are applying to propose.
ART SELECTION JURY
Principal Sam Spinella represents East High School along with student Laura Becia and art instructor Mary Kaye Denkewalter; Nick Horn-Rollins is the design representative from McCool, Carlson, Green Architects; Mark Wedekind is a local, professional artist; Monica Sullivan is representing the Municipality of Anchorage’s Art Advisory Commission; and Steve Shrader is representing the Municipality.
 
Additional Information
Requests for additional information may be directed to the Curator of Public Art, at Municipality of Anchorage at the Permit Center.  The telephone number is (907) 343-6473; the FAX number is (907) 249-7567.  The 1% for Art program for the Municipality of Anchorage has a web site at http://www.muni.org/publicart.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria

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