Public Art Call – Indigenous Art Project for the Faculty of Law
Published: September 5, 2017
Call to Artists – Request for Qualifications
Download a PDF of the Request for Qualifications [165 KB]
Deadline: November 20, 2017, 5:00 pm EST
Budget: $35,000 CA
The Faculty of Law at Queen’s University invites Indigenous artists to submit qualifications for consideration to design, fabricate and install a permanent artwork for the Gowling WLG Atrium of the Faculty of Law, Queen’s University. This is a two-stage competition that will be assessed by a committee. Interested Indigenous artists who may not have previous experience creating a public art commission are encouraged to consider mentorship and artistic collaborations with other artists.
The project is part of the Faculty of Law’s response to further the objectives of the Calls to Action outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as well as the final report of Queen’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Task Force. It is part of a greater initiative to increase the visibility of Indigenous art and culture and the recognition of Indigenous territory in spaces across the Queen’s University campus. The aim of this project is to create a welcoming space for Indigenous peoples in the Faculty of Law, and to help promote awareness around historical/contemporary issues relevant to Indigenous peoples and law.
Schedule:
The artwork will be installed for unveiling in the fall of 2018.
Public Art Vision
The atrium in the law school is a 4-story glassed in enclosure that is visible from all floors of the building as well as the street. This is a high traffic space, integral to the law school, as it provides the main entry point for the building. Public art for the atrium is to be created for installation from the ceiling, the main wall, or glass windows. Additional consideration can be given activating or situating the artwork for viewing from outside, especially at night.
The artwork should reflect aesthetics and/or concepts that have current/historical cultural significance to Indigenous peoples. The work should also address the relationship of Indigenous peoples to law, and should assist in creating a welcoming space in the faculty for Indigenous peoples: students, instructors, guests and community members.
Design requirements
- Reflect aesthetics and/or concepts that are have current/historical cultural significance to Indigenous peoples
- Create a welcoming space in the faculty for Indigenous peoples
- Address the relationship of Indigenous peoples to law
- Be conceptually and visually innovative
- Be sensitive to the uses of the building
- Be safe for the public
- Be made of materials that are suitable to the environment, durable, and require minimal maintenance
- Be installed in such a manner to prevent theft and damage
- Comply with all building and electrical codes and bylaws
- A plaque will accompany the artwork; the artist can choose to provide an artist statement for it.
Additional Information
Please see the following PDFs for technical specifications and photos of the atrium.
Technical Specifications [PDF 1.5 MB] - Additional documentation on technical specifications, including notes of limitations of loading, general connection information, and minimizing blockage of the ceiling ventilation, will be posted after September 16.
Atrium photos [PDF 2.3 MB]
Video of the atrium - please see below.
The Faculty of Law is located at 128 Union Street, Kingston, Ontario. Visit Queen's Law.
Commission Budget
The budget for this commission is $35,000 CA, plus HST, and must include all costs required to design, fabricate, store, transport and install the public art, including the cost of engineering.
Selection Procedure
This commission will be awarded following a two-stage process:
Request for Qualifications: Stage I – Qualifications will be evaluated by a Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee will shortlist a maximum of three artists to move forward to Stage II.
Request for Proposals: Stage II – Shortlisted artists (maximum three) will be given an honorarium of $800 plus HST and detailed Terms of Reference for preparing sketches and budgets for Stage II of the competition. A technical review of the proposals will be requested three weeks prior to the final submission date. Proposals will be reviewed by the project team who will provide feedback on the technical and logistical feasibility of the proposed artwork. Comments will be shared with shortlisted artists to allow for their incorporation into final proposals.
Shortlisted artists are required to attend a public open house to present their designs to the Faculty of Law community and the public and to answer questions. Additional forms of community consultation and/or dialogue, will also be developed for this stage. All comments received from the public during this consultation will be submitted to the committee for consideration.
At a date following the public consultation process, artists will meet individually with the Committee for a 30-minute interview to present their proposal and answer questions.
Selection Criteria
All submissions will be evaluated based on the artist’s experience and qualifications (resumé), previous artworks (digital images) and ability to address the public art vision and design requirements (expression of interested) in relation to this Call.
Please note: the Faculty of Law reserves the right to reject any or all submission, or any part thereof, or to terminate or re-advertise the project. The decision of the committee is final.
Submission requirements
Your submission must include all five sections listed below. Submissions must be emailed to lawartproject@queensu.ca. Acceptable file formats for written materials include DOC, DOCX or PDF. Acceptable file formats for video submissions include MP4, AVI and WMV.
1. Expression of Interest
Submit a maximum of two written pages explaining why you are interested in this opportunity. What aspect of the public art commission inspires you? What connects you and/or your work to the public vision for this project? Describe your art practice and how you would approach this opportunity. Tell us about any other public art projects you’ve completed. If you are applying as an artist team, tell us about how you have, or plan to, work together on this project. If you prefer, you can submit a short video (maximum 3 minutes) rather than a written submission.
2. Synopsis
Provide a brief synopsis (80 words maximum) of your Expression of Interest in a short paragraph, referencing the key relevant details of your artistic approach to this opportunity. This synopsis will be used as a quick reference during the deliberation process by committee members.
3. Resumé
Submit a current resumé of your art training, public exhibitions and commissions of your artwork, and any other experience directly relevant to this opportunity, on a maximum of three pages. Include your name, mailing address, a telephone number and email address. If you are applying as a team, submit a separate resumé for each team member, and clearly identify the lead contact for this project.
4. Samples of previous artwork
Submit a maximum of 10 digital image files showing samples of completed artwork, artwork currently in progress or the fabrication or installation process for previous public art. Artist teams are also to submit a maximum of 10 files.
1.Digital images must be:
a.JPG format
b.Maximum of 1240 pixels (along the longest side)
2.Digital image files must be named with a number, followed by your last and first name:
a.01_Last_First.jpg
3.Materials that require specialized software, plug-ins, extensions or other executables that need to be downloaded or installed, or materials that are embedded in any type of presentation, such as websites or Word or PowerPoint documents, will not be accepted.
5. Detail list of previous artworks
Compile a list with detailed information on the submitted digital artworks, using the name assigned to the file as per the example above. Include title, date, medium, dimensions, budget, location, fabrication and installation process and other pertinent information of submitted samples of previous artworks. The list should not exceed two pages.
Deadline and Notification
Your submission must be received by the Faculty of Law by November 20, 2017, at 5 pm EST. Late or incomplete submission will not be reviewed.
Email submissions to lawartproject@queensu.ca.
All participants will be notified of the result of the initial stage of the selection process by email.
Copyright and moral rights
Copyright, including any and all designs, drawings and final works of art, shall remain the property of the artist. Moral rights remain with the artist. The Faculty of Law will own the physical work of art itself and be granted the right to reproduce and display the work for non-profit purposes.
Confidentiality of Information
The Faculty of Law and the committee are required to treat both the contents of the submissions and the deliberations of the committee as confidential.
Further Information
For questions or further information, please contact:
Chantal Rousseau
Manager, International Programs Faculty of Law
Queen’s University
Tel: 613-533-6000 x74168
Email: lawartproject@queensu.ca
