I. PROJECT INTENT

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo’s Art in Public Places Program has partnered with the Lucas County Commissioner’s office to commission new public art for specific sites in the soon to be renovated Glass City Convention Center.

A Design Review Board (DRB) plans to select three artists to design public art installations to be integrated into strategic areas of the renovation. Artists that work in a variety of 2D and 3D media will be considered. Preferences will be made for artists who show examples of work that are well integrated into architectural settings.

II. BUDGET

 There are three sites that have been selected for public art (Attachment 1.) The budgets are as follows:

Ball Room: $130,000
Superior Street Façade: $190,000
Monroe Street Concourse: $55,000

The budget for the artwork component includes but is not limited to all expenses related to project completion, site preparation, additional design fees, engineering, materials, equipment, fabrication costs, documentation, transportation, installation and travel.

The budget for the artwork component includes but is not limited to all expenses related to project completion, site preparation, additional design fees, engineering, materials, equipment, fabrication costs, documentation, transportation, installation and travel.

 III. ELIGIBILITY

The project is open to all artists in the United States of America, age 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines.

IV. TIMELINE

June 24, 2021: Request for Qualifications Launched
July 26, 2021: Deadline for RFQ Submissions
August 6, 2021: Review of Applications
August 20, 2021: Finalists Notified
TBD: Finalists Site Visits
October 1, 2021: Finalists Present Proposals
October 8, 2021: Winning Proposals Announced
TBD: Installation

The Arts Commission reserves the right to change the project timeline. Dates for site visits are tentative and will be based on the availability of the finalists.

V. HOW TO APPLY 

Artists interested in this project must prepare and submit the following:

●      Letter of Interest - This letter should be no more than one page and should explain the artist’s interest in the project.

●      Current Resume - If submitting as a team, a current resume for each team member should be provided.  

●      Visual Support Materials - Submit 5 digital images of your most recent professional work.

●      Annotated image list - The image list must include the artist’s name and a brief description of image stating its title, date, medium, size, location and if a commissioned project, the commission budget.

●      References - A list of at least three professional references that have an intimate knowledge of their work and working methods. The list must include complete emails and telephone numbers.

All submissions must be received by 11:59 pm EST, July 26, 2021.

VI. SELECTION PROCESS

The Design Review Board for this project will review all submissions and select up to three artists per site as finalists. The finalists will then be asked to develop a conceptual approach for artwork at the site and make a presentation of their proposal, including concept, materials, size, weight, details of maintenance guidelines, special equipment needs, and budget. The finalists will be compensated two thousand dollars ($2,000) for their participation in this stage of the selection.

The Design Review Board will be composed of members of The Arts Commission, Lucas County Commissioners Office and additional stakeholders.

The Design Review Board will be composed of members of The Arts Commission, Lucas County Commissioners Office and additional stakeholders.

VII. ABOUT TOLEDO

Toledo is located on the western shore of Lake Erie and is the fourth largest city in Ohio, with a population of approximately 650,000 people in the metropolitan area. Toledo has a storied past in the manufacturing of many well-known icons of industry including The Jeep and Toledo Scale. Toledo is also known as The Glass Capital of the World for glass manufacturing and is the birthplace of the American Studio Glass Movement.

Toledo has an impressive collection of public art, with large-scale sculptures, murals, and functional structures by noted artists from all over the world. Many of these pieces were acquired through the pioneering 1977 ordinance that set aside one percent of Toledo's Capital Improvement Budget for the purchase, conservation, and public education of art. The city also offers a wide array of cultural opportunities including The Toledo Museum of Art, The Toledo Symphony Orchestra, The Toledo Opera, and a world class Metro Park system that was voted best in the United States in 2020.
 

VIII. ABOUT THE SITE

Built in 1987, the newly renamed Glass City Convention Center is undergoing a 64.5 million dollar renovation including a new 16,000 square foot ballroom and outdoor plaza. The building sits across the street from the Toledo Mud Hens baseball stadium, the Huntington Center, and is a block away from Promenade Park, which is a destination for major concerts and festivals in the summer drawing thousands of people.

Summit Street is a major Toledo corridor that runs parallel to the Maumee River from The Old South End to Point Place. As a downtown thoroughfare, there are many major corporations that are headquartered on Summit St. including ProMedica, Fifth Third Bank and Owens Corning.

The Convention Center is also a block away from the soon to be developed Glass City River Walk, which will transform Toledo’s riverfront with 300 acres of new and revitalized riverfront green space connected by five miles of multi-use trails spanning both sides of the Maumee River from Veteran’s Glass City Skyway to the Anthony Wayne Bridge. 

For further information, please contact Nathan Mattimoe, Director of Art in Public Places: 419-254-2787 ext. 1011.

The Arts Commission is the longest standing arts commission in the state of Ohio, founded in 1959, administering the City of Toledo’s One Percent for Art Program since 1977. The Arts Commission is supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council and The National Endowment For The Arts.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria