Application Closed
Images | Minimum:Min. 5, Maximum:Max. 8
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 5, Maximum:Max. 8
Eligibility: National
State: Arizona
SECTION I – BACKGROUND
The City of Phoenix Housing Department was awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods (CN) Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in July 2018. This grant, Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG), and additional City and private funding will assist with the revitalization of public housing, the surrounding neighborhood, and parks in the Edison-Eastlake Community (EEC). As part of this revitalization, the Housing Department is charged with advancing and preserving the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the EEC through support of the arts.
As part of the CN arts program, the City is issuing this Request for Qualifications (“RFQu”) for professional artists specializing in three-dimensional works to design sculptural gateway monuments for two prominent street corners in the Eastlake Park neighborhood of the EEC. One monument would be sited on the southwest corner of 16th Street and Washington Street, the other one block south, on the southwest corner of 16th Street and Jefferson Street. The monuments would be expected to celebrate the unique spirit and diversity of the Eastlake Park community’s rich history, and its continuing evolution as a thriving downtown Phoenix neighborhood.
This RFQu is open to professional artists specializing in three-dimensional artwork in durable media who have collaborative design and project experience. Arizona artists are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants to this RFQ could be considered as an applicant pool for other similar City of Phoenix public art projects.
This RFQu is expected to include a two-stage selection process. During the first, the City intends to select no more than five (5) highly qualified artists or artist teams as project finalists. During the second stage, the finalists will be required to develop and present preliminary design concepts for the two street monuments. The City will award the design contract based on its review of the concepts and interviews with the finalists. The finalists who participate in the stage 2 of this process will be offered a fee, as described in SECTION V – EVALUATION AND SELECTION. The Artist’s submission of a response to this RFQu constitutes the Artist’s understanding of the process and agreement to comply with the terms set forth herein.
OBTAINING A COPY OF THE RFQu AND ADDENDA: Interested Artists may download the complete RFQu and addenda from https://soliciations.phoenix.gov/ It is the Artist’s responsibility to check the website, read the entire RFQu, and verify all required information is submitted with their offer.
SUBMISSION RESULTS: Submissions and other information received in response to the RFQu will be shown only to authorized City personnel having a legitimate interest in them or persons assisting the City in the evaluation. Submissions are not available for public inspection until after the City has posted the award recommendation on the City’s website.
PUBLIC RECORD: All Offers submitted in response to this RFQu will become the property of the City and become a matter of public record available for review pursuant to Arizona State law. If an Artist believes that a specific section of its Offer response is confidential, the Artist will isolate the pages marked confidential in a specific and clearly labeled section of its Offer response. An Artist may request specific information contained within its Offer is treated by the Procurement Officer as confidential provided the Artist clearly labels the information “confidential.” To the extent necessary for the evaluation process, information marked as “confidential” will not be treated as confidential. Once the procurement file becomes available for public inspection, the Procurement Officer will not make any information identified by the Artists as “confidential” available to the public unless necessary to support the evaluation process or if specifically requested in accordance with applicable public records law. When a public records request for such information is received, the Procurement Officer will notify the Artist in writing of any request to view any portion of its Response marked “confidential.” The Artist will have the time set forth in the notice to obtain a court order enjoining such disclosure. If the Artist does not provide the Procurement Officer with a court order enjoining release of the information during the designated time, the Procurement Officer will make the information requested available for inspection.
LATE SUBMISSIONS: Late Submissions must be rejected. If a late Offer is submitted, the Department will document the date and time of the submittal of the late Submission, keep the Offer and notify the Artist that its Submission was disqualified for being late.
RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY: The City reserves the right to disqualify any Artist who fails to provide information or data specified in SECTION IV SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS, or who provides materially inaccurate or misleading information or data. The City further reserves the right to disqualify any Artist on the basis of any real or apparent conflict of interest that is disclosed by the Artist submitted or any other data or information available to the City. This disqualification is at the sole discretion of the City. By submission of a RFQu response, the Artist waives any right to object now or at any future time, before any agency or body including, but not limited to, the City Council of the City or any court as to the exercise by the City of such right to disqualify or as to any disqualification by reason of real or apparent conflict of interest determined by the City. The City reserves the right to replace the disqualified Artist.
