Liberty Missouri City Hall Commissioned Outdoor Sculpture RFQ

The City of Liberty, Missouri, Arts Commission has a public art opportunity for an iconic permanent sculpture to be installed outside the main entrance to City Hall. Total Budget: $100,000.

The City of Liberty, MO a northeastern suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, the City Hall Entrance (“the project”) is located in the heart of downtown Liberty at 101 E. Kansas Street. The project is an exterior focal point for City Hall. This project will complement the historic Downtown Liberty district as a long-lasting and widely recognizable asset to the community.

Located in the City of Liberty, a northeastern suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, the City Hall Entrance (“the project”) is located in the heart of downtown Liberty at 101 E. Kansas Street. The project is an exterior sculpture that will be iconic and the focal point for Liberty's City Hall. This project will complement the historic Downtown Liberty district as a long-lasting and widely recognizable asset to the community.

Artist Selection Process 

A Public Art Panel comprised of members of the Liberty community, Arts Commission, and stakeholders will advise the City on artist selection and approval of the Concept Proposal.

·Total Budget of $100,000. 50% paid upon signing of contract and 50% upon installation.

Applications are due March 20, 2025

·       The Panel will select three (3) to five (5) finalists to develop and present a Concept Proposal.

·       Finalists will receive a stipend to participate in the Concept Proposal process. The stipend amount of $1,500 will be paid to the finalists to develop a Concept Proposal. The concept Proposal process may include attending a virtual briefing with the City staff before developing a proposal and a virtual technical review meeting to review the Concept Proposal before submission. Proposals will include renderings, a short narrative description, and a preliminary budget and timeline.

·       Finalists will present their Concept Proposals virtually to the Public Art Panel. The Panel will recommend a final artist/concept for the project to the Arts Commission and possibly the City Council.

·       Should the City determine that it would like to conduct any of the above meetings in person, artists living more than 100 miles from Liberty will be paid a stipend for travel and lodging expenses in addition to the stipend awarded to prepare the Concept Proposal.

All budgets listed are considered not-to-exceed totals and must cover all applicable design modifications, fabrication, engineering, installation, infrastructure, site preparations, lighting, site visits, transportation of artwork, insurance, permit fees, and other related expenses including expenses related to any artist community engagement efforts if applicable. More specific information about the site will be made available to the finalists.

Pre-Application Workshop-Virtually March 13th at 3:30 pm Central Time. Pre Registration required by March 10 at 8 am.

Prospective applicants will be able to attend a virtual Pre-Application Workshop.  Requests for a pre-application workshop must be made no later than 8am March 10, 2025. The workshop is an opportunity for City staff and the Panel to talk about the opportunity and walk through the application process. The workshop is optional. Advanced registration for the virtual workshop is required. A registration link will be provided.

Round 1: Qualifications Review Process

City Staff and the Public Art Panel will review artist qualifications and select three to five finalists to develop Concept Proposals. Artist qualifications will be reviewed by the Panel based on the following criteria:

·       Artistic Excellence: Works of art in the portfolio are original, innovative, of exceptional quality, and enduring value. Artistic excellence as demonstrated by past work and submitted materials

·       Relevant prior experience: The artist has created projects of a similar scale and budget and has experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders; or is jointly submitting the qualifications of a collaborator that has created such projects and has such experience.

·       Clear understanding of the project: Works of art in the portfolio indicate that the artist is likely to be sensitive to the social, economic, cultural, historical, and physical context of the site and the surrounding neighborhood, either existing or planned.

·       Durability: Works of art in the portfolio utilize materials and processes likely to contribute to the longevity of public works of art, especially for projects that will be located outdoors. Or artist is willing to adopt such practices by collaborating with a partner with relevant specialized expertise.

Ability to meet the project timeline and project budget. The applicant understands the scope of the project and is capable of completing the project within the timeline and budget included in this RFQ

·       References. The panel will contact the references of the top artists in consideration before announcing the finalists.

Round 2: Final Review Process and Concept Proposal Submission

Three to five finalists will be selected to develop a Concept Proposal (including renderings, narrative description, budget, and timeline) and present the proposal to the Panel. The selected artist will then be placed under contract for the final design, fabrication, and installation of their approved concept.

Selected Artist Scope of Work

The selected artist or artist team will be responsible for designing, fabricating, and installing the artwork, including:

·       Based on the approved Concept Proposal, developing final design documents detailing every physical feature of the construction, the artwork, and its integration into the site (the final design).

·       Executing the final design on schedule and in a manner that conforms to the approved Concept Proposal.

·       Managing all aspects of the installation of the artwork.

·       Providing maintenance and conservation instructions for the completed artwork.

·       Work cooperatively and maintain effective communication with all parties involved in the project.

·       Participate in community outreach and attend a dedication event, date and time to be scheduled with the artist.

PUBLIC ART PROJECT TIMELINE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

 To Submit

Applications for the public art project will only be accepted electronically through Café Call for Entry (www.callforentry.org).

Step One: Request for Qualifications

Please apply to all calls through Café Call for Entry (CaFE) using the following application links.

You will be required to create an artist account on CaFe (www.callforentry.com). Please follow Call for Entry’s instructions for how to create your account and upload your portfolio.

In addition to your contact information, you will be asked to provide the following:

·       Letter of Intent. A one-page letter describing interest in the project, approach to design and research as well as a statement addressing eligibility criteria.

·       Professional References. One-page listing three professional references of recently completed projects. Please include contact information including name, commissioning entity, phone, email, and address.

·       Resume or Biographical Information. Up to three pages of biographical information and resume or CV. If you have multiple team members, please provide brief biographical information on each member but do not exceed three pages.

·       Work Samples. Upload 5-10 images of your recent projects. Images should convey scale and quality/workmanship.  Please provide a brief description for each. Follow CaFE image requirements: JPEG format only, 1,200 pixels on the longest side, less than 5MB in size. 

Do not submit a project proposal or design at this time. 

 Step Two: Conceptual Proposal Presentation

Three to five finalists will be selected and scheduled to present their design concept proposal virtually. Each finalist will receive a stipend of $1,500 to present their Concept. The presentation of the Concept Proposal should include visuals or sketches of the proposed sculpture design. The Selection Panel expects a completed design concept, not a final design at the time of presentation. It is understood that any community engagement efforts might shape the outcome of the final artwork. The presentation should include a description of how the design meets the needs of the project as well as a detailed budget outlining how the proposed artwork will fit within the budget parameters. A basic, digital design image and description will be requested and distributed to the selection panel one week before scheduled presentations. Finalists will receive information regarding the selection panel and schedule of events before the presentation.

Eligibility

This public art opportunity is open to artists and artist teams residing in the United States. We are seeking experienced public artists and artist teams with backgrounds in a variety of mediums specific to a similar public art site. All applicants submitting a design for consideration should have experience with outdoor installations that consider the climate and ecosystem specific to Missouri (high winds, hail, snow, ice, extreme hot and cold temperatures, humidity, etc.). Applicants should have experience in executing ideas from concept to completion and meeting a specified budget and timeline. Previous experience working in the public realm and with a public agency is preferred. Experience involving community members in the visioning and creation of artwork is also preferred. Finalists must be able to attend a virtual interview and presentation of the concept design proposal.