Last month, The City of Boston announced three calls to artists to create public art pieces for a new municipal building under construction in Dudley Square.
Now, I know “municipal building art project” doesn’t immediately scream “sexy”, but what if I told you the artist take-home for implementing the winning idea was $40,000?
Sexy.
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The three calls are as follows:
1. A painted or sculptural element to adorn the old brick wall of the Ferdinand building, which will be in a vestibule enclosed in glass.
2. An outdoor sculptural piece at the project’s southeast corner, adjacent to the MBTA bus stop.
3.A decorative acoustic panel covering to hang in the School Committee Room. Proposals for this piece will be accepted from BPS students only.
Now, I’m going to assume you aren’t a Boston Public School student (but if you are, here is the full acoustic panel project description), so let’s take a closer look at the first two calls.
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1. Dudley Municipal Center Wall Design Project
Overview
(Architectural rendering of the proposed space)
Deadline: Sunday – August 4, 2013
Eligibility: This public art commission is open to all professional artists, artisans, architects, landscape architects, or teams thereof, with experience in project management and construction administration.
Desgin Intent: The artist (or team) is requested to develop an indoor wall design element, either sculptural or two-dimensional, at the entry to the Dudley Square Municipal Office Center. The work will be developed in collaboration with project architects Sasaki Associates, to ensure that the art is fully integrated into the site design and vice-versa. The contemporary building design incorporates the façades of three pre-existing historic buildings. The artwork must complement the cultural and historic aspects of the site, including the historic passage of the elevated trolley and train through this space until 1987; address the dynamic and multifaceted nature of Roxbury; and enliven the site with an innovative and fresh approach to public art.
Budget: $1,500 – awarded to three shortlisted finalists for initial concept development and presentation
Total Project Budget: $90,000
Download the full call here.
Running the Numbers:
When you take a look at the full call, you’ll notice a blip under “Budget” that reads:
“10% of final artwork budget-awarded to selected artist for design and project oversight, to be paid in scheduled installments.”
(FYI: this clause is included in both the wall design and outdoor sculpture project descriptions)
So, if the total budget is $90,000 and the artist receives 10% as a fee, you walk away with $9,000!
Which means, you have $81,000 to spend on labor, materials, design drawings, documentation, permits, meetings, fabrication process, contracted services, and travel.
AND if you go through the whole RFQ(Request for Qualifications) process and are chosen as one of the three shortlisted artists/teams(mentioned in the overview above), you will receive $1,500 for your time and energy regardless of whether or not your project ends up being selected for implementation.
Not too shabby.
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2. Dudley Municipal Center Outdoor Sculpture Project
Overview
(Elevation of the Proposed Space)
Deadline: Sunday – August 18, 2013
Eligibility: This public art commission is open to all professional artists, artisans, architects, landscape architects, or teams thereof, with experience in project management and construction administration.
Design Intent: The artist (or team) is requested to develop an outdoor sculptural element to be located at the southeast corner of the Dudley Square Municipal Office Center, adjacent to the MBTA Dudley Bus Station. The work will be developed in collaboration with project architects Sasaki Associates, to ensure that the art is fully integrated into the site design and vice-versa. The contemporary building design incorporates the façades of three preexisting historic buildings. The artwork must complement the historic, cultural, and architectural environment; address the dynamic and multifaceted nature of Roxbury; and enliven the site with an innovative and fresh approach to public art.
Budget: $3,000 – awarded to three shortlisted finalists for initial concept development and presentation
Anticipated Total Project Budget (half in place, with remainder to be solicited): $400,000
Download the full call here.
Running the Numbers:
So, in this case, if the total budget is $400,000(assuming the solicited half comes to fruition), and the artist receives 10% as a fee, you walk away with $40,000!
Hello, weekly steak dinners and rent for the year.
This means you have $360,000 to put towards the aforementioned expenses.
And you will receive $3,000 if your project is one of the three shortlisted finalists.
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Final Thoughts
I wanted to bring these two calls to your attention because the payout is significant. While many local arts projects are opportunities for exposure and building your portfolio, its rare to find two calls that would not only provide you with press and karma points, but also give you funding to help keep the lights on.
And not to lose sight of the original mission of this project, “payout” also comes in the form of helping to revitalize the Roxbury area, Boston’s geographic center. This arts initiative, as a part of the larger Dudley Square construction project, and through a collaborative effort with the local community, aims to create a “modern, flexible, and green municipal office facility that will extend improved City services to the neighborhood, strengthen the public realm, and help inaugurate a new era for Dudley Square and Roxbury.”
With a little over/under a month left on these two projects, you still have plenty of time to apply. As I mentioned in my Massachusetts Grant Opportunities post, its important to educate yourself about these public arts initiatives so you have a chance to lend your unique voice to the Boston Arts landscape and see your projects come to fruition.
And if you don’t, THIS might show up in Dudley Square:
(Google image search result for “World’s Worst Sculpture”)
AND. Someone else will be eating YOUR steak. Weekly. ♥
