DEADLINE EXTENDED-
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

Request for Qualifications

Rhode Island National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, 2841 South County Trail, East Greenwich, RI 02818

Budget: $26,500

NEW Deadline: January 18, 2021 11:59pm

Eligibility: This RFQ is open to all working artists residing in the states of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts. Students are not eligible to apply.

Artwork for the Rhode Island National Guard Joint Force Headquarters will be commissioned through Rhode Island’s Public Art Law, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to the purchase and maintenance of public art.  Through this program, the State recognizes that “public art creates a more humane environment: one of distinction, enjoyment, and pride for all citizens”.  

About the Rhode Island National Guard, from their website:

The Rhode Island National Guard (RING) consists of 3,000 men and women who serve as military professionals within the state while simultaneously pursuing education, managing civilian careers, and supporting our families.  The Rhode Island National Guard traces its history from the first colonial defensive force established in 1638 and has since served the state and nation in every major American conflict.   

Today's RING is focused on our three core missions: fighting America's wars, securing our homeland, and building enduring partnerships across the globe.  The RING has a unique mandate and our members have sworn a dual oath to serve both our nation and the State of Rhode Island. In order to meet the demand of these core missions, our institution prioritizes taking care of our people, building military readiness, and fostering innovation.              

More than 450 Soldiers and Airmen have deployed in support of our federal mission over the past fiscal year.  Our members have represented the state of Rhode Island while operating in every geographic combatant command. From the outset of this past training year, Airmen from the 143d Airlift Wing were engaged in humanitarian operations during the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. 

We are proud to be Rhode Island's military component.  We are grateful for the support of our friends, neighbors, and employers.  The RING will remain engaged and accessible as we continue to meet our challenges and provide value and security in an increasingly complex world.  The Rhode Island National Guard is "Always Ready, Always There."

More information, https://ri.ng.mil

About the RING Joint Force Headquarters:

Located within Camp Fogarty in East Greenwich, the Joint Force Headquarters is the newest and most modern facility of its kind. The building will house administration for both the RI Army and Air National Guard in addition to conference rooms, classrooms, and an ID center, which will be utilized by the general public. In addition, 200 employees and service members will work in the building. The lobby is the main area through which all visitors and employees pass, and is host to display cases and memorabilia that pay tribute to the history and service of the National Guard.

About the Project

• The RI State Council on the Arts and the Rhode Island National Guard will commission artwork for the 1st and/or 2nd floor lobbies or the exterior site in front of the building. Exterior works should not interfere with visibility around the facility. Interior works could be 3-d, freestanding, wall-mounted or painted, among the possibilities. 

• The panel determined that the lobby has an atmosphere of order and commemoration. It is the public face of the RI National Guard, and any artwork should reflect this accordingly.

• Panelists attended a site visit in October 2020, and determined that artwork could emphasize the RING's connection to the community, or tell their story. 

• The budget is all-inclusive, to include all materials, fabrication, engineer fees, permits, installation, lighting, wiring, etc.  

• One artist or artist team will be commissioned. 

• The RFQ will be limited to artists residing in the states of Rhode Island, Connecticut, or Masachusetts.

Intent of the RFQ and Scope of the Work:

Submission Requirements:

Please note: This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is the first step in the RISCA/RING public art selection process. It is not considered best practice for an agency to ask an artist to craft a proposal without financial compensation. Therefore, RISCA will conduct the Public Art application process online, with all materials submitted in digital format through CaFÉ (see below). There is no charge to the artist for applying or for submitting digital images.   

At this preliminary selection stage, we request submissions from artists or art teams consisting of a minimum of five (5) images representing work completed within the past ten years, resumes, and a very brief one paragraph written statement of vision for the project. 

If an artist wants to apply as an individual as well as part of a team, two separate CaFÉ profiles and two separate CaFÉ applications must be completed (i.e., one application submission for you and one application submission for your team). Applications consisting of five images, statements, and resumes will be reviewed by the RI State Council on the Arts Public Art Selection Panel to assess the quality and appropriateness of the artist's work and their ability to carry out a public art commission. 

