Request for Qualifications: Deadline Extended to September 12
NEIGHBORHOOD LIGHTS
a community arts program of Light City Baltimore
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Calling Baltimore artists, artist teams, and arts organizations
NEW DEADLINE: September 12, 2016
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) seeks qualified artists, artist teams, and/or arts organizations to submit qualifications for its new public artist in residency program, Neighborhood Lights. Neighborhood Lights is an immersive community arts program of Light City Baltimore that branches out beyond Baltimore’s Inner Harbor into neighborhoods throughout Baltimore City. Selected artists will work directly with one of eight participating neighborhoods to create an illuminated public project within the neighborhood of their residency during the Light City Baltimore festival March 31-April 8, 2017.
Participating neighborhoods and neighborhood profiles will be released on June 28, 2016.
Though the artist(s) and community members will ultimately decide the public outcome and specific sites for each project through the residency itself, projects can include but are not limited to: large scale projections, shop window based projections and installations, illuminated public sculptures or monuments, performances, celebrations and new traditions that integrate light, creative uses for everyday lights such as string lights, and/or full scale neighborhood installations. Works can be performative or visual, temporary or semi-permanent, in sites ranging from front stoops to vacant lots. All projects funded through the neighborhood lights program must be free to the public.
BUDGET
$15,000 total, inclusive of artist fees, materials costs, and administrative costs
TIMELINE
June 28, 2016 – Participating Neighborhoods Announced, Neighborhood Profiles available
September 12, 2016 – NEW APPLICATION DEADLINE
October 20, 2016 – Notifications
October-December, 2016 – Artist Pre-meetings with community & site selection
January-April 2017 – Artist Residency & Project Implementation
March 31-April 8, 2017 – Light City Baltimore
ELIGIBILITY
Lead Artist(s) must be 18 years or older.
Lead Artist(s) must be Baltimore City residents. Housing is not provided as part of this residency.
Employees of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts are not eligible to apply.
EXPECTATIONS OF THE ARTIST
If selected, artists will be responsible for working with their community to:
- Identify sites for a public outcome
- Canvas community to identify goals, shape project scope, identify potential collaborators
- Conduct community art-making workshop(s) which are used either to create the artworks themselves or to teach technical skills that correspond with the creation of the artwork being developed
- Work with the community and BOPA to develop a project budget ($15,000)
- Create a public illuminated art project that is activated during Light City 2017 (March 31-April 8, 2017), including design, fabrication, installation, rehearsal & performance (if applicable), and de-installation
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Artistic merit: Applicants should demonstrate a strong portfolio of past work samples, exhibiting high aesthetic quality and thoughtful concept
- Community engagement: Applicants should have experience with and interest in working with communities in their practice
- Strong verbal, written and graphic communication skills: Applicants should exhibit good people and communication skills and be able to effectively collaborate with multiple project stakeholders as they develop, present, and receive feedback on their projects.
- Previous experience: Applicants should have experience creating visual or performing artworks in the public sphere and should exhibit a clear understanding of designing and fabricating projects for the outdoors
- Potential to build a foundation for an annual tradition in the neighborhood during Light City
NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES
The participating neighborhoods for Neighborhood Lights 2017 are:
- Coldstream Homestead Montebello
- Greater Mondawin
- Hamilton-Lauraville
- Hampden
- Little Italy
- Sandtown-Winchester
- Station North Arts & Entertainment District
- Waverly
To learn more about each participating neighborhood, click here to view the neighborhood profiles.
ABOUT LIGHT CITY
Light City Baltimore is an annual festival produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts celebrating ideas, ingenuity and creativity through art, music, and innovation. Light City will feature lighted new media visual art forms as well as concerts, performance art, and an innovation conference. Light City 2017 will take place March 31-April 8, 2016.
Neighborhood Lights Overview
Little Italy
Modawmin
Station North
Hampden
ABOUT BALTIMORE OFFICE OF PROMOTION & THE ARTS
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which serves as Baltimore City’s arts council, film office, and events agency. By producing large-scale events such as Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival, the Baltimore Book Festival, and offering funding and support to arts programs across the city, BOPA’s goal is to make Baltimore a more vibrant and creative city.
CONTACT
For questions about this RFQ or the Neighborhood Lights program, contact:
Maggie Villegas | 410.752.8632 | mvillegas@promotionandarts.org