Mt. Moriah Commemorative Public Art Project

Open call, Request for Qualifications (RFQ), for professional Florida-based artists to submit an application for consideration in an upcoming public art commission. Artists will submit their portfolios for review; whereby selected finalists will design a proposal for a free-standing public artwork honoring the historic Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church. A second review committee will award the project to one finalist. 

The City of Ocala invites Florida artists to apply for Mount Moriah Commemorative Public Art Project that will be located outside the new Ocala parking garage (55 SW 3rd Ave, Ocala, FL 34471).

The public art project will memorialize the historic Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church and site. Interpretations should be grounded in respect for the congregation and an understanding of the site context, history, and impact on the community. Living figures may not be represented in the final design concept.

This call for artists is issued as a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) whereby artists will be evaluated based on past work demonstrating artistic excellence, technical skill, and previous comparable project experience. Initial applications will be reviewed by the City of Ocala to select three finalists. These three artists will be asked to design one concept for presentation and consideration by a panel of local community members with personal connections to the location and history.

The total artist budget for this project is $40,000, inclusive of all artist-related costs. Finalists will receive a $500 stipend to develop a design concept proposal.

Project Background:

Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1866/1867 by Reverend Samuel Small and 90 liberated formerly enslaved black community members after the Emancipation Proclamation. Rev. Small and his followers broke away from the white First Baptist Church in order to create the first black Baptist church in Ocala. The initial church was a 30 ft. by 50 ft. log building originally located at present day 212 S. Pine Ave. 

Mount Moriah is known as “The Mother Church” among the black religious community in Ocala. It was the impetus for organizing other black churches, such as Shady Grove Baptist Church (1874), Calvary Baptist Church (1874), Covenant Baptist Church (1899), and Hopewell Baptist Church (1906).

Mount Moriah relocated in 1911 to 55 S.W. 3rd Avenue. There, the congregation constructed a new church as well as a parsonage for their current pastor and his family. Over the years these buildings underwent multiple additions and renovations until 1964 when Reverend Frank G. Pinkston, Sr. proposed a