The City of Sugar Land, Texas requests artists or artist teams submit a statement of qualifications, letter of interest and other materials for the commission of projects through the Creative Placemaking Program, #AllinforSLTX, a program to aid local small businesses.

Depending on the size and complexity of the work, projects will fall in one of the following budget ranges:

PROJECT DETAILS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The goal of the Creative Placemaking Program is to increase resiliency for small businesses impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and provide local residents with vibrant, creative spaces that encourage patronage.

Examples of proposed work meeting the goals of the project could include sun shelters, parklets, outdoor light installations that make an area more welcoming, projections, and concepts that permit businesses (including food service, retail and service-based businesses) to extend their reach to outdoor spaces. We seek fresh, innovative concepts that use artistic excellence to address economic development needs.

THEME
There is no specific theme for this opportunity, however, designs that reflect the history and culture of the City of Sugar Land are encouraged.

MEDIUM
Artists working in any medium are eligible to apply. We are especially interested in innovative work that is as unique as our community.

LETTER OF INTEREST
Applicants should briefly describe their interest in the project, experience in the proposed medium, and include a description of how their work could be used to meet the goals of the program. Letters of Interest are limited to two (2) pages.

ELIGIBILITY
Artist(s) must be over 18 and permitted to work in the United States. Staff members, board members, advisory board members, City Council members and/or family members of City of Sugar Land are ineligible to apply.

PROJECT BUDGET
Depending on the size and complexity of the work, project will fall in one of the following budget ranges:

A.   $15,000 - $25,000
B.   $25,001 - $50,000   
C.   $50,001 - $150,000

Artists must specify which budget range their project will fall under.

The artist’s budget will include: all artist fees and costs associated with design, fabrication, travel, transportation to the site, site preparation, insurance, permits, installation, shipping and transportation of materials to the site, protective coating (if applicable), any equipment needed for installation, any applicable taxes, time spent in progress meetings, and any other costs incurred by the artist for this project.

Artists will be required to participate in one Meet the Artist type event.

Artists reaching Phase 2 of the competition will be asked to develop an all-inclusive itemized budget for a particular site as part of the proposal submission.

Payments for selected projects will be made directly to the artist using the following schedule:

o   20% of total agreed upon fee is paid when contract is signed.

o   30% of total agreed upon fee is paid after the work is initiated.  

o   50% of the total agreed upon fee is paid upon completion.

TWO-PHASED ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS

PHASE 1
Applications will be juried by a panel including staff from the city’s departments of economic development, engineering and planning.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Economic impact: Project has the potential to address economic needs for food service, retail and other service industries.

Artistic Excellence: The artist’s work reflects artistic excellence, innovation and originality as evidenced by quality of craftsmanship and mastery of skills and techniques; demonstrates professional approaches to processes and presentation; and/or communicates a unique vision or perspective.

Professional Experience: The artist’s professional experience is adequate to meet the demands of the project, including a proven ability to meet project budgets, deadlines, and to perform work in a timely and professional manner. Public art experience is required.

Experience working on a project of similar scale: Previous work that can specifically demonstrate the successful completion of projects that include partnering with stakeholders for the purpose of creating public art of this size/scale. Experience with public engagement.

Health and Wellness: Proposed project promotes patrons’ adherence to CDC guidelines.

The number of selected artists moving on to Phase 2 will depend on the quality of the proposals received.

PHASE 2
Artists/Artist Teams selected to move on to Phase 2 will be given a specific site and asked to develop a detailed proposal for their proposed work. Artists will be paid a stipend of $500 upon submission of all required materials, which will include a detailed description of materials, maintenance plan and installation schedule.

Applications will be juried by a panel including staff from the city’s departments of economic development, engineering and planning.

More detailed instructions will be provided to Phase 2 artists at the time of notification, however, artists can expect proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Economic impact: Potential project specifically addresses how it meets the program goals.

Artistic Excellence: The proposed work reflects artistic excellence, innovation, and originality as evidenced by quality of craftsmanship and mastery of skills and techniques; demonstrates professional approaches to processes and presentation; and/or communicates a unique vision or perspective.

Safety/Suitability/Viability: Proposed project meets city safety guidelines, is suitable for the site, and artist has demonstrated ability to complete the project.

Health and Wellness: Proposed project promotes patrons’ adherence to CDC guidelines.

TIMELINE
February 26, 2021             Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued

April 8, 2021                      RFQs due at 11:59 p.m. MST (Mountain Standard Time)

April 19 – 30, 2021            Applications reviewed. Phase 2 artists notified. 

May 3-7, 2021                   Request for Proposals (RFP) released for Phase 2 artists

June 7, 2021                     Phase 2 proposals due by 11:59 p.m. MST

July 6, 2021                       Proposals reviewed

August 1, 2021                  Installation can begin

December 31, 2021          Target project completion date

Note: Should changes to the timeline become necessary, artists will be notified in writing or, in the case of the RFQ, the information will be posted on CaFÉ. However, artists should assume all deadlines are firm.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS

1. • Current CV/resume. Teams must submit one resume/CV per team member.
   • Letter of Interest limited to two (2) pages. This must include the following:
     1. A general description of your approach to your work
     2. Experience in the proposed medium
     3. A general description of how the proposed project could assist small businesses and/or economic development. 
   • Estimated project budget. Specify which budget range project will fall under (A, B or C). See Project Budget.
   • Images of three (3) to five (5) previously completed works that demonstrate experience in designing, creating, and installing work in the artist’s proposed medium. Please include two to three views of each piece for a total of 10 images max. Do not collage multiple images into one image. Up to five (5) video or audio files may also be uploaded as work samples. Please limit these to no more than three (3) minutes in length. Panelists will be instructed to stop at the three (3) minute mark.
   • Image identification list: An image identification list corresponding to the submitted images. Each image should include image number, artist’s name, title, year created, media, dimensions, location, project budget, commissioning agency, and collaborators (if applicable).
   • A brief description of your intended proposed materials for site preparation (if applicable), the work itself, and required maintenance.
   • Optional. Artists may include up to three (3) selections of support materials such as reviews, news articles, or other related information. 

Please note: submitted materials will not be returned and incomplete applications may not be considered.

NUMBER OF SELECTED PROJECTS
The City of Sugar Land plans to select approximately 2-5 projects for this program.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
Applications may only be submitted electronically through CaFÉ.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
All materials must be received by 11:59:00 p.m. MST on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Late submissions will not be reviewed.

ADA Compliance
For persons with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations, please contact the City’s Cultural Arts Manager, Suzanne Fernandez Gray at culturalarts@sugarlandtx.gov.

EXHIBITION PERIOD
Permanent and short-term work will be considered. 

HELPFUL LINKS
For more information about the City of Sugar Land please visit these sites:

City of Sugar Land, Texas

Visit Sugar Land Convention & Visitors Services

A Day in Sugar Land, Texas

CONTACT
Please direct questions or requests for assistance to:

Suzanne Fernandez Gray
Cultural Arts Manager
City of Sugar Land, Texas
CulturalArts@sugarlandtx.gov

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria