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Call to Artists/RFQ: Public Art Ad Hoc Committee, Montgomery County, TN

Budget: $200,000

Deadline: May 19, 2019, midnight

Project Description

Montgomery County, TN, through the Public Art Ad Hoc Committee, seeks to commission an artist to design, construct, and install (or provide instructions for installation including oversight of the installation) an outdoor sculpture acknowledging our relationship with the men and women of Fort Campbell, KY, and honoring their service to the country.

Background

Clarksville/Montgomery County, TN, is the fifth largest metropolitan area in Tennessee, with a combined population of nearly 200,000. Situated on the Cumberland River, Clarksville is home to Austin Peay State University, hosts several annual outdoor festivals, and has a growing corporate culture (including Google, Hankook Tire, Bridgestone, and Trane). Most importantly for this RFQ, Montgomery County is adjacent to one of America’s largest military posts, Fort Campbell. This 106,700 acre post is uniquely capable to deploy mission-ready contingency forces by air, rail, highway, and inland waterway; Fort Campbell is also home to the 101st Airborne Division. It is an Army facility that supports active and reserve component units, Army civilians, Army Families, retirees and veterans. The commissioned sculpture will serve as recognition of these men and women and their service to the country. 

Criteria

There are no established stylistic/aesthetic criteria for the awarding of this commission; the committee is eager to see a range of solutions to the request. The final sculpture might communicate the core values of the military, including loyalty, honor, and service; it will serve as Montgomery County’s acknowledgement of the positive impact of the military on our community. It will be created with materials that require minimum maintenance and will withstand the local environment. The selected artist will enter into contract with Montgomery County to provide design, fabrication, and installation services.

Location Description

Clarksville is connected to Fort Campbell through one major thoroughfare, Fort Campbell Boulevard. As it approaches the Fort, Fort Campbell Boulevard divides; the expansive median is home to Patriots Park. The commissioned sculpture will sit at the southern end of the park, visible to passing traffic (with a daily traffic count of around 40,000).  While Patriots Park is a recreational destination, the sculpture will mainly function as a visual for passing motorists. 

Fort Campbell Boulevard is classified as a state highway. Because of this, proposals must adhere to Tennessee Department of Transportation standards (including restrictions on height, color, materials, etc.). This information will be shared with the three finalists; the winning proposal will be developed with the assistance of local engineers in order to meet T-DOT proposal standards, and is subject to T-DOT and County Commission approval.

Budget

Total funding allocated to the project, through a percent-for-art plan, is $200,000. This includes design fees, fabrication, installation, material costs, and all other related fees.

Eligibility

This RFQ is open to all artists.

Deadline

Artists who wish to be considered will submit an application to CaFÉ (Callforentry.org) by midnight, 5/19/2019.

Application requirements

Interested artists must submit the following as an expression of interest:

1.    Cover letter describing your interest in the project, your general approach to public artwork, a brief description of your work’s overall themes, and any relevant project experience.

2.    Professional resume/bio with contact information: name, address, phone number, email address, and website if available. Your bio should include a list of public/commissioned artworks.

3.    Portfolio of up to 20 images, including images of the projects listed above, that demonstrate your ability to complete a project on this scale

4.    An annotated image list corresponding to the slides. Include title, date, media, size, client, location, and project budget. Please include information relevant to this commission.

Selection Process

RFQs will be reviewed by the members of the Public Art Committee. Up to three finalists will be short-listed and issued a request for proposals, with a stipend of $2000.00 per finalist, inclusive of travelling to Clarksville for a meeting with T-DOT/engineers and a site visit. Upon submission, all proposal materials become the property of Montgomery County.

Each artist selected as a finalist will provide the following materials to the committee: concept drawings, thematic description/interpretation, and detailed budget and timeline (including costs for materials, fabrication, installation, engineering if applicable, insurance, etc.).

The committee will select finalists based on strength of past work as shown by application materials, and demonstrated ability to design and install works of a similar scale. The Committee will make a final selection based on the thematic and formal strength of the proposal.

The committee’s choice for final selection is subject to approval by the Montgomery County Commission and the Tennessee Department of Transportation before the contract is awarded. A final timeline for fabrication and installation of the work will be negotiated at that time.

Montgomery County reserves the right to reject all proposals in the event none are deemed appropriate in its sole and exclusive discretion. Montgomery County is not under obligation to select a finalist or award a contract.

Montgomery County will follow all the applicable laws of the City, County, State and Federal government applicable to this process.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria