Call Detail
3-Acre Courthouse Plaza Design $500,000 - Jacksonville FL
Entry Deadline: 9/22/20
Application Closed
Work Sample Requirements
Images | Minimum:Min. 18, Maximum:Max. 18
Video | Minimum:Min. 0, Maximum:Max. 2
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 18, Maximum:Max. 20
Call Type: Public Art
Eligibility: International
State: Florida

NAME:      Duval County Courthouse Plaza
LOCATION:     Duval County Courthouse, 501 W Adams St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
DUE DATE OF APPLICATION:    September 22, 2020 
TOTAL BUDGET:     $500,000 
PROPOSAL FEES:    Three Finalists paid $15,000 each

ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION:    The City of Jacksonville seeks an artist team to transform the 3-acre lawn at the Duval County Courthouse into a work of public art. 

ONLINE PRE-PROPOSAL Q&A:  
September 4 (3:00 PM EST) https://zoom.us/j/99567666846
September 15 (3:00 PM EST) https://zoom.us/j/98823653073

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION 
The City of Jacksonville, via the management of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, seeks the transformation of a major downtown space into a dynamic and dignified work of public art. 

During the Winter of 2019, community dialogues, surveys and a design charrette were held to inform a Stakeholders committee of judges, civic leaders, museum curators and city staff.  Details and recordings are available online at culturalcouncil.org/duval-county-courthouse.html.  After a COVID 19 delay, the Stakeholders adopted the following vision for the plaza:   

The Duval County Courthouse Plaza is a safe active urban park with multiple spaces for small events, free speech and sculptures.  The entire plaza is a dignified, memorable and iconic work of art with artist-designed elements such as earth berms, pathways, bollards, shade structures and lighting


All applicants should review the PowerPoint Presentation found at culturalcouncil.org/duval-county-courthouse.html.   

To expand on the PowerPoint, the new artwork should succeed visually, environmentally and spatially for pedestrians.  The ground plane should have multiple zones that could be created with targeted hardscape, grade changes like earth berms, shade structures and lighting.  The artwork could extend overhead and make patterns against the sky or show moving lights at night.  From the surrounding multi-story buildings and flying drones, the vision from above might be perceived as an icon for Jacksonville.

The vision of the transformation into public art will extend across the entire 3-acre with the understanding that the $500,000 budget may only support first phase concentrations with ripples.  The concentrations might act like a stone causing ripples in water or a grid that fades, appears and fades again.  

The artwork will include a special requirement to make spaces for possible sculptures by others and for the installation of the Law and Liberty relief sculpture.  One sculpture for consideration during the design dialogues will be the memorial to Duval County lynching victims from the Peace and Justice monument in Montgomery, Alabama.  

FINALIST DESIGN COMPETITION
For the final design phase, the lead artists will assemble a professional team and prepare a schematic design proposal with sufficient detail to move directly into construction documents after a brief design development phase.  The artist will develop a vision for the use of $500,000 and a future phase to expand the implementation.  

The finalists are challenged to satisfy the Stakeholders’s requirements for the civic space in front of a courthouse.  As a result of the security for the nearly 1,000,000 annual visitors and a limited maintenance budget, the following restrictions and opportunities are imposed.

  • No New Trees
  • Reserved Right of Way (ROW) for a potential future Monroe Street
  • No Water Features 
  • No Long-term Seating
  • Easily Maintained by Lawn Mower, Leaf Blowing & Pressure Washing

During the late fall and winter, the Public Art staff will coordinate a number of Zoom meetings between finalists and key stakeholders to better understand the goals and needs of the project.  Other meetings will be scheduled with staff from Public Works, Sheriff and Parks for recommendations and feedback on the design for construction, operation and long-term maintenance.  Recordings of the Zoom meetings will be available and any key decisions will be distributed to all.  

Any finalist may request that the Cultural Council coordinate dialogues with community members. If the Cultural Council sets up the special dialogue, then all teams will be invited.  Any finalist is free to coordinate their own community or individual discussions.  

Given the scale and post-modern design of the Duval County Courthouse, we recommend that the lead artists travel to Jacksonville during the final design phase, but the visit is not mandatory.  

The design proposal must include the following.

  1. Renderings and other digital drawings to fully present a $500,000 design and a future second phase to the Artist Selection Panel and general public.  The digital drawings should be formatted for posting online and for printing and display in public settings

  2. A detailed site plan and elevations sufficient to move into construction documents after a brief design development phase.

  3. A description of maintenance including extra costs created by the design such as electrical supply and ongoing equipment replacement.  

  4. A full team to complete the project including any required licensed Florida professionals and fabricators. Résumés or company brochures should be included with relevant experience.  The team may include a general contractor or a proposal to bid the work.  

  5. Full detailed budget for the $500,000 and a schematic budget for a future second phase.

  6. Images of past artworks that relate to the proposal.

Assistant Artists in Jacksonville
Any finalist, including finalists from Jacksonville, may request an assistant on the ground in the City.  The role of the assistant artist will be a determination of the finalist.  They could function as researchers, coordinators or full members of the team.  The Cultural Council will provide a list of qualified NE Florida artists and will pay the assistant artist independently.  

Technical Review 
Prior to completing the proposal, each team will have the opportunity to have the preliminary version of the design reviewed by a technical team in Jacksonville.  The review will serve to catch any issues.  These online meetings will be individual and not broadcast online.  

EVALUATION OF THE SUBMITTED DESIGN PROPOSALS
To inform the Art Selection Panel (ASP), the public art staff will coordinate a series of methods to receive feedback on the proposals including website posting, social media, email distribution and display at City Hall and the Courthouse.  

After the selection of the finalists, the ASP will issue final criteria beyond the Call to Artists and Stakeholders’ PowerPoint.  

Presentation of the Finalist Designs

Each finalist will make a presentation to the Art Selection Panel that will be broadcast live via Zoom and Facebook and in recording on Facebook.  The ASP will be able to ask questions and the general public can submit comments via the chat function.  If a minor issue surfaces, each finalist will be permitted to modify the proposal prior to selection.  

ASP Selection Meeting
A single meeting of the ASP will be held to select the artist and proposal that will be broadcast via Zoom.  The Cultural Council staff will coordinate the review of the proposals.  The lead artist should be available to answer questions if asked, but not make any presentation.   

ARTIST SERVICES 
The following activities may be required: 
Community Engagement
Proposal Development and Public Presentation 
Construction Documents and Permitting
Construction, Fabrication and Installation 
Photographic Documentation 

ANTICIPATED ART PROJECT SCHEDULE 
Pre-proposal online Q&A with Public Art staff: September 4 and September 15 2020 
Artist Selection: October 2020
Community Engagement and Site Visits*:  November 2020-March 2021
Design Proposals Due:  March 2021 
Public Presentations:  March / April 2021
Design Selection and Contract Award:  April / May 2021
Completion:  June 2022

Note * In person site visits are not mandatory.  Most meetings will occur via Zoom.

ART PROJECT BUDGET 
Design Phase
The total budget for the three finalists will be $15,000 each.  The budget includes all artist fees, other team members fees, presentation materials, travel and shipping if required.  

Implementation Phase
The total budget established for the project is $500,000. The budget includes all costs to the artist team including art fees, professional fees, construction documents, fabrication, insurance, site construction, shipping, travel, installation, photography, etc.  All construction documents must be signed by Florida licensed professionals.

Insurance
During the Design Phase, the finalist must submit a certificate of additional insured for the City of Jacksonville and the Cultural Council for Commercial General Liability at $1,000,000 per instance / $2,000,000 aggregate. Proof of Workers compensation will be required for businesses with owners and employees totalling four or more.   During the implementation phase, certificates of additional insured will be required for liability, automobile, professional liability and pollution insurances and proof of workers compensation. If a construction contract exceeds $200,000, then a performance bond is required.   

PARTNER AGENCY(S) 
Duval County Courthouse: Judicial System and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Department of Public Works

SITE DESCRIPTION
The three-acre lawn in front of the County Courthouse is bordered with the Courthouse to the north, Adams street to the south, N Pearl Street to the East and Broad Street to the West. The future seven story office building for the City’s electrical authority JEA on the eastside of N Pearl St. and a City parking garage to the south of Adams St.  The western area has surface parking and grass covered lots without any current development plans, except for Below Deck's Captain Sandy Yawn’s new restaurant and bar in a historic firehouse.

Duval County Courthouse holds typical courthouse functions including judicial proceeding, marriage license, property deeds, etc. plus a substantial detention facility for people awaiting trial. 

 The plaza is located between the heart of downtown Jacksonville at James Weldon Johnson Park (formerly Hemming Park) and the historic African American neighborhood called LaVilla.  A few blocks to the south is the St Johns River with the Performing Arts Center and Riverwalk.  

Due to 20th Century cultural changes and city actions, most of LaVilla has been demolished.  Broad Street on the western edge of the plaza bordered the African American business district during segregation. 

Today, artist and landscape architect Walter Hood from Oakland, California is completing a design for a national site honoring Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing poem/song written in LaVilla.  Hood’s designs include a walking trail of LaVilla history along Broad Street.   

Dynamic leadership of the Downtown Development Authority (DIA) and the Downtown Vision Inc. (DVI) are moving quickly to enhance the economic and social success of downtown Jacksonville.  The DIA plans to hire a firm to examine and potentially design the change of Adams Street in front of the Courthouse from one way west to a two way street.  

Since the completion of the courthouse, the plaza has been a frequent location for gatherings, rallies or protests regarding issues facing the criminal justice system and other concerns of Jacksonville citizens.  In 2020, Jacksonville protest events stemming from the death of George Floyd have begun or ended in the courthouse lawn.   

APPLICATION PROCESS
The application process is managed by the Public Art staff of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. The Art in Public Places Committee (APPC) of the City of Jacksonville appoints the Artist Selection Panel (ASP).  The ASP is responsible for the selection of the artist(s) and the approval of the artwork proposal(s). 

