Station North Arts & Entertainment, Inc. is now accepting qualifications from artists, designers, and other creative community members to be a paid member of a Station North Mini Golf Design/Build Team.
BACKGROUND
Station North Arts & Entertainment, Inc. (SNAE) has recently received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts for the implementation of a mini golf course. Activating four highly public sites in Station North, the project will engage artists, designers, and local youth from Baltimore’s preeminent creative community. With partners FutureMakers, educators, and students from four area schools, selected artists will each play a vital role in facilitating the collaborative design of two miniature golf holes, with a total of eight miniature golf holes set to launch in 2017.
Selected participants will join an interdisciplinary design-build team for this curriculum-based program that will include an educator from each school, a FutureMakers coach, a lead fabricator, and other design specialists (physicists, architects, etc.) who will contribute to the workshop experience. Selected participants will work directly with a partner classroom at one of four local schools (Baltimore Lab School, Baltimore Design School, Margaret Brent Elementary Middle School, and Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School). In the months of January and February, participants will be expected to lead and participate in 6-8 curriculum-based workshop sessions, collaborating with the design-build team and students to ultimately create the designs for two playable miniature golf holes. Artists and designers will serve as a vehicle for the participating youth’s visions, ultimately guiding the process for a co-created end result.
Fabrication skills are NOT a required qualification, and SNAE anticipates hiring additional fabricators to build the holes.
Participants will be expected to attend an orientation, as well as one to two training sessions in Fall 2016 centered on youth education, collaboration and sensitivity. Artists interested in furthering their skills working with youth and collaborative creation are encouraged to apply.
DEADLINE
October 1 2016; selected applicants will be notified during the first week of November 2016.
ELIGIBILITY
– Artists and designers of all disciplines are encouraged to apply
– Artists must live or have studios based in Baltimore City
– At least 3 years of experience working on comparable arts-related projects in Baltimore City
– A solid knowledge and interest in Station North and Baltimore’s history
– Experience and interest in working collaboratively with youth is preferred
– Experience working as the facilitator of a creative team
– People skills, creative problem solving, enthusiasm, and a strong knowledge base of contemporary arts practices relevant to youth participating in this project are all preferred
– Students are not eligible to apply
SELECTION CRITERIA
– Experience & Skills (collaborative, working with youth, facilitation of creative team, people skills): 40%
– Artistic Merit of Portfolio: 30%
– Working knowledge of Baltimore & Relevant Contemporary Art Practices: 30%
TIMELINE
August 16, 2016: Submissions open
October 1, 2016: Request for Qualifications closes & interviews conducted
November 2016: Notification of selection
December 2016: Program orientation
January – February 2017: School workshops
March 2017: Finished designs delivered to fabricators
July 2017: Launch of finished course
BUDGET
$3,000 stipends will be provided to artists for an estimated 30-40 hours of work over the course of the project. The stipend will be paid in two installments, half upon full execution of the contract and half upon completed installation of the hole.
Approximately $6,000, administered by SNAE, will be provided for the materials and construction of each hole.
KICKOFF
We will kickoff before Artscape 2017 with a VIP event for special guests, where VIPs and donors can play the course, and meet the course artists and the course will open to the public during Artscape.
STAFFING
The daily management of course operations will be handled by SNAE.
UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE
Upon completion, SNAE will assume responsibility for upkeep and maintenance of the course.
PR/MARKETING
SNAE reserves the right to photograph and reproduce all materials and to use these photographs for educational, publicity, and promotional purposes.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All submissions should be emailed to info@stationnorth.org by 11:59pm on October 1, 2016.
The email should contain ONE PDF document with the following items:
1. Resume
2. One page cover letter including the answers to the following questions:
– What do you hope to gain from and contribute to this experience?
– What would constitute a successful or otherwise useful and fulfilling time as an artist in this role?
– In what ways do you contribute to Baltimore’s artistic landscape and how will participation in this project affect your current activities in Baltimore?
3. 3-5 images of previous work with 2-3 sentences explaining your role in the pictured project.
4. Two references (If possible, one from an organization or individual that can describe your experience working with youths).
INFO SESSIONS
Tuesday, August 30, 2016 @ 7pm
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 @ 12pm
The Motor House, 120 W. North Avenue
Information sessions will be held for those interested in learning more about the project, constructing a proposal, and who have other considerations or questions about the mini golf project. These information sessions are recommended for anyone considering submitting a proposal, but not required
QUESTIONS
Any questions should be directed to Amelia Rambissoon, Development & Office Manager, at amelia@stationnorth.org.