REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women
(becoming Arise Collective)
Prison Awareness Public Art
Raleigh, North Carolina
PROJECT SUMMARY
The Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women (becoming Arise Collective) Public Art Project Committee (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) is issuing a “Request for Qualifications'' (RFQ) for the design of public art depicting Stitching Stories: A Prison Awareness Quilt, which was crocheted by women incarcerated at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women as they survived COVID-19 in prison.
For detailed information on the Stitching Stories project, including photographs, visit ipmforwomen.org/stitching-stories.
Note: Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women is rebranding and the new name – Arise Collective – will be in use by the awarding of the commission. The artist shall reinterpret the quilt for a permanent, public display in the form of a mural, mosaic, or other creative means, which captures the concept and narrative of the original crocheted quilt.
Community involvement in the process, as well as capacity for replication of the public art (mural, e.g.), is expected, while community engagement in the creation of the art itself is desired. There is a hope that the artist will have had experience with incarcerated or previously incarcerated individuals, therefore having a deep personal connection to the mission of this project.
The Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women (becoming Arise Collective) Public Art Project Committee (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) is issuing a “Request for Qualifications'' (RFQ) for the design of public art depicting Stitching Stories: A Prison Awareness Quilt, which was crocheted by women incarcerated at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women as they survived COVID-19 in prison.
For detailed information on the Stitching Stories project, including photographs, visit ipmforwomen.org/stitching-stories.
Note: Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women is rebranding and the new name – Arise Collective – will be in use by the awarding of the commission. The artist shall reinterpret the quilt for a permanent, public display in the form of a mural, mosaic, or other creative means, which captures the concept and narrative of the original crocheted quilt.
Community involvement in the process, as well as capacity for replication of the public art (mural, e.g.), is expected, while community engagement in the creation of the art itself is desired. There is a hope that the artist will have had experience with incarcerated or previously incarcerated individuals, therefore having a deep personal connection to the mission of this project.
BACKGROUND
In January 2022, The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced a $2 million partnership to expand and continue their Inclusive Public Art initiative across North Carolina. The partnership will support commemorative and artist commissions specifically focused on underrepresented narratives and communities.
Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women (becoming Arise Collective) is a ZSR grant recipient semifinalist and must submit a complete Inclusive Public Art proposal application no later than January 31, 2023. Grant amounts will be flexible, with an anticipated range from $50,000 to $200,000+. Organizations and artists are encouraged to think boldly about the artistic possibilities for commemorating and memorializing stories that uplift diverse, fuller narratives of who we are as North Carolinians. Grant funds should be used for community engagement, documentation, art creation and installation.
Interfaith Prison Women for Ministry (becoming Arise Collective) has proposed the creation of prison awareness public art – a mural or other proposed art form – that interprets the Stitching Stories quilt project referenced above, in a permanent, easily replicable (in at least three locations), and publicly visible way. The selected artist is expected to work in conjunction with the Committee and the community throughout the process, as community engagement is central to the process. Expected completion date for the public art project is up to 30 months after the grant is awarded.
The public art will be accompanied by an interactive, educational website telling the stories of women’s incarceration in North Carolina and offering an opportunity to schedule the traveling quilt as it exists in its current form. The selected artist(s) would advise a specialist in web development selected by the Committee to ensure synergy between the public art, the website, and the original Stitching Stories Quilt.
In January 2022, The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced a $2 million partnership to expand and continue their Inclusive Public Art initiative across North Carolina. The partnership will support commemorative and artist commissions specifically focused on underrepresented narratives and communities.
Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women (becoming Arise Collective) is a ZSR grant recipient semifinalist and must submit a complete Inclusive Public Art proposal application no later than January 31, 2023. Grant amounts will be flexible, with an anticipated range from $50,000 to $200,000+. Organizations and artists are encouraged to think boldly about the artistic possibilities for commemorating and memorializing stories that uplift diverse, fuller narratives of who we are as North Carolinians. Grant funds should be used for community engagement, documentation, art creation and installation.
Interfaith Prison Women for Ministry (becoming Arise Collective) has proposed the creation of prison awareness public art – a mural or other proposed art form – that interprets the Stitching Stories quilt project referenced above, in a permanent, easily replicable (in at least three locations), and publicly visible way. The selected artist is expected to work in conjunction with the Committee and the community throughout the process, as community engagement is central to the process. Expected completion date for the public art project is up to 30 months after the grant is awarded.
