Public Art for the World of Wonder Park at Southeast Clarke Park Request for Proposals

Call Summary

The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission (ACAC) invites professional artists to submit their proposals and images of previous public art projects for consideration in the playground improvement project at the World of Wonder Park at Southeast Clarke Park, Athens, Georgia. The selected artist(s) will work with the ACAC and staff of the Leisure Services Department to create an artwork that complements the park’s new design and function.

Project Overview and Site Description

Athens-Clarke County, GA is a university town known for its historic, diverse, and creative environment. Athenians love their parks and leisure programs. The history of the Southeast Clarke Park land includes stories of Creek Indians, a 200-year old plantation, an historic family cemetery, and more.

The World of Wonder Park is a SPLOST funded redevelopment of a grassroots, neighborhood park established in 2004 that has come to the end of its lifecycle. The reimagined playground will include new equipment, landscaping, picnic tables, seating, multi-use trail and fence enclosure. A percent of the park construction cost has been approved for public art.

World of Wonder Park is bounded by Whit Davis Road (across from residential neighborhoods) and woods/greenspace. Whit Davis Road is a busy corridor on the east side of Athens. This area of town has no public art, so everyone is excited and interested in this project. The site that has been selected for public art should be visible from the road, and is essentially at the entrance to the children’s park.

See additional Information and preliminary site concept online at:

• www.athensclarkecounty.com/parkplanning (right side under projects “World of Wonder Playground”)
• www.athensculturalaffairs.org

Public Art Goals & Criteria:

The goals for including public art in this project are to enhance the visual and experiential appeal of the park for all visitors, as well as to foster community pride and identity.

The stakeholder group guiding the project has identified the following criteria for public art in the park:

1. Original work created by the submitting artist
2. Quality art that is appealing to all ages and abilities
3. 3-Dimensional installation that does not entirely block parents’ view of children
4. Interactive/sensory, but non-climbing
5. Compatible with surroundings, related to the site
6. Materials that are highly durable, non-toxic, and resistant to normal weathering and vandalism, suitable for a playground
7. Requires easy/minimal maintenance and installation

Budget

The budget for this project is $32,000 all-inclusive. This means including, but not limited to, design, materials, fabrication, insurance, travel, installation and artist’s fees.

Timeline:

The following timeline is contingent with the Southeast Clarke Park construction schedule and may be changed, but is current as of this RFP as follows:

• Site visit: Friday, September 9, 10:00 a.m.
  
• Application deadline: Sunday, October 2, 2016, 11:59 p.m.
• Selection panel meeting: by October 16
  
• Finalist will be contacted in late October
  
• Mayor & Commission vote on recommended artist(s) in November
• Work on the park renovation is scheduled to begin in June, with possible completion in October (earliest)
• Art installation in April (earliest)

Final Proposal Submissions:

All proposals must be submitted to Athens-Clarke County’s online system of calls for entry. All of the following must accompany your submission or it cannot be considered:

1. Contact information, including your name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail.
2. A resume with contact information for at least three (3) professional references.
3. Five (5) images of your previous work with annotated image descriptions (a link to an online portfolio is allowable). May include detail images.
4. A proposal describing the public art concept for this project, including a list of the materials, special equipment or other needs, and timeline. Give enough detail to support your budget. The media chosen to convey the proposed design(s) is up to your discretion, whether hand-drawn, computer generated, digital media, or photographs. However, all designs must be uploaded as a digital image to the application website.
5. A budget for all costs of the proposed artwork(s), including, but not limited to, design, materials, fabrication, insurance, travel, installation including foundation/supports, and artist’s fees. 

Contact:

Marc Beechuk, Chairman
Athens Cultural Affairs Commission
info@athensculturalaffairs.org
706-248-1604