Call for Artists/Invitation to Submit Qualifications The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation welcomes applications from artists committed to cultural immersion, community participation, and social interaction for an art and design opportunity at The Village at Market Creek. Funding for this project is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. Additional administrative assistance is provided by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. Top 5 Things to Know • • • • •
Application Deadline: Thursday, March 29, 2012, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time Budget: Between $8,000 and $12,500 per artist or artist team Timeline: April - November 2012 Eligibility: Professional artists; any discipline What We’re Seeking: Artists with extensive experience working in and with communities, who are interested in developing concepts for an arts district experience in southeastern San Diego
The Project The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (“JCNI”) and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture (“Commission”) an “Our Town” grant to create a planning document for guiding the growth of The Village at Market Creek into one of San Diego’s most lively, multi-cultural arts districts. Artists* are sought to contribute to the creation of this planning document. A team of multi-disciplinary practitioners has been assembled to contribute as well: urban planning firm, MIG, Inc., and city branding firm, Bennett Peji Design. In January 2012, JCNI began a 12-month project for engaging local residents, cultural leaders, and regional arts leaders to actively collaborate in the development of this plan. Once created, the planning document will be used as a tool for attracting political and financial support to implement its arts and culture development recommendations for The Village at Market Creek. The community engagement process takes place from January to December 2012. It includes a series of activities intended to identify concepts that the consultant team can incorporate into the planning document: • Monthly gatherings of a 15-person steering committee known as the Art and Design Guide Team. The team serves as a liaison between the community at large and the consultant team and provides guidance for the development of the community workshops. • Monthly community workshops, or “charrettes”, expected to attract 80-100 participants. Topics participants will be asked to address during the community workshops include: o Sharing how art has traditionally appeared in our respective cultural heritages, how art appears in our lives today, and how we envision art in the community in the future; o Developing themes and motifs based on these conversations; and
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Identifying where and how those themes and motifs might be applied in The Village at Market Creek’s open spaces, walking trails and plazas, community gateways, transit entrance points, and a Village-wide art walk.
*Throughout this document, the singular term “artist” also includes “artist teams”. The Village at Market Creek In 1997, JCNI began working with residents of southeastern San Diego to transform 60 underutilized acres into The Village at Market Creek, a vibrant cultural and commercial center. Since then, the community has seen the successful development of the Market Creek Plaza shopping center and performing arts and events amphitheater, as well as the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, a community gathering, conference, and office space. Further plans include building affordable housing for residents as well as additional commercial development to bring local and national tenants to the community. From the beginning, arts and culture have played key roles in the development of The Village at Market Creek by bringing together community members of diverse backgrounds and interests to shape both its look and character. The result can be seen in its numerous public art projects; its ongoing series of cultural celebrations featuring the dance, art, and musical traditions of the cultures that call southeastern San Diego home; an annual summer family movie and gospel performance series; and the creation of the Center for Community & Cultural Arts, a partnership between residents, cultural groups, and artists of southeastern San Diego and the museums of Balboa Park. The influence of these cultural traditions and values also extends into the very design of the buildings and the color palettes used throughout each phase of the development. The Village at Market Creek is anchored at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Market Street where the neighborhoods of Emerald Hills, Valencia Park, Lincoln Park, and Chollas View meet. Rich in cultural diversity, it includes residents of African-American, Chamorro, Filipino, Lao, Mexican, Native American, Samoan, Somali, Sudanese, and White/Caucasian descent. The area is readily accessible by Highway 94, Interstate 805, and the transit hub at the Euclid Avenue Trolley Station. What We’re Seeking JCNI is looking for artists who can listen to ideas shared by the community and transform them into concepts that envision and speak to an arts district experience for visitors to The Village at Market Creek: its sights, sounds, smells, emotions, visual cues, performances, opportunities, and more. Artists committed to cultural immersion, community participation, and social interaction are invited to submit a proposal detailing how they would spend the available time and money contributing to the initiative in progress. Artists are expected to attend the community workshops in April and May and prepare concepts to present at the June and July sessions, but are otherwise welcome to individually shape their learning, listening, and production process to support the development of these concepts. Artists may be asked by project staff to further refine or expand upon some of their concepts before the planning document is completed and shared at a community presentation in November.
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Additional resources for applicants related to the development of an arts district at The Village at Market Creek can be found at the following YouSendIt link: https://www.yousendit.com/download/M3BuRFFlZDVrUm41SE1UQw Subjects to address in your proposal include, but are not limited to: • Why this opportunity is appealing to you as an artist • Your art-making philosophy and methodology in the context of this project • Your experience working in or with a diverse, multi-cultural community • Your insight into the multi-faceted assets and challenges within this community • What you would like to gain from the experience and what you would like to give to the community through the experience • People and/or resources that you would like to have access to • Activities you propose to undertake • Results you propose to produce • Stakeholders you plan to engage • How you propose to spend the money • Timing milestones you propose to meet • How you meet the evaluation criteria Eligibility Professional artists authorized to work in the U.S. and working in any discipline are eligible to apply. Budget Artists or artist teams selected for the project will receive between $8,000 to $12,500. The budget is allinclusive. Project Timeline Call for Artists Released: March 1, 2012 Application Deadline: Thursday, March 29, 2012, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time Artist Selection Process and Notification of Award: April 2012 Contract Negotiation and Execution; Start Date: April 2012 Application Materials Applicants must submit the following materials for consideration: 1. A 3-5 page written proposal with an itemized budget and timeline 2. A professional résumé and contact information for three professional references. If applying as a team, provide one résumé/reference package for each team member. 3. Up to 10 digital images of past work, including stills and/or videos with annotations. If applying as a team, the maximum number of examples – 10 – still applies; divide the examples to show some for each team member.
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Written Proposal with Itemized Budget and Timeline Submit a concise written narrative of 3-5 pages addressing how you clearly meet the evaluation criteria and responding to the issues raised in the preceding “What We’re Seeking” section. Include an itemized budget and a timeline showing milestones you want to reach during the project. The proposal must prominently include the name, address, telephone number, website (if applicable), and e-mail address of the applicant. At the end of the proposal, be sure to create a statement that specifies you “have read, understand, and agree to all the items under Additional Information in this Call for Artists.” Your proposal must also contain your signature either by executing a “wet-ink” signature and then scanning the document or inserting an image of your signature. In either case, it should be your recognizably handwritten signature, not just an italicized font. Professional Résumé and Three References Please submit a current professional résumé. In addition, please submit the names, addresses, current telephone numbers and/or email addresses for three authorities on your past work and qualifications. Do not send letters of recommendation. We do call references, so please double-check to ensure that the contact information for your references is up to date. If applying as a team, provide one résumé/reference package for each team member. Digital Images of Past Work with Annotations Submit examples of past work containing a maximum of 10 images. They can be still images, video clips, or a combination of both, not to exceed a total of 10. If applying as a team, the maximum number of examples – 10 – still applies; divide the examples to show some for each team member. • Submit digital still images in .jpg format with a maximum resolution of 300 dpi and maximum dimensions of 1024 x 768 pixels. • Submit digital NTSC format videos in .mpg or .mov format with a maximum resolution of 720 x 480 pixels. The total combined running time of all your digital videos may not exceed three minutes. • When submitting examples of art proposals that have not been realized, such as images of models or computer-generated images, please clearly indicate as such. • An LCD projector will be used to display artists’ images and videos for the selection panel. JCNI is not responsible for distortion or alteration of images or videos as they appear on monitors or as projected. • Provide annotations in .pdf format for each example of past work included in your application. Delivery Instructions and Deadline Submit your application via email or by delivering a CD. Applications delivered by any other method will not be considered. Submitting via email: • Put all the required application materials in a folder; label the folder with the artist’s last name and compress it • Email the folder as an attachment to arts@jacobscenter.org with the subject line “Art and Design RFQ” • Email with attachments up to approximately 10 MB can be received
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Submitting by delivering a CD: • Put all the required application materials in a folder; label the folder with the artist’s last name and burn it to a CD • Label the CD clearly with the artist’s name and email address; please do not include the name of the artist’s gallery, assistant, or representative on the label • Mail or hand-deliver CDs to: Annamarie Till, Community Building Program Manager Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114 Applications must be received (not postmarked) by 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 29, 2012. Each applicant will be emailed an acknowledgement that their application was received. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Submissions cannot be returned. Submission materials will be shared with the artist selection panel and with key project leaders and decision-makers. Reasonable efforts will be made to protect applicants’ intellectual property. Selection Process A panel appointed by JCNI will review and evaluate the applications utilizing the selection criteria given below. JCNI staff may pre-screen each application to verify eligibility and to evaluate responsiveness to the criteria. Applications deemed to be marginally responsive may not be forwarded to the panel for review. The panel may be comprised of cultural leaders and multidisciplinary arts professionals. The panel may create a short-list of the most qualified artists and may interview the short-listed artists. For artist teams, it is mandatory that the designated lead artist attend any such interview. Artists who accept an invitation to interview will not be expected to develop proposals; however, in the interviews, artists will be expected to discuss past approaches and working methods as well as answer questions relating to working on projects of this nature. Based on these evaluations, the panel will recommend up to three artists or artist teams for the contract award. Contract amounts will be based on process, budget, and artist experience. Criteria used to evaluate artists will be: • Uniqueness of vision and strength of creativity • Originality of methods used to create community through art • Competence with engaging diverse populations in the creation of art • Demonstrated interest in and understanding of the project • Strength of professionalism and communication skills • Proven ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders • Proven ability to self-direct and self-motivate • Proven ability to accomplish the outcomes set forth in the proposal • If applicable, quality of workmanship • If applicable, cohesiveness of team members • If applicable, past performance on contracts with JCNI or the Commission
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Questions? Please email Annamarie Till at arts@jacobscenter.org with any questions about the project or applying for this opportunity. Additional Information Rights Pertinent to this Solicitation JCNI reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any responses to this solicitation that do not meet the selection criteria. Failure to provide the required application materials in the required formats shall be cause for the submission to be rejected as non-responsive. Failure to provide the application materials by the deadline shall be cause for the submission to be rejected as non-responsive. JCNI reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice and makes no representation that any contract will be awarded to any applicant. Additionally, JCNI expressly reserves the right to postpone opening responses to this solicitation for its own convenience, and/or to waive minor informalities or irregularities in the responses received. JCNI reserves the right to revise this solicitation by addendum. JCNI is bound only by what is expressly stated in this solicitation and any authorized written addenda thereto. Addenda will be posted on JCNI’s website at www.jacobscenter.org. It shall be the applicant’s responsibility to check the website up to the final submission date for any possible addenda. JCNI accepts no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by the applicant. All submissions may be kept by JCNI. JCNI reserves the right to propose minor modifications to the scope of work during the contract negotiation phase between JCNI and the contract awardee. JCNI is not responsible for the loss or damage of any materials submitted. JCNI reserves the right to change the timeline. Contact with Personnel Questions regarding this solicitation shall be directed in writing to: Annamarie Till, Community Building Program Manager Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114 arts@jacobscenter.org Formal Approval of Contract The applicant understands that issuance of this solicitation does not commit JCNI to award a contract, nor to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this solicitation.
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Examination of Solicitation The applicant understands that the information provided herein is intended solely to assist the applicant in preparation of a submission. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the applicant represents that the applicant has thoroughly examined and become familiar with work required in the solicitation and is capable of performing quality work and to achieve the objectives of JCNI. Duplicate Submissions When an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application such as an early version and a subsequent, updated version, only the last application submitted before the deadline will be recorded as an entry into the competition. JCNI is not responsible for comparing or identifying differences between multiple versions of applications. An applicant may submit only one application as the lead artist. Eligibility Restrictions Artists must be authorized to work in the United States to apply. Any person meeting the following description is not eligible for contract award under this solicitation: Board members, agents, officers, and employees of JCNI or its related companies; Members, agents and employees of the Commission; JCNI’s contractors; or Commission’s contractors. Photo/Video Documentation The applicant understands that a condition of the contract, if awarded, will be to participate in any photography and/or video documentation, produced by JCNI, the Commission, or their respective consultants, which may occur during the project. An additional condition of the contract, if awarded, will be to give JCNI and the Commission the royalty-free, irrevocable right to use the artist’s name and likeness, whether in photograph or video as produced during the period of the project, in all media and in all manners, without any restriction as to changes or alterations for advertising, trade, promotion, exhibition, or any other lawful purposes. Ownership and Use The Artist retains all rights under the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq., as the sole Artist and Author of the artwork for the duration of the copyright. The Author is the person who exercises control over the artwork. The Artist grants JCNI, and other parties duly authorized by JCNI, a nonexclusive, irrevocable, and royalty-free license to use the artwork for all standard JCNI educational, public relations, tourism, and arts promotional purposes including, but not limited to, displaying artwork, lending the artwork, reproducing or preparing photographs, other two dimensional reproductions, or digital reproductions of the artwork, and displaying, distributing, or transmitting such reproductions or images to the general public. Such reproductions and transmissions may be magazines, books, newspapers, journals, brochures and pamphlets, exhibition catalogues, films, television, video, websites, slides, negatives, prints and electronic media, DVD, CD, computerized retrieval systems, and by all means or methods now known or hereafter invented in connection with standard JCNI activities. If JCNI wishes to make reproductions of the artwork for commercial purposes, including, but not limited to, T-shirts, postcards, or posters, the parties shall execute a separate agreement to address the terms of the license granted by the Artist and the royalty the Artist shall receive. JCNI agrees that, unless the Artist requests to the contrary in writing, all formal references to, and reproductions of the artwork, shall credit the Artist and JCNI.
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Use of Information Contact information for each applicant may be entered into a database and used to advertise future calls for artists issued by JCNI, the Commission, or their respective affiliates.
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