The public art will be accompanied by an interactive, educational website telling the stories of women’s incarceration in North Carolina and offering an opportunity to schedule the traveling quilt as it exists in its current form. The selected artist(s) would advise a specialist in web development selected by the Committee to ensure synergy between the public art, the website, and the original Stitching Stories Quilt.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to all North Carolina residents 18 years of age or older: artists, designers, and/or teams working in design and mixed media visual art. The committee is highly interested in those experienced in mural or mosaic creation. While the call is open to all, women and people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and/or have been impacted by the criminal justice system are strongly encouraged to apply.
This call is open to all North Carolina residents 18 years of age or older: artists, designers, and/or teams working in design and mixed media visual art. The committee is highly interested in those experienced in mural or mosaic creation. While the call is open to all, women and people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and/or have been impacted by the criminal justice system are strongly encouraged to apply.
PROJECT BUDGET
As aforementioned, the anticipated range is from $50,000 to $200,000+ depending on the scope and scale of the proposed public art project.
As aforementioned, the anticipated range is from $50,000 to $200,000+ depending on the scope and scale of the proposed public art project.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATION AND MATERIALS
Initial submission: October 7, 2022, 11:59 p.m. EST.
For semi-finalists only: November 15, 2022, 11:59 p.m. EST.
Initial submission: October 7, 2022, 11:59 p.m. EST.
For semi-finalists only: November 15, 2022, 11:59 p.m. EST.
SELECTION PROCESS
The call will be conducted in two stages:
The call will be conducted in two stages:
- An initial submission of qualifications stage, from which 2-3 semi-finalists may be selected based on the materials submitted. A proposal (with mock-up, e.g.) is not requested for this deadline, Oct. 7, 2022.
- A finalist stage, during which each finalist will be paid a $750 honorarium + a travel per diem to visit potential site(s), meet the Committee and present a preliminary proposal (no later than Nov. 15, 2022) for the artwork.
RFQ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The following components must be submitted with each application for it to be determined complete and eligible for review by the Committee. Digital, email submissions only.
The following components must be submitted with each application for it to be determined complete and eligible for review by the Committee. Digital, email submissions only.
- A document containing up to 12 images of recent work. One image per page. Under each image, include a description with artist name, title, medium, dimensions, date of completion, project budget, and a short statement describing the work (no more than one page per image with accompanying description). No models or original works of art should be submitted with the RFQ materials in the initial application stage.
- A maximum 750-word, typed artist statement that addresses the artist’s interest, relevant experience, philosophy of public art and thoughts about public monuments, specifically answering the questions: 1) how has women’s incarceration (or incarceration in general) impacted your life; 2) why do you think this project is important; and 3) in what ways, if any, has your previous work involved community engagement?
- A three-page document with current résumé and references and, optionally, up to three reviews (news clippings, social media posts, e.g.) about the artist’s work. Resume can be up to two pages, with the third page of the document being for references and reviews/links.
Email complete application to elisa.rosoff@ipmforwomen.org.
Email subject line: ZSR Grant Public Art Project Artist Application - Last Name, First Name. In the body of the email, briefly introduce yourself (3-5 sentences) and include the aforementioned attachments: 1) a maximum 12-page PDF document of images of recent work which includes a short description of each image; 2) PDF of project-relevant artist statement; and 3) PDF of current résumé with references.
Email questions and/or completed applications to:
Elisa Rosoff, Project Manager: elisa.rosoff@ipmforwomen.org
The Committee reserves the right to select any request for qualifications (RFQ) as the basis for negotiating a separate commission contract; to exercise its discretion and apply its judgment with respect to any aspect of this request; and to weigh its evaluation criteria in any manner it deems appropriate. The Committee also reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all proposals and to waive minor irregularities.
Email subject line: ZSR Grant Public Art Project Artist Application - Last Name, First Name. In the body of the email, briefly introduce yourself (3-5 sentences) and include the aforementioned attachments: 1) a maximum 12-page PDF document of images of recent work which includes a short description of each image; 2) PDF of project-relevant artist statement; and 3) PDF of current résumé with references.
Email questions and/or completed applications to:
Elisa Rosoff, Project Manager: elisa.rosoff@ipmforwomen.org
The Committee reserves the right to select any request for qualifications (RFQ) as the basis for negotiating a separate commission contract; to exercise its discretion and apply its judgment with respect to any aspect of this request; and to weigh its evaluation criteria in any manner it deems appropriate. The Committee also reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all proposals and to waive minor irregularities.