REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The University of Southern Maine seeks proposals for artwork on a large wall on the second floor of the newly constructed McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success on the Portland campus (opening Summer 2023).
The deadline for proposals is March 6, 2023.
Context
The installation of artwork was envisioned by a University-affiliated, Native-led, Native-only Land Recognition Committee (LRC) that convened in 2021. The LRC called for an audio-visual display on a mobile resource center (touchscreen kiosk), which would contain educational material on history, culture, language, art, and current issues related to the Wabanaki Confederacy. The mobile kiosk will be situated against a wall on the second floor of the building when it is not actively deployed for special events. The proposed artwork will be on this wall and will serve three purposes:
- To acknowledge that the land the building sits upon is Wabanaki Land. For context, the University’s land acknowledgment statement can be found here.
- To provide an artistic context to the mobile resource center (kiosk) while it sits in its home against the wall. The art should fit naturally with the mobile kiosk, equally important as its content, such that neither is seen as subordinate to the other.
- To provide a unified and continuous artwork when the mobile resource center is absent, and that speaks to and sets the tone for the priorities of the space and the institution’s ongoing commitment to land acknowledgment and relationship building.
Note: This call for proposals is for the artwork for the wall, not for the content within the mobile resource center (kiosk).
The proposed art can be in any medium, as long as it is in accordance with the space considerations and size requirements outlined in the addendum. For high-level context, the total wall space available is 18 feet, 10 inches wide by 9 feet, 4 inches tall. The site of the artwork consists of painted drywall. Drywall may act as a substrate or otherwise anchor the final artwork. The art must keep the drywall whole, with the exception of any penetrations required to hang material, if needed. The art must not exceed 2 inches in depth.
The space receives a fair amount of natural light. See the addendum for more details about the light, and for photographs of the space.
Timeline
March 6, 2023: Submissions due.
March 24th, 2023: Three finalists will be notified and invited to present to the Selection Committee.
From the pool of proposals, three finalists will be selected to give a 15-20 minute presentation to the selection committee (via Zoom). Each finalist will each receive a $250 honorarium. The selection committee consists of:
- Meghan Barrett, Director of Intercultural Student Affairs
- Libby Bischof, Executive Director, Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education
- Kat Zagaria Buckley, Director of Art Exhibitions and Outreach
- Jeanne Paquette, Vice President, Corporate/Workforce Engagement
- Mihku Paul, Artist, Executive Editor, Dawnland Voices 2.0
- Aaron Witham, Director of Sustainability
- Two student representatives from the University’s Student Alliance of Indigenous Peoples
Budget Information
The total budget available for this project is $9,750.
Please include in your proposal a budget outlining the following costs:
- Design
- Installation
- Labor
- Materials
- Anything else needed to complete the project fully
Submission Requirements
For your submission, please provide us with the following:
- The full budgetary quote, as defined above
- The visual artist(s) who would work on the project, including a 100-word biography for each artist, and one or two examples of previous work (with images)
- A one-page artist statement, including how your proposal speaks to the vision outlined above
- A preliminary drawing or rendering of your concept for the space
- A brief explanation of how the art will both interact with the kiosk and also serve as a stand-alone visual statement (when the kiosk is not in place)
- A brief CV/resume (no more than 2 pages), with attention paid to previous public artwork or exhibitions, if applicable.
How to Submit
Please submit proposals, including required attachments, online via this google form.
URL: https://forms.gle/BAbRxAUYLh95S1EX7