Application Closed
Images | Minimum:Min. 3, Maximum:Max. 3
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 3, Maximum:Max. 3
Eligibility: National
State: Florida
NATIONAL CALL TO ARTISTS
PUBLIC ART COMMISSION FOR
NEW PARK AT THE FORUM
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Budget: $50,000
Deadline for Submissions: midnight, Friday, March 12, 2021
OVERVIEW
The City of Fort Myers Public Art Committee is requesting artists to submit qualifications for a public art project in a new park that is being constructed in The Forum, a 706-acre master-planned, mixed-use development east of I-75 between Colonial Boulevard (Exit 136) and SR 82 (Exit 138). The Forum contains dense retail, residential, and office sites. It was originally developed by a group spearheaded by former NBA star and renowned coach Pat Riley. In fact, The Forum takes its name from the arena that is home to the world champion Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. Riley won an NBA title as a player for the Lakers in 1972 and coached the team to championships in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. However, the proposed park will not include any basketball courts. Prior to its development, gladiolus were raised on this property by three generations of the Zipperer family. Established by John O. Zipperer and others in Iona beginning in 1935, the gladiolus industry once shipped millions of the gorgeous flowers to every state in the Union east of the Rocky Mountains.
PROJECT SCOPE
By and through its Public Art Committee, the City of Fort Myers seeks to commission an artist/artist team to create a site-specific exterior work of public art that will aesthetically enhance the park. You will find a Conceptual Design for the park on page four. You will notice that the park will contain two multiuse fields, a fenced dog park (for both large and small dogs), a rolling hill amphitheater, an interactive fountain (“splash park”), three playgrounds, an outdoor fitness court, bike paths, two picnic areas, a number of open spaces and eight pickleball courts.
The artwork that you design is to be installed in a 50-foot-diameter circle at the north end of the parking lot adjoining the pickleball courts and picnic area located southeast of the intersection of Champion Ring Road and Warrior Way. Since vehicles will circumnavigate this circular area as they enter and exit the parking lot, it would not be appropriate to include interactive features that encourage children or adults to climb or play on the artwork. But in addition to traditional artistic aesthetics (line, color, shape and composition), you may incorporate into your design kinetic elements, uplighting and/or projection mapping from conventional or LED light sources. However, please take into consideration Southwest Florida’s tropical climate, which is denoted between June 1 and November 30 each year by searing sunlight, intense heat, high humidity and copious amounts of annual rainfall, as well as Southwest Florida’s susceptibility to tropical storms and cyclones during this timeframe.
ELIGIBILITY
Artists who reside in the United States are eligible to apply.
BUDGET
Funding is provided by the City of Fort Myers Public Art Fund. A total budget of $50,000 covers all costs associated with the project, including, but not limited to, materials, fabrication, installation, permitting, documentation and transportation. In addition, up to three finalists will be given a $500 design fee to develop a maquette/proposal for final consideration by the City of Fort Myers Public Art Committee.
ARTIST CRITERIA
Artists must meet at least two of the following criteria in order to have their submissions considered:
- Completed other public art commissions of a similar scale.
- Received awards, grants or fellowships.
- Had works included in major private, corporate or museum collections.
- Had at least one solo exhibition at an American Association of Museum’s accredited institution within the past five years.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Your submission must include:
- Letter of Interest: Brief letter of interest to include how your work relates to this project.
- Images: Three digital images.
- Image List: A description of each image that includes title, date of completion, material(s), size and project budget.
- Resume: A current resume of no more than three pages with emphasis on public art experience. Please include your contact information.
DEADLINE
Midnight EST, Friday, March 12, 2021. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. However, the Public Art Committee reserves the right to extend this deadline, if necessary.
SELECTION PROCESS
In awarding this commission, the Public Art Committee will review each artist’s letter of interest, resume and images. Thereafter, the Committee will select up to three finalists. Each finalist will be paid a $500 design fee to produce a maquette or electronic proposal for presentation to the Committee in open session, together with a prefabrication review that identifies the materials the artist intends to use, expected longevity, fabrication techniques, installation methods and long-term preventative maintenance strategies. Stakeholders who live and work in the surrounding community will be invited to attend the presentations and voice their preferences and concerns. Thereupon, the Committee will select the winning design based upon the merits of the proposal, suitability of materials and artist’s credentials.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about this project or the City’s public art program, please visit www.cityftmyers.com/. Fort Myers City Hall is located at 2200 Second Street, 4th Floor, Fort Myers, FL 33901. For assistance, please contact Donna Lovejoy, Public Art Liaison, Administrator Services Manager, Public Works by telephoning 239-321-7217 or emailing dlovejoy@cityftmyers.com.
LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS.
Lee County, Florida is home to Hertz Global Headquarters, Chico’s Corporate Headquarters, Boston Red Sox & Minnesota Twins Spring Training, Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida SouthWestern State College. Colonial Boulevard is a major commuter route connecting area’s largest city, Cape Coral, (population 175,000+) with the area’s fastest growing workforce community, Lehigh Acres (86,000+ population). The subject site is strategically located on the NEQ of Colonial Boulevard and I-75. The Forum at Fort Myers has two access points to I-75: State Road 82 to the north, and Colonial Blvd to the south.
A NOTE ABOUT PICKLEBALL
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, three dads whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities. Since then, pickleball has evolved into a popular sport throughout the U.S. and Canada. There are now nearly 8,500 locations on the USA Pickleball’s Places2Play map. The spread of the sport is attributed to its popularity within community centers, PE classes, YMCA facilities and retirement communities. The sport continues to grow worldwide as well, with many new international clubs forming and national governing bodies now established on multiple continents.