Request for Proposals: The City of Atlanta – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ (OCA) Public Art Program Seeks Professional Visual Artists to Create Painted Designs on Bike Racks for ELEVATE: Cascade 2018
Bike Rack Mural by Sanithna Phansavanh; Photo courtesy of Sanithna Phansavanh
The City of Atlanta – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ (OCA) Public Art Program seeks proposals from local and regional professional visual artists to adorn metal bike racks with original painted artworks to continue the Mural Bike Rack Project. The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program will install two Mural Bike Racks at different locations around the Cascade Heights neighborhood. The goal of the Mural Bike Rack project is to supplement and promote the City of Atlanta’s biking infrastructure through the creation of functional Public Art.
The Mural Bike Rack Project will…
Project Description
If selected, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs will provide selected artists with a fabricated and primed bike-shaped bike rack for artists to embellish with original, hand-painted works of art. Artists will be responsible for completing the design for the mural and applying the paint to the bike rack. After each painted design is complete, artists will return the bike racks to the OCA. The OCA will then install them in the neighborhood.
*Please note: the exhibition of the artist-painted bike racks will be a”‘temporary” installation. The OCA anticipates leaving the painted bike racks in place until the murals become dilapidated (likely around three years).
Project Timeline
August 1: Proposals due
August 13: Selected artists will be notified
August 18: Artist orientation re: expectations and materials; Artists pick up bicycles and begin painting (this is a Saturday)
September 28: Completed Bike Racks are due back to OCA
October 1 – 12, 2018: City of Atlanta installs bicycles
Budget/Compensation
Awarded artists will receive artist fee/compensation of $800 for painting a mural bike rack
In addition to the $800 award, the Office of Cultural Affairs will provide protective breathing equipment (respirators) and will purchase oil enamel paints for each artist to use (up to $200). Artists will be required to provide their own preferred paint application supplies (sprayers, brushes, or other).
Artist Compliance
Bike racks will be installed by the City of Atlanta. Artists must complete and deliver finished bike racks to the OCA on September 28 or the artist will breach his/her contract. Non-local or Regional artists may apply, but there will be no travel compensation provided by the OCA
Painting proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Originality of Design
Is the artwork unique and original to the proposing artist?
Artistic Merit of Design
Is the design visually and conceptually stimulating?
Design’s relevance to the Cascade Heights and surrounding neighborhoods
How will the design interact with its viewers in this community? Is the subject matter or design relevant and appropriate for this audience?
Previous professional art experience
Do the submitted portfolio examples show artistic merit and support the proposal’s feasibility?
A written summary describing the proposed painted artwork(max 250 words)
Contact information for artist including name, address, telephone number, & email address
Examples of past works -5 JPEG of five relevant artworks.
Two renderings (front and back of bike rack) of proposed painted design(s) for the bike rack using one of two options:
Place painted design inside the 2-D template using hand drawn or digital technologies (download image here, or see image attached at the end of RFP packet)
If an applicant has Photoshop skills, rendering your image on top of a 3-D blank bike rack image. (download image here).
*Please note: The seat of the bike rack and the circular plates inside of the wheels will be made of flat metal sheets. The rest of the bike rack is composed of cylindrical metal tubing.
Biographic information including a written explanation of past relevant experience and artist Resume or CV.
Paint Pallet selection and budget list -Artists will be required to use “1 Shot” enamel paint products. Painting supplies (including respirators and paint) will be supplied by the OCA. Please include in your proposal a list of 1 Shot enamel colors, including the prices that you will need to complete your design. Artist may use any colors from the URL links below. List of paints needed must not exceed $200.
https://www.dickblick.com/products/1-shot-lettering-enamels/
*Artist may also apply for the Utility Box Project but designs must be completely different
Please email application packets to: bxcamelo@AtlantaGA.gov
For any questions regarding the project or the proposal submission, please contact Briana X. Camelo at bxcamelo@AtlantaGA.gov
All artists will need to sign and date a professional service agreement upon selection. The contract will be given to the artists at the time of orientation.
The OCA will negotiate contract terms upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by the City of Atlanta’s legal counsel, and a project will be awarded upon signing of an agreement or contract which outlines the terms, scope, budget, and other necessary items. All content, coding, and graphics used will become the sole property of the Office of Cultural Affairs.
Proposals will be evaluated beginning August 10, 2018. Selected artists will be notified by August 13. Artists will be contacted, and contracts will be handled shortly after. Non-accepted artists will be notified by August 17, 2018.