ALEXANDRIA ART PURCHASE AWARDS 3

Third of Eight Calls

 Call to Artists and Galleries:  The City of Alexandria is purchasing original art to add to the City’s art collection and to display in City-owned buildings.  Artists, art galleries, and art consultants working or residing in Alexandria and the Washington, DC area are encouraged to apply.

Project Overview:  The Alexandria Art Purchase Awards will total eight calls with each call purchasing up to $4000 in artwork.  For this third call, the artwork submitted should focus on one of three overarching themes:

• “Time and Place”

• “Neighborhoods and Gathering Places”

• “Natural and Urban Systems”   

 Each artist call will be in three phases. 

• Phase one:  Artists submit applications online.  The Art Purchase Awards project task force then reviews artist applications and selects ten pieces to be considered for the purchase awards. 

• Phase two:  Artwork being considered for purchase is displayed at City Hall for three months.  The artwork displayed must be the work submitted in the application and be delivered framed and ready to hang.

• Phase three:  The task force makes their purchase recommendations to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.  After approval by the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, the purchase award(s) will be accessioned into the City’s art collection and be displayed in City-owned spaces.  Each artist chosen for the exhibition at City Hall but not given a purchase award will receive an honorarium of $100. 

Application Deadline:  Sunday, May 12, 2019, 11:59 PM, MDT

Eligibility:  Applicants must be 18 years or older and reside or work in Alexandria or the Washington, DC area.  Artists, galleries, art consultants are eligible to submit original art.

Submissions:  All artwork submitted must be original, available for purchase, and made within the last 5 years.  Artwork must be ready to hang on a wall.  Artists can submit up to five (5) works of art for consideration.  Art galleries and art consultants can submit up to (5) works of art from any combination of two (2) or more represented artists.  The pricing of artwork must include the frame.  The City reserves the right to negotiate the final price.

Artist Bio:  In one or two paragraphs, give a short artist biography.

Letter of Interest:  In one or two paragraphs, describe how each piece submitted conveys one of the three themes “Time and Place,” Neighborhoods and Gathering Place,” or “Natural and Urban Systems.” 

Resume:  Include a one-page artist resume.

Selection Process:  Appointed by the Alexandria Commission for the Arts (ACA), a five-member project task force made up of two ACA representatives, two community stakeholders, and one project stakeholder will review applications submitted on CaFE and choose the artwork being considered for purchase to be displayed for three months at City Hall.  After three months of community engagement and in coordination with City staff, the project task force will make their purchase award(s) recommendation(s) to the ACA.  The ACA will then vote on the purchase award(s) at their monthly public meeting. 

Selection Criteria:  The criteria used by the task force to determine what artwork will be part of the exhibition at City Hall and considered for purchase by the City are:

• Artistic excellence

• Artwork conveying a strong sense of one of the three themes

• Artist Bio

• Letter of Interest

• Resume

• Appropriateness of artwork for display in City public spaces

• Cost of artwork based on funding availability

The selection criteria for the actual purchase awards will include the criteria listed above as well.  All applications must be submitted online via CaFE and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Timeline: 

• Call for Artists goes live on CaFE                                Thursday, April 11, 2019

• Application deadline                                                   Sunday, May 12, 11:59 PM, MDT

• Finalists chosen for exhibition at City Hall                 First week of June notification*

• Finalists deliver artwork                                             Second half of June*

• City Hall Exhibition                                                      July through September*

• Art Purchase Awards announced                                Second half of-October*

• Pick up returned artwork                                            Late October 2019*

*Specific dates and times will be communicated to applicants through CaFE.

Please submit questions via email c/o ALEXANDRIA ART PURCHASE AWARDS to Matthew Harwood, Public Art Manager, City of Alexandria, at matthew.harwood@alexandriava.gov.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria