RFQ
11th and Natoma Park Project
The San Francisco Arts Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples. As a department dedicated to promoting a diverse and equitable Arts and Culture environment in San Francisco, we are committed to supporting the traditional and contemporary evolution of the American Indian community.
The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.
Project Overview
The San Francisco Arts Commission invites artists and artist teams residing in the United States to submit qualifications for artist-designed fence panels. As part of the 11th and Natoma Park development, San Francisco Recreation and Parks (RPD) plans to install an 11-foot high, powder-coated aluminum perimeter fence and entry gate along the 11th Street frontage of the park, which provides an opportunity for the integration of a permanent public artwork. Artists will be responsible specifically for the design of up to 1300 square feet of panels, which will be fabricated and installed by a separate contractor paid for and managed through the RPD park project.
PROJECT GOALS
- Promote neighborhood connection, a sense of belonging, inclusivity, and play. This may include celebrating the diverse identities, values and living legacies of SOMA Pilipinas and the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural Districts.
- Provide an artwork opportunity for artists with a meaningful connection to the neighborhood.
- Engage the community through artist-led programming to help inform the development of the artwork design.
PROJECT BUDGET
Artist Contract (Design Only): $25,000
Inclusive of all artist’s fees, as well as associated expenses for design and consultation during fabrication and installation.
*An estimated architectural credit of up to $61 per square foot will be applied to the fence artwork fabrication budget in areas where the artwork replaces the existing fence panels, with installation to be covered by the Capital Improvement Project Budget.
Project Description
San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood is expected to see significant population growth in the coming decades with the implementation of the Market & Octavia Plan. This plan envisions a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood by responding to the City’s goals for housing, transportation, and public realm improvements.
Currently, the southwest end of District 6 is especially limited in parks and open space for its residents. To provide more open space in the neighborhood, San Francisco Recreation and Park (RPD) has acquired a half-acre property on 11th Street, between Natoma Street and Minna Street, to develop a new park. The 11th and Natoma Park Project goals include promoting neighborhood connection and creating a space to serve a diverse and multigenerational community through a variety of park programs; connecting people to nature within the dense, urban environment; and designing a sustainable park that is climate appropriate, ecologically valuable, maintainable, and long-lasting. The project site is located in the southwest corner of SOMA’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District and one block from the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District.
For more information on the 11th and Natoma Par Project, please visit San Francisco Recreation and Parks project page: https://sfrecpark.org/1635/11th-Natoma-Park-Project
Selection Process
Artist Qualification Panel: The eligible applications will be presented to an Artist Qualification Panel consisting of one (1) SFAC staff member, one (1) representative of the client agency (RPD), and one (1) arts professional who will review and score the applications to identify a short list of 15-30 qualified artists to be considered for the project opportunity. As part of the application process, artists will be asked to describe their connection to the neighborhood, as well as how they may engage the community in the development of the artwork design. The review panel will be instructed to take these responses into consideration as part of the application scoring criteria.
Artist Review Panel: The shortlist of qualified artists will be presented to the 11th and Natoma Park Project Artist Review Panel consisting of one (1) representative of the client agency, two (2) arts professionals, one (1) Arts Commissioner, and one (1) community representative. The panel will identify three (3) finalists who will be invited to develop conceptual site-specific proposals after attending an orientation session with the project team and key stakeholders. These finalists will be paid an honorarium of $3,000 for the development of a conceptual proposal; there is no additional reimbursement for travel expenses.
The 11th and Natoma Park Project Artist Review Panel will reconvene to consider the finalists’ proposals in an interview format and will select one artist for recommendation to the Arts Commission.
Arts Commission Approval: The Artist Review Panel’s recommendations are first submitted to the Visual Arts Committee (VAC), a subcommittee of the Arts Commission and then to the full Arts Commission for approval. All Artist Review Panel recommendations are subject to the Visual Arts Committee and Full Arts Commission.
All Arts Commission meetings and Public Art Review Panel meetings are open to the public and are posted on the Arts Commission website at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. To check the meeting schedule for public art projects, please go to our calendar.
ARTIST SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS
Selection Criteria for Artists and Artwork: Artists and artwork will be selected in accordance with the Mission and Goals of the Civic Art Collection and in accordance with the criteria below. Criteria to be considered when scoring an artist’s application for a commission and/or acquisition of artwork by either purchase or commission shall include, but not be limited to the following considerations. Per City contracting requirements, artist applicants who are registered as a Local Business Enterprise will be given a rating bonus of 10% relative to other applicants.
- Artistic Merit: Artistic Merit may be judged by such measures as originality of concept and artistic vision; the degree to which the work engages the viewer emotionally, intellectually, spiritually; the qualify of craftsmanship or mastery of skills and techniques. Artistic merit may also be credited to artwork that reflects a significant or direct relationship between the artist and distinct racial or cultural communities.
- Relevant Skills & Experience: Review Panels and the Commission shall consider the assessed ability of an artist to successfully implement a proposed project, such as the ability to work constructively with other project stakeholders, meet deadlines, willingness to resolve issues as they arise, and generally manage the demands of the project. Cultural competency and/or significant connection between the artist and the project constituency, or experience that may particularly qualify an artist to meet project goals may also be considered.
- Meet Project Goals: The proposed artwork (or the assessed ability of an artist to design a proposal) meets the specific goals of the project as defined in the this RFQ.
- The Artwork is Appropriate to the Site: The artwork or proposed artwork is appropriate for its intended display location in terms of scale, media, design or imagery and is judged to be relevant within the context of the surrounding community, and is compatible with the mission and operations of the client department.
- Feasibility, maintainability: Proposed objects shall be evaluated relative to their feasibility and evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to: project budget, timeline, and the artist’s experience. Due consideration shall be given to the structural and surface soundness, and to inherent resistance to theft, vandalism and weathering, and to the cost and amount of ongoing maintenance and/or repair anticipated.
- Contributes to the Quality of the Civic Art Collection: The artwork is judged to support and improve the city’s collection in terms of artistic qualify and diversity of artists represented. The Arts Commission is committed to acquiring art works that reflect diversity in style, scale, media, and artistic sources as well as diverse cultural communities and perspectives. The Arts Commission also encourages exploratory types of work as well as established art forms.
- Public Safety and Accessibility: Artwork shall be evaluated to ensure that it does not present a hazard to public safety and complies Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and with all other applicable building codes.
- Duplication: Artists will be asked to warrant, as a condition of their agreement with the City,that the artwork commissioned or purchased is unique and an edition of one, and shall not be duplicated unless it is part of a limited edition or otherwise stated to the contrary in the artist’s contract with the Commission.
- Artists’ meaningful connection to the neighborhood and approach to community engagement.
How To Apply
Applications are available through SlideRoom, an online application system for calls for entry. There is no charge to artists for using SlideRoom. Please be sure to allow adequate time to submit your application as technical difficulties can occur. Applications that are mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered will not be considered.
Applications will not be accepted after the May 24, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (PDT or PST) deadline.
Application materials include:
1. Resume
- 25,000 characters maximum.
- If you are applying as a team, please include your team/studio resume. If that is not available, please combine the individual resumes (one right after the other) of each team member into one document.
2. Letter of Interest
- Provide a description of your artistic focus, skills, and experience that are relevant to the needs of this project. (500 characters)
- Describe your meaningful connection to the neighborhood and how you would like to engage the community in the development of the artwork design.
- If you have not completed a permanent public artwork, please communicate how you might translate your artwork to a permanent material. (450 characters or 3 sentences)
- If you are collaborating with another artist, please describe the reason for this collaboration. (250 characters)
3. 10 images of previous work
- SlideRoom accepts all image file types up to 5MB. Images should at least 72 dpi and no larger than 1280 x 1280 pixels
- For team application, please indicate the lead artist for each project.
-
For information on formatting your image files, please click here.
4. Image descriptions
- When you upload your images, SlideRoom will prompt you to fill out image descriptions. Please include the title, medium, dimensions, and year for each work. You may also include a brief statement (2 sentences maximum) about each work.
Check out our "How to Apply to Calls" for helpful tips on how to submit the most competitive application.
Please note that Arts Commission staff will be available to answer questions about this call until 5 p.m. (PDT or PST) on the deadline date, May 24, 2024. Please contact Arianne Gelardin Davidian, Public Art Project Manager at (415) 310-8012 or by email at arianne.gelardin@sfgov.org.
SlideRoom technical support is available Monday – Saturday by email, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. (CDT or CST) support@slideroom.com.
Applicants will receive updates on the status of their submissions via email: notifications@slideroom.com.
Project Timeline
|
Qualification Panel Meeting |
Week of May 27, 2024 |
|
Artist Review Panel Meeting 1 |
Week of June 3 |
|
Applicant notification |
Week of June 10 |
|
Artist Review Panel Meeting 2 |
Week of October 16 |
|
VAC + Full Commission approval of recommended artist |
October - November |
|
Artist under contract |
December 2024 |
|
Anticipated completion |
Spring 2025 |
Eligibility
Eligibility is open to professional, practicing artists who reside in the United States. Entries not meeting eligibility guidelines will be withdrawn from consideration.