WHO IS THE APPLICANT:  LEAD ARTIST
For the selection of the three finalists to create proposals, only the lead artist or artist partnership will be evaluated.  During the design phase, the lead artist must submit a full team of engineers, landscape architects, contractors, fabricators, etc. The full team qualifications will be evaluated with the design proposal.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

  • Lead artist with successful experience creating artwork across landscapes, plazas or similar sites.  
  • No geographic limits but total travel costs will be limited in the final contract.
  • The lead artist can be any relevant profession - visual artist, architect, landscape architect, engineer - but must be recognized for the artistic excellence of their professional work.  
  • The project is open to artists 21 years and older, who are not a student in a formal degree program, and who have been practicing artists for more than three years.   
  • Artists are INELIGIBLE that are immediate family members or business partners of the members of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, APPC or ASP.   

ARTIST SELECTION CRITERIA
The Artist Selection Panel is a culturally diverse group with judges, curators, civic leaders, landscape architects and others and shall consider the following criteria: 
  • Required experience necessary for the project
  • Successful completion of past works of public art or landscape that are appropriate to its physical site and communities, that demonstrate exceptional technical skills and that satisfy the best standards for contemporary works of art and design.
  • ​Successful completion of past works created in collaboration with governmental agencies such as public works, parks, courts or development services.
  • The appropriateness of past work to the site and community in Jacksonville
  • The ability to engage with the community and respond artistically to the community needs, identity and aspirations.      
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The information and documentation below must be submitted through CaFÉ before the written deadline.  
  1. Statement:  A brief summary of your experience related to similar projects, coordinating professional design teams and working for governments.  

  2. Via the CAFE system, you must answer the following questions affirmatively. 

    1. I am available to visit Jacksonville in person and complete the design as per the project schedule during 2020-21.

    2. I am 21 years or older, not a student in a formal degree program and have been creating and installing public art for more than three years. 

    3. I have or will acquire the required coverages for additional insured certificates for commercial general  liability insurance during the design phase.

  3. Resume: A current and professional resume, emphasizing public art experience and public commissions (if any). On key public art projects, please note engaged government agencies.    

Images:  The artist will upload a minimum of five completed projects in 20 images and 2 videos.  The videos are limited to 120 seconds each. 

DEADLINE: UPLOADED BY
11:59 PM, MST, September 22, 2020 

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION AT:
CaFE https://www.callforentry.org/

QUESTIONS:
Contact: Hilda Ettedgui, Project Manager
Phone: (904) 358-3600 x 13
E-mail: Hilda@culturalcouncil.org

ONLINE PRE-PROPOSAL Q&A:    
September 4 (3:00 PM EST) https://zoom.us/j/99567666846
September 15 (3:00 PM EST) https://zoom.us/j/98823653073

Website for the Cultural Council: www.culturalcouncil.org 
Website for the City of Jacksonville: www.coj.net 

OTHER SELECTION ISSUES

  1. Florida “Sunshine Laws”:  All meetings of the APPC and ASP are open to the public, will have public notice and have minutes recorded. 

  2. Conflict of Interests: If a member of the APPC or ASP has a direct or indirect conflict of interest with an applicant, the member will be encouraged to withdraw from commenting or voting on that applicant.

  3. Applicant Contact with APPC and ASP:  Artist applicants should not contact APPC and ASP members between the release of the Call to Artists and the completion of the selection process.  Contact the Cultural Council for all questions and information.  


PUBLIC ART IN JACKSONVILLE
Public art by the City, Federal Government, property developers and community associations has been a part of the city fabric since the rebuilding after the 1901 great fire.  In 1997, the City officially created an Art in Public Places program and awarded management in 2007 to the Cultural Council.  The first major works included Jaume Plensa, Larry Kirkland and Al Held.  Around 2016, Art Republic began commissioning numerous large murals downtown and Preston Haskell sponsored the downtown sculpture initiative. Today with the leadership of the Cultural Council, the City and multiple non-profits strive to create public artworks throughout Jacksonville. 

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES COMMITTEE
Cory Driscoll (Chair), Mico Fuentes, Mary Harvey, Kimberly Kim, Suzanne Pickett, Tracie Thornton, Ylva Rouse, Ann Carey and Karen Feagins

THE CULTURAL COUNCIL OF GREATER JACKSONVILLE / PUBLIC ART
Joy Young, Executive Director
Glenn Weiss, Director of Public Art Programs / Art in Public Places
Hilda Ettedgui, Public Art Project Manager
Ashley Wolfe, Public Art Coordinator

THE CITY OF  JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Lenny Curry, Mayor.    Tommy Hazouri, President, City Council

At 840 square miles, Jacksonville is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States with a population of 1.5 million in the metro area. Jacksonville offers all the benefits of a beach town combined with city life and Southern charm. The city sprawls along the St. Johns River with sweeping bridges and spreads eastward to capture the great salt marsh of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and 22 miles of beaches. (Edited from Lonely Planet)



 

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria