CALL FOR ARTISTS
CLINTON NATIONAL AIRPORT
DESIGN OF A WALL-MOUNTED ARTWORK OR INSTALLATION PROJECT

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) is interested in commissioning an artist or artist team for an artwork opportunity in the recently renovated airport. The opportunity is for the design and possibly fabrication and installation of a site-specific wall-mounted work or installation project located on a curved wall in the concourse exit. The project should celebrate the natural beauty of the region and welcome people to Little Rock and Arkansas.

Selected artist, or artist team, will design a custom site-specific artwork that will be fabricated from durable, low maintenance materials. The selected artist will receive a design fee of $10,000. An additional budget (estimated at $90,000) will be set for fabrication and installation and will be paid by the Airport. Based on the selected artist’s concept proposal, and in consultation with the artist, LIT may contract for the fabrication and installation with an outside contractor or may contract with the selected artist for fabrication and installation. 

To be eligible, artists must currently reside in Arkansas or have lived, worked or studied in the state.

There is an additional artwork opportunity with LIT for the design of a terrazzo floor artwork; to be considered for both projects, artists will have to apply for both opportunities separately.

Up to three (3) finalists will be selected to develop concept proposals for this opportunity. The submission process is described below. Submissions are due August 23, 2020.  

CONTEXT 

About Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), located in Little Rock, is Arkansas’s largest commercial service airport, with nearly two million passengers annually. The airport hosts six airlines with dozens of daily departures and nonstop service to 14 destinations. The mission of the airport is “to pursue all Opportunities in Flight to safely and efficiently connect our customers with the world and to promote economic development for all aeronautical activities.”

LIT recently completed a multiphase construction initiative aimed at strengthening the passenger experience. Improvements include upgrades to the pre-security terminal, modernization of the concourse and a new baggage-handling system.

WALL-MOUNTED ARTWORK DESIGN OR INSTALLATION OPPORTUNITY 

Description of Opportunity

The location for the wall-mounted artwork design or installation opportunity is a prominent wall in the passenger corridor, highly visible to those arriving at LIT as they exit the concourse into the terminal. The sweeping, curved wall is also visible from the pre-security lobby area, which was recently renovated.

The wall for artwork is roughly 31’- 6” long and 7’- 4” tall. It features a curved planter at its base which continues on past the wall, the planter face will not be part of the artwork.

An artist, or artist team, will be commissioned to design a site-specific wall-mounted artwork or installation project. Based on the selected artist’s concept proposal, and in consultation with the artist, LIT may contract for the fabrication and installation with an outside contractor or may contract with the selected artist for fabrication and installation. The selected artist will determine the medium of the artwork, but the completed project must be:

• Made of materials that are durable and low maintenance.

• Designed, fabricated and installed in such a way that the artwork can be removed and re-installed (in consultation with the artist) should a future airport construction project change the nature of the wall.

Artwork Goals

The artwork will be located on a prominent curved wall, highly visible for those arriving at LIT and beginning their experience in Little Rock. As such, the project has the potential to help define the passenger arrival experience for thousands of people each year who are returning home to Little Rock and Arkansas, arriving for a visit, or coming to the region for the first time.

The goals of the project are to:

• Reflect the region’s celebrated natural environment.

• Welcome people to Little Rock and Arkansas.

• Create a positive first impression of the airport and the region.

• Infuse creativity and artistry into a highly visible location at the airport.

Selected artist or artist team should consider the scale, design and finishes used in the area surrounding the site to coordinate the artwork with the style and scale of the space.

SELECTION PROCESS 

The newly formed Art Committee (LIT-AC) is comprised of regional arts and culture leaders and will serve as the recommending body for selecting an artist or artist team. The LIT-AC will also be selecting an artist for the other current artwork opportunity at LIT (Terrazzo Floor Artwork) and they may select one artist for both projects or different artists for each of the projects.

Artists interested in applying for both opportunities will need to complete applications for both opportunities.

Eligibility

To be eligible, artists must currently reside in Arkansas or have lived, worked, or studied in the state. Eligible artists are able to submit separate applications for this opportunity and for the terrazzo floor artwork opportunity at LIT; selection for one opportunity does not exclude selection for the other.

Qualification Review Process

The LIT-AC will review artist qualifications and select up to three (3) finalists to create concept proposals for the project opportunity. Artist qualifications will be reviewed by the LIT-AC based on the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence and innovation as demonstrated by past work and the submitted materials.

• Understanding of the project and ability to create an artwork that responds to the goals of the project.

• Ability to meet the timeline.

• Ability to create artwork that provides interest in public spaces and continues to engage viewers through multiple visits as demonstrated by past work and submitted materials.

Finalist Review Process  

Up to three (3) finalists will be selected to create concept proposals for the artwork opportunity. Finalists will be paid a stipend of $1200 to develop a site-specific concept proposal to present to the LIT-AC.

Finalists will attend a teleconference orientation on the project and will be provided with detailed information about the site scale and design, renderings of the passenger experience in the spaces, and relevant colors, surface finishes and lighting types.

Finalists will present their concept proposals to the LIT-AC. The LIT-AC will recommend a selection to LIT.

BUDGET 

The selected artist will receive a design fee of $10,000. A separate budget, estimated at $90,000, will be set for fabrication and installation and will be paid by the Airport. LIT may contract for the fabrication and installation with an outside contractor or may contract with the selected artist for fabrication and installation.

TENTATIVE TIMELINE 

• August 9, 2020: Deadline for questions regarding qualification submission process

• August 23, 2020: Qualifications due

• October 2020 LIT-AC reviews qualification and recommends finalists. Finalist orientation.

• December 2020: Finalists present Concept Proposals to LIT-AC. Committee makes recommendation to LIT.

• January 2021: Selected artist develops final design, detailed budget and schedule for fabrication, if applicable, or meets with fabricator and LIT to discuss translation of work and provide final design documents to LIT and fabricator.

• February-May 2021: Fabrication

• TBD: Installation

To Submit

To submit your required materials, go to the CaFE homepage at www.CallForEntry.org and create a free artist account. CaFE is free to use and there is no entry fee for this call. Under “Find Calls,” search for “Little Rock Airport Wall Artwork.” Follow the instructions for submission, upload the required images and files, and submit.

All materials are due before 11:59 pm CST on August 23, 2020.

You will be asked to submit the following response in your online submission:

• A statement that indicates your interest in the project and how you might approach the commission (no more than 500 words).

• A brief description of your connection to Arkansas (no more than 25 words).

You will be asked to attach the following files in your online submission:

• A CV/resume with current contact information (PDF, no more than 3 pages).

• Names and contact information for 3-5 professional references (PDF).

• Up to 10 sample images of previous artwork relevant to this project (JPEG).

• Corresponding image information about each work sample, including: artwork title, a brief description of the artwork (100 words or less), medium, completion date, dimensions, location, and total budget/cost (please use the Price/Value field in CaFE). In the description field, please state the commissioning agency if applicable, and state your role in the creation of the artwork if other artists or design professionals were involved in its creation.

Please do not send specific proposals at this time. Only finalist artists will be asked to create concept proposals for the opportunity.

QUESTIONS 

Please submit all questions via email to villa@viapartnership.com no later than August 9, 2020.  Responses to all questions will be posted to https://www.clintonairport.com/ by August 12, 2020. 

For Technical Questions about the submission process, visit: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/ or click on Help on the CaFE website.

ATTACHMENTS

• Siteplan for artwork location

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria