Artist opportunity: MLK pedestrian walkway mural

Posted on Sep 26, 2011 in Top Stories by

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission is seeking to commission four local artists or artist teams to design and install a temporary mural for the remaining portion of the Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Center Campus Pedestrian walkway.  The completed mural will remain at the site for the length of the construction period, which is approximately a year and a half. The pedestrian walkway is 900 feet long and features a street-side panel or “canvas” that is approximately 4 feet high. In August 2011, City Year worked with children from Freedom Schools to complete the first 100 feet of the mural.

ELGIBILITY
The Arts Commission seeks to identify and support artists living in Willowbrook and its surrounding communities. This call is open to artists residing within the following zip codes: 90001, 90002, 90047, 90059, 90220, 90221, 90222, 90223, 90224, 90248, and 90262. If applying as an artist team, at least one member of the team must reside within the identified zip codes. For questions regarding eligibility, please contact Erin Harkey, eharkey@arts.lacounty.gov

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Application materials must be received on or before 5:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Wednesday, November 2, 2011. Any application materials received after the date and time specified above will be rejected, considered non-responsive, and returned to the artist.

ARTWORK
The Arts Commission will commission four artists or artist teams to engage the local community in the development and installation of a mural that examines the health and social benefits of art and cultural activities. The four selected artists will be required to incorporate the findings of the related community based research conducted by LA Commons and the Arts Commission, and will work with a community organization or group to develop the mural’s content.  The commissioned artists/ artist teams will work collaboratively to ensure a consistent narrative and a cohesive design.

BUDGET
Each artist team will receive a $3,500 commission to cover all artist fees associated with the design, fabrication, and installation of one 200 foot long section of the mural wall. It is our intent that community members will assist the artist in painting the mural.

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS
The Arts Commission will assemble a Project Coordination Committee (PCC) that will review the artist applications, select the artist or artist team, and review the design from development through completion.

The PCC is composed of:

  • A representative of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Supervisor, Second District,
  • An Arts Commissioner,
  • A representative of the Department of Health Services,
  • A representative of the Chief Executive Office,
  • Arts Professionals, and
  • Community Stakeholders.

The Arts Commission’s Civic Art Program staff serves as non-voting advisors to the Advisory Panel and facilitates the selection process.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
The artist will be selected according to the following criteria:

  • Proven artistic merit and strong professional qualifications;
  • Ability to work with a government agency, and local residents;
  • Ability to create artwork that is meaningful to the variety of people who will come in contact with the artwork;
  • Ability to interpret community input in the development of artwork; and
  • Ability to execute high-quality, easily maintainable artwork.

TO APPLY:

The following materials must be received by Wednesday, November 2, 2011:

  1. Résumé including name, mailing address, phone number(s), fax, email and web page (if applicable).
  2. Brief letter of interest addressing:
    • Why this project interests you;
    • Interest in or experience with healthcare or community facilities;
    • Your connection to or interest in the Willowbrook neighborhood;
    • Your experience with community engagement; and
    • Local community organizations or groups that you would be interested in working with and why.

Only letters which specifically address these points will be considered.

  1. Up to 10 images of your relevant work.
    • Submit digital images on a CD-ROM in JPEG format, PC compatible, no larger than 1920 X 1920 pixel resolution (do not compress your files).  Each image must be unlocked and downloadable.
    • Label each image with artist’s name and a number which corresponds to the annotated image list – for example 001JaneJones, 002JaneJones.
  2. An accompanying annotated image list, including:
    • Title, date and location of artwork;
    • Very brief project description;
    • Medium and dimensions;
    • Budget; and
    • Commissioning agency or client, and project manager, if applicable.
  3. Contact information for three professional references including title, phone and email addresses.

Questions? Please contact Erin Harkey, eharkey@arts.lacounty.gov

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