Overview and Project Description

The Public Arts Commission of Enid (PACE) in Enid, Oklahoma, is seeking application from professional artists to be considered for a community public art display located at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Municipal Complex at 401 W. Owen K. Garriott Road. The backdrop of the public art project will be the front, northwest end of the building.

The area of the building for the public art display is approximately 840 sq. ft. of pre-cast concrete surface. A photo of the building is provided on the last page of this document. The art cannot be painted directly onto the wall. The public art display is intended to remain for a minimum of 10 years. The City of Enid metal logo depicted in the photo will be removed prior to this project.

We encourage applications from artists who create colorful imagery with a focus on the demographics and interests of the audience, the City of Enid visitors and community partners.

Theme and Intent

The vision for the project is a vibrant, dynamic and inspiring art that will promote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life, and his experience in advancing civil rights through nonviolence. The public art display will add art to the city office building, promoting Dr. King’s legacy and leadership. The art must be original, appropriate for outdoor wall installation, and be able to withstand Oklahoma weather conditions.

To promote its location, the art must include “Enid, OK” in a creative and tasteful manner. Completed public art display must also include the PACE logo in an appropriate location, such as a lower corner, with a 1’-2’minimum dimension. The logo will be provided.

Project Funds

The total project funds are not to exceed $50,000.00

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to all artists that reside in Oklahoma regardless of age, race, national origin, sex, religious affiliation, physical or mental ability. PACE encourages artistic diversity.

Artists and artist teams should have a variety of skills and experiences with exterior public art displays, budgeting time, and completing projects, as demonstrated by images of previous works and by resume. Please consider the following qualifications.

Selection Criteria

· Artistic excellence, originality, and ability to produce a consistent body of work

· Demonstrated experience with public art

· Experience with projects of a similar scale and scope

· Availability to work within the project time frame

· Good work habits: good communication skills, good problem-solving abilities, and ability to meet deadlines

Application Requirements

Artist will provide a letter of interest, resume, five (5) images of past artwork, and image descriptions. This information will be submitted via email to PACE Staff Liaison, Angela Rasmuson at arasmuson@enid.org. Allow adequate time for submission as technical difficulties may occur.

All Application Requirements must be included in an email with a website link to file-sharing folder (i.e., Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, FilesAnywhere, etc.).

Applications will not be accepted after the deadline of January 15, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (CDT)

Application materials include:

Letter of Interest

· A letter of interest will include a brief summary of artistic focus and professional career, especially as your background relates to this project.

· The letter can include a brief description of the concept to be proposed, should the applicant be selected, but is not required.

· Letters cannot exceed one page.

Resume

· If applying as a team, please include the team/studio resume. If a team/studio resume is not available, please combine the individual resumes of each team member into one document.

Five images of previous work

· Files can be up to 2 mb each

· Images should be at least 72 dpi.

Image descriptions

· Please include title, medium, dimensions, and year of each artwork.

· A brief statement about each work may also be included (2 sentence maximum).

Selection Process

PACE and representatives from the City of Enid Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission will identify up to 4 finalists who will be invited to develop public art proposals. Each finalist/finalist team will be paid an honorarium of $500 for the development and presentation of a design proposal. There will be only one (1) payment per team approximately 30 days after the presentation.

It will be the responsibility of the artist or artist team to provide and finance the supplies necessary for the MLK public art display. This includes but may not be limited to paints, rental equipment, transportation, lodging and project insurance. After the submission deadline, RFQ applications will be screened to ensure completeness of applications and conformity to the standards outlined in this RFQ. Incomplete submittals will not be considered.

The four (4) finalists will make in person or remote presentations of proposals to PACE members and representatives from the City of Enid Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. PACE will recommend the Final Selection to the Enid City Commission for approval and award the final project.

Timeline

Applications open: December 1, 2023

Application deadline: January 15, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (CDT)

Notification of 4 selected Finalists: January 26, 2024

Presentation of Finalist Proposals: March 1, 2024

Final approval of Selected Artist(s) by Enid City Commissioners: March 19, 2024

Notification of Selected Artist(s): March 20, 2024

Installation of artwork completed by: June 1, 2024

Anticipated Ribbon Cutting date: Saturday, June 15, 2024 (Juneteenth Celebration)

Questions/Follow up

PACE Staff Liaison, Angela Rasmuson, arasmuson@enid.org, 580.616.7242 is the contact for this project through its entirety.