CONTRACT AWARD: The City reserves the right to award a contract by individual line items, by group, all or none, or any other combination most advantageous to the City. The City reserves the right to multiple award. Placement on a list is not a guarantee of work.
DETERMINING RESPONSIVENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY:
1. Submissions will be reviewed for documentation of minimum qualifications, completeness, and compliance with the RFQu requirements. The City reserves sole discretion to determine responsiveness and responsibility.
2. Responsiveness: Nonresponsive submissions will not be considered in the evaluation process. The RFQu states criteria that determine responsiveness, and the RFQu includes terms and conditions that if included or excluded from Offers will render an Offer nonresponsive.
3. Exceptions, conditions, reservations, or understandings are presumed to be unacceptable, and Submissions that includes unacceptable exceptions, conditions, reservations, or understandings may be rejected as nonresponsive. Alternatively, the City in its sole discretion may instruct in writing that any Artist remove the conditions, exceptions, reservations or understandings. If the Artist fails to do so in writing, the City may determine the Submission to be nonresponsive.
4. Responsibility: To obtain true economy, the City must conduct solicitations to minimize the possibility of a subsequent default by the contractor, late deliveries, or other unsatisfactory performance that may result in additional administrative costs. It is important that the Artist be a responsible Artist. Responsibility includes the Artist’s integrity, skill, capacity, experience, and facilities for conducting the work to be performed.
5. The Procurement Officer will review each Submission to determine if the Artist is responsible. The City’s determination as to whether an Artist is responsible will be based on all information furnished by the Artist, interviews (if any), and information received from Artist’s references, including information about Artist’s history, terminations for convenience or cause, contract breach lawsuits or notices of claim and any other sources the City deems appropriate. Award of the Contract resulting from the RFQu will not be made until any necessary investigation, which each Artist agrees to permit by submitting its Submission, is made by the City as it deems necessary. A review of responsibility may occur up to contract award.
6. The Artist’s unreasonable failure to promptly supply information about an inquiry with respect to responsibility may be grounds for a determination of non-responsibility with respect to such Submission.
SECTION II –TRANSPARENCY POLICY
1. Commencing on the date and time a solicitation is published, potential or actual Artist (including their representatives) shall only discuss matters associated with the Solicitation with the Mayor, any members of City Council, the City Manager, any Deputy City Manager, or any department director directly associated with the solicitation (including in each case their assigned staff, except for the designated procurement officer) at a public meeting, posted under Arizona Statutes, until the resulting contract(s) are awarded to all offers or responses are rejected and the solicitation is cancelled without any announcement by the Procurement Officer of the City’s intent to reissue the same or similar solicitation.
2. As long as the solicitation is not discussed, Artists may continue to conduct business with the City and discuss business that is unrelated to the solicitation with the City staff. Artists may not discuss the solicitation with any City employees or evaluation panel members.
3. Artists may discuss their proposal or the solicitation with the Mayor or one or more members of the Phoenix City Council, provided such meetings are scheduled through the Procurement Officer, and are posted as open meetings with the City Clerk at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled meetings. The City Clerk will be responsible for posting the meetings. The posted notice shall identify the participants and the subject matter, as well as invite the public to participate.
4. With respect to the selection of the successful Artists, the City Manager and/or City Manager's Office will continue the past practice of exerting no undue influence on the process. In all solicitation of bids and proposals, any direction on the selection from the City Manager and/or City Manager's Office and Department Head (or representative) to the proposal review panel or selecting authority must be provided in writing to all prospective Artists.
5. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all Artists, assure that contracts are awarded in public, and protect the integrity of the selection process. ARTISTS THAT VIOLATE THIS POLICY SHALL BE DISQUALIFIED. After official Notice is received by the City for disqualification, the Artist may follow the Protest process, unless the solicitation is cancelled without notice of intent to re-issue.
6. “To discuss” means any contact by the Artist, regardless of whether the City responds to the contact. Artists that violate this policy will be disqualified until the resulting contract(s) are awarded, or all submissions or responses are rejected and the solicitation is cancelled without any announcement by the Procurement Officer of the City’s intent to reissue the same or a similar solicitation. The City interprets the policy as continuing through a cancellation of a solicitation until Council award of the contract, as long as the City cancels with a statement that the City will rebid the solicitation.
SECTION III – SCOPE OF WORK
The selected artist(s) will be expected to work with the City to create designs for two sculptural street monuments. The artist(s) will be expected to work closely with the community to design monuments that celebrate the unique spirit and diversity of the Eastlake Park community’s rich history, and its continuing evolution as a thriving downtown Phoenix neighborhood. In addition to review by the community, the designs will be reviewed by the Phoenix Housing Department and the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. The project requires a professional artist with expertise in durable 3D structures, collaborative design experience, and the potential to develop successful designs for permanent artworks suitable for installation within or adjacent to City right of way. The selected artist will be expected to review concepts with the City and project stakeholders to ensure that it achieves the community’s goals.
To fulfill the design contract, artist(s) also will be expected to review and, as necessary, revise design and plan concepts with the City to ensure that the integrated art meets safety and other site-specific regulations, and that the final design documents are accurate and complete. If the design is completed successfully, the artist(s) may be contracted separately to participate in the project’s fabrication, construction oversight and installation.
EASTLAKE PARK COMMUNITY HISTORY: More than simply a geographic location in central Phoenix, Arizona, the Eastlake Neighborhood has deep historical significance both for the City’s African American community and Phoenix as a whole. It has been and remains home to thriving businesses, strong educational institutions, impactful churches and important activities leading to social change. Eastlake Park, from which the area it derives its name, has been a focal point of the African American experience in Phoenix since it was developed in the late 1890s. The park has hosted many civil rights rallies, visits from civil right leaders and has been the starting point of all civil rights marches to the Capital. Until it outgrew the space, the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration took place at the park. It also is home to the Annual Juneteenth Celebration and Peace, the Arizona Civil Rights Memorial public art project developed by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program. The area’s deep and diverse history also includes Hispanic and Asian American neighborhoods and businesses, which thrived nearby. For more background on the area’s history and surrounding communities:
City of Phoenix African American Historic Property Survey
https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/HP/pdd_hp_pdf_00082.pdf
City of Phoenix Asian American Historic Property Survey
https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/HP/pdd_hp_pdf_00212.pdf
City of Phoenix Hispanic Historic Property Survey
https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/HP/pdd_hp_pdf_00043.pdf
https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/HP/pdd_hp_pdf_00044.pdf
https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/HP/pdd_hp_pdf_00045.pdf
https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/HP/pdd_hp_pdf_00046.pdf
ESTIMATED PROJECT BUDGET: The amount available for the design of the two monuments depends partly on the design concept and the scope of design services it requires. The artist design fee is not expected to exceed $15,000. This amount covers the artist design fee and all costs associated with the design process (insurance, fax, mileage, research, community engagement, materials, etc.) An additional small contingency will be made available for engineering and other licensed professional design services required by the project.
ESTIMATED PROJECT TIMELINE
June 8, 2021 Call open for submissions
June 17, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 pm AZ Time Artist Information Workshop
(Recommended but not mandatory)
July 9, 2021 10:59 p.m. (Arizona time – same as PDT) Deadline for submission
July 19-23, 2021 Selection panel recommends finalists
July 26-30, 2021……………………………………………Project orientation for finalists
August 31, 2021………. Finalists present preliminary concepts to selection panel
September/October 2021 Artist contracted to develop design
SECTION IV – SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS
COST: There is no fee to apply to this call.
DEADLINE: July 9, 2021 10:59 p.m. (local Arizona time – same as Pacific Daylight Time time) Late applications will not be accepted or considered.
ELGIBILITY: This project is open to any artist who demonstrates that they meet the criteria regardless of residency, race, ethnicity, gender, age or experience. This project seeks sculptors and artists specializing in 3D artworks who have experience integrating works into public sites. Arizona artists are strongly encouraged to apply. City of Phoenix employees and Phoenix Arts and Culture Commissioners and their immediate family members, and selection panelists and the panelists’ immediate families are excluded from participating in this project. Applications from Artists’ representatives, managers, or galleries will not be accepted.
ARTIST INFORMATION WORKSHOP: An online information meeting about this RFQu is scheduled for June 17, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AZ Time. Attendance is encouraged but not required. The link to join by computer:
https://tinyurl.com/y6ebva8j
Webex Meeting number (access code): 177 447 6442
Meeting password: Eastlake
Join by phone: 1-415-655-0001
The session will be recorded and made available online.
ADDITIONAL ARTIST INFORMATION: Several online and video resources for application guidance are available from the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture:
• Public Art 101 Digital Classroom Lesson 1 – Applications and Selection Process (VIDEO) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGpXJf3oq28&list=PLgxYSqWrnHFcg6IZ2T_TBNv1UWU9Yb_Yw
• CaFE Submission Demonstration (VIDEO) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0i4HKP9h7g
• Artist’s Guide (PDF) - https://www.phoenix.gov/artssite/Documents/2019.10.29Artist's%20Guide%20to%20the%20Phoenx%20Public%20Art%20Program.pdf
SUBMISSIONS: Submissions will be accepted via CaFE at www.callforentry.org. No e-mailed, mailed, or hardcopy submissions will be accepted. Do not send original artwork. Applicants are strongly encouraged to retain a complete copy of their application for their records.
APPLICANT NAME: If applying as a team, please select a team lead as a point of contact for all communications. Artists applying as a member of a team are not eligible to also apply as individuals.
ARTIST INFORMATION BLIND JURY: The selection panel will review all applicants as a blind jury. To accommodate this, do not include your name or identifying information in your image captions, on your images, or in your statement of Intent. Compromising the anonymity of the process for the panelists will result in disqualification.
APPLICANT POOL: Applicants to this RFQu could be considered as an applicant pool for other similar City of Phoenix public art projects.
SUBMISSION MATERIALS:
1. Images - Up to eight digital images of previously created artwork in JPG or JPEG format. Follow these café Guidelines for size: File Dimensions 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side; File Size: Under 5 MB; Color Profile: sRGB. Do not include photographs of yourself, your name, or any identifying information. Do not put text on your images. We recommend using only one photograph per image. Collaging more than one image together may reduce the panelists’ ability to see your work clearly.
2. Image List (1-page limit; DOC, DOCX, or PDF) - Describe the project in terms of materials, site, and scale. Include media, dimensions, year completed and estimated budget. If created as a collaboration, list all partners involved and describe your role in the process. Specify whether the piece is a studio piece, temporary, or permanently installed work.
3. Statement of Intent (1000-character limit) - Think of this as a job application cover letter. Be succinct. Describe why you are interested in this project, your expertise in creating durable 3D structures, and your experience with collaborative design work. Do not include your name or any identifying information, such as a website link, in your statement.
4. Resume or CV. (3-page limit per artist) Current professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) including artist’s name, address, email, and phone number. Teams must submit one resume/CV per team member merged into one PDF, DOC, or DOCX file.
SECTION V – EVALUATION AND SELECTION
A selection panel will be convened by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. Members of the panel will include arts professionals, city staff, and community members. Non-voting advisors to the panel may include additional city staff and members of the design team. The panel will review the work of all applicants before recommending finalists. The selection panel will have the authority to invite finalists to be interviewed or to develop concepts for the projects.
Responses to this Call should be concise and organized according to the requested information. Responses that are not written specifically in response to this request will not receive consideration.
STAGE 1: At the first selection panel meeting, finalists are expected to be selected by panel consensus from the pool of applicants. The scoring of applicants in the final round of consideration will be based upon the following distribution of possible points:
1. Demonstrated artistic quality of previously completed projects. 10 points
2. Potential to create a successful design for this project. 5 points
3. Experience in collaborative design work. 5 points
STAGE 2: If the Evaluation Committee recommends holding a second stage of the selection process, qualified applicants (hereinafter referred to as “Finalists”) would be evaluated on the basis of the following 10-point system:
1. Demonstrated artistic quality and feasibility of the proposed concept. 7 points
2. Potential to work successfully with the community and City team. 3 points
The maximum number of finalists that will be selected is five (5).
Finalists would be given approximately four weeks to produce a proposal. The City will provide the finalists with a project orientation that includes detailed information on Stage 2 selection criteria for the opportunity. They would be expected to present their proposal to the selection panel before the panel recommends an artist to be contracted for the project. Finalists will receive a $1,000 fee for their proposals. The final recommendation(s) of the selection panel may be reviewed by City Departments and the Phoenix Mayor and City Council prior to the award of contract. Finalists who submit incomplete or unacceptable Stage 2 proposals will not be eligible for a fee.