Three finalists will be selected from the pool of RFQ applicants. Finalists will be invited to craft a detailed proposal including an itemized budget, scale models and renderings, and an in-depth project description. For this they will each be paid an honorarium of $1,000. This stipend includes all travel expenses: hotel, transportation, mileage, etc., for both the site visit and the subsequent presentation meeting. Finalists will not be reimbursed separately for any travel costs. Due to the travel limitations of COVID-19, meetings, presentations and site visits may be held through video conferencing, TBD.

No slides or hard copy materials will be accepted for this call. First time CaFÉ applicants must allow enough time to prepare their CaFÉ formatted digital images and electronic submission prior to the deadline. 

Each application must be submitted via the CaFÉ (tm) web site (www.callforentry.org) and must include:

1. A current resume for each artist. If you are applying as a team, include all team member resumes within one document. 

2. A brief, one-paragraph statement of vision for the commission.

3. Minimum of five, maximum of 10 digital images of relevant artwork. In the Description of Image, accompanying image annotation must list media, size, title, date of completion and a brief description of the artwork if necessary.  Please do not present more than one view of artwork per image.  
    

Estimated Timeline:

January 18, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (E.S.T.) Deadline for submissions

February 2021 (TBD) Panel meeting for review and selection of semifinalists

Feb 2021 (TBD): Finalist site visits

March 2021 (TBD): Finalist presentations to selection panel

Spring 2021, Final approval by RISCA Council

TBD with artist: Contract signed

TBD with artist: Work installed and completed. Construction is already complete.

According to law, recommendations of the selection panel will be presented to the governing council of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts who will have final approval of the public art selection.

Finalist’s site-specific proposals should convey artist’s ideas and plans through designs, renderings and/or scale models with a statement that describes the project's intent, proposed materials, fabrication and installation methods, and an itemized budget including 10% contingency fee. Artists chosen as finalists are also asked to explain how their artwork will be sourced and fabricated.  The finalists will be supplied with plans, photographs, and specific information about the Joint Force Headquarters and the campus. A site visit as well as a meeting with the architect and the administration will be scheduled for the finalists.  An honorarium of $1,000 will be awarded to the finalists following presentation of their proposals. The proposals will remain the property of the artist. However, RISCA reserves the right to retain proposals for up to one year for display purposes and the right to reproduce final proposals for documentation and public information purposes. 

The Public Art Selection Panel reserves the right to determine which proposal will be funded and the extent of funding. The panel also reserves the right to split the budget, or to not accept any proposal submitted. If the recommendations of the Public Art Selection Panel are approved by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, the selected artist/s will enter into contract with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts for the selected commission. The accepted artwork will be owned and maintained by the State of Rhode Island.

Selection Criteria:

The panel will select the artist based on the following criteria:

1. Artistic Quality: Quality and suitability of the final proposal in relation to the project description, program goals and site descriptions.

2. Ability of the Artist’s Team: The artist's ability to carry out the commission, to keep the project within budget, and to complete and install the work on schedule.

3. Value: The quality and scope of the proposed completed work in relation to the commission and fees paid to the artist’s team. 

4. Durability of the Work: Permanence and durability of materials for this heavily used public facility. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that all artwork meets safety standards, adheres to building codes, ADA requirements and other state regulations. Durability and sustainability of the work is vital, thus designs with elaborate maintenance requirements are discouraged. For the purposes of this RFQ, permanence is defined as 10 years. 

5. Collaborative Spirit: Willingness of the artist to consult with the architects, landscape architects, civil engineers, general contractor, building staff (or designated representatives), and RISCA staff to assure smooth integration of the artwork into the site and to make necessary adjustments in relation to building codes and other construction issues.

Artist Eligibility: 

This call is open to all artists residing in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Students are not eligible. Applications may be submitted individually or in collaboration with others. The panel will not discriminate against any applicant artist on the basis of age, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or physical challenges. Excluded from participation are RISCA Council members, staff and their family members as well as Public Art Selection Panel members and their families. The State of Rhode Island is committed to increasing opportunities for minority and women artists, as well as those with disabilities, to participate in our state’s artwork commissioning process. As an optional question, applicants may self-identify in these categories.

If you have questions about this RFQ, email Molly Dickinson, molly.dickinson.ctr@arts.ri.gov.   
If you require technical support for CAFÉ, please email cafe@westaf.org.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria