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On June 7, 2005 the Board of County Commissioners selected artist Sarah Craige, from Efland, NC for the Southern Human Services Center Public Art Project. Sarah Craige has excellent credentials and several years of relevant public art experience and was chosen primarily for her artistic merit and her ability to work successfully in the public art arena.
Sarah Craige’s proposed “Tree of Life” tile mural will be hand-made from terra cotta clay. The tiles will be carved and painted with many layers of colors, glazed and fired repeatedly until rich vibrant colors are achieved. The mural will fill the large architectural niche in the central reception area of the facility in Chapel Hill. Sarah’s poetic landscape will celebrate and honor all those who visit the Southern Human Services Center, from all cultures and for every generation.
Sponsored by the Orange County Arts Commission, this $10,000 public art commission is funded from both public (county) and private sources. Sarah Craige’s tile mural will increase the value of the facility, as public art always does. Her mural will attract visitors and encourage economic vitality by providing business opportunities for local artists, fabricators, and suppliers.
If additional grant support is received from the NC Arts Council, Sarah will serve as a mentor to a local apprentice on this public art project. The local apprentice has not yet been selected.
At the request of the Board of County Commissioners for a public art project at the Southern Human Services Center, a public art selection committee was created in the fall of 2004. This committee was composed of representatives from the county departments of Social Services, Health, Housing and Community Development, the County Manager’s office, the Orange County Arts Commission, community members and arts professionals. Public art helps advance the missions of county departments by helping to create an environment conducive to meeting a variety of human needs. Based on the usage of the building, this committee decided that the artwork should be family-friendly and of a calming/soothing nature. They also decided that the artwork would be sited in a prominent location inside the building near the reception area. This committee met in December, 2004, and again in March and April, 2005. A statewide call for qualifications with a mid-March deadline was distributed to North Carolina artists by direct mail and posted electronically by email and via various listservs and websites. Artists living in Orange County, NC were encouraged to apply. Artists were asked to submit a letter of interest, relevant experience/current resume, up to 15 images of their work, annotated image list, and references. Thirty-nine responses were received from North Carolina artists. Three finalists were selected to present site-specific proposals to the selection committee, for which they were each compensated $300 plus round-trip mileage to Chapel Hill. Three weeks of public comment on these proposals was received - from April 28th-May 19th at three sites (Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill Public Library, and Southern Human Services Center). The artist selection committee recommended Sarah Craige’s proposal to the Board of County Commissioners. Her tile mural will be fabricated and installed during FY06.
The original call to artists for this project is displayed below.
Request for Qualifications
Public Artist
Southern Human Services Center
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
DESCRIPTION: The Orange County Arts Commission announces a Request for Qualifications to create public artwork(s) for the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists or artist teams currently living in North Carolina, working in any media. Artists living in Orange County, NC are encouraged to apply.
PROJECT BUDGET: $10,000
POSTMARK DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: March 15, 2005
Overview
The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) will commission an artwork or artworks for the Southern Human Services Center (2501 Homestead Road) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Orange County offices housed in this public building include the Department of Social Services, the Health Department, Housing and Community Development, and a satellite office of the Sheriff’s Department.
The artwork(s) should be family-friendly and of a calming/soothing nature. The artwork(s) will be sited in a prominent location or locations inside the building, near the reception area.
The artwork(s) must be very durable, low maintenance, and appropriate to the location. Both children and adults use the building during day and evening hours. The artist should take into consideration the pedestrian/client traffic; existing lighting (artificial); and safety issues (artwork must be child-proof).
Works in a variety of media and forms will be considered. Examples of media include, but are not limited to metal, ceramic tile, photography, plastic, paint. A wide variety of forms for the artwork will also be considered, including elements such as wall tiling, signage, and lighting, among others.
If additional grant support is received, the selected artist(s) may also serve as mentor to a local apprentice on this public art project. Compensation will be provided to both the selected artist(s) and to the local apprentice.
Budget
The public art budget for this project is $10,000. This budget includes all costs associated with, but not limited to: artist design fees; travel; project materials; fabrication; installation costs (if not constructed on site); and documentation of the work(s).
Eligibility
The project is open to all artists currently living in North Carolina, working in any media. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines. Artists living in Orange County, North Carolina are encouraged to apply.
Schedule
How to Apply:
Artists and artist teams interested in the project should submit ONE copy of each of the following:
1. LETTER OF INTEREST, no more than two pages in length, which explains the artist’s or artist team's interest in the project. If the Letter of Interest is on behalf of a team, please identify the lead artist and indicate if the individuals and/or organizations have previously collaborated and the nature of the association. If the artist or artist team has worked with neighborhood organizations, local government, or other similar and relevant agencies, please describe the relationship among the community, the artwork, and the artist or artist team as well as the design process.
2. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE OR A CURRENT RESUME. If submitting as a team, a separate resume should be submitted for each team member.
3. Up to 15 SLIDES OR DIGITAL IMAGES of the artist’s work or the work of the artist team. Slides must be in a clear plastic sheet. Each slide must be numbered, the top of the image indicated, and the artist’s name included on the slide. Digital images must be sent on a CD and be a minimum 600x800 jpg or tif; each image’s file name should include the artist’s name and a reference number. If the proposed team has not previously collaborated, the lead artist may submit a maximum of 10 images and each team member may include a maximum of 5 images each. PowerPoint presentations are not admissible. OR A 3-MINUTE VIDEOTAPE of the artist’s work or the work of the artist team may be submitted in place of slides or digital images, if relevant experience is more accurately depicted in this manner. Videotapes must be VHS format, and only the first 3 minutes will be considered.
4. ANNOTATED IMAGE LIST or VIDEO DESCRIPTION with the artist’s name and a brief description of each image including its title, date, medium, size, location, and cost.
5. REFERENCES of at least three professionals (commissioning agency or organization, design or arts professional, architect, landscape architect, engineer, etc.) who have an intimate knowledge of the artist’s work and working methods. Include complete address, telephone numbers, and email for each individual. If an organization is serving as a professional reference, please identify a contact name.
6. SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE appropriately sized and sufficiently stamped for the return of application materials.
7. OPTIONAL. The artist or lead artist of a team may submit a maximum of three selections of supporting materials (reviews, news articles, essays, monographs, or other relevant information.) Each member of an artist team may include one supporting document.
The postmark deadline for submitting materials is March 15, 2005. Artists interested in being considered should submit the above information to:
Orange County Arts Commission Re: Southern Human Services Center Project P.O. Box 1177 Hillsborough, NC 27278
Selection Process
An Artist Selection Committee will review all artists’ submissions and select finalists to be interviewed. At a minimum, this selection committee may include two art professionals, two community members, two representatives of the Orange County Arts Commission, a representative from the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the Orange County Manager or a designee, a representative from County departments located in this building (the departments of Social Services, Health, Housing and Community Development, Sheriff’s).
The finalists will be asked to develop a conceptual approach for artwork at this site. The finalists may be invited to Chapel Hill to make a presentation to the selection committee of their proposed work for the site, including concept, materials, size, weight, installation requirements, details of maintenance guidelines, and budget. The finalists’ proposals will be exhibited in Chapel Hill and Orange County for approximately three weeks. The finalists will be compensated for their participation in this stage of the selection process.
The Artist Selection Committee will meet in May, 2005 to recommend an artist or artist team for the project. Final approval rests with the Board of County Commissioners.
Additional Information
If you have questions or need any additional information, including complete site plans and drawings, please visit www.artsorange.org, email arts@co.orange.nc.us or call 919/245-2335. -------------------------------------------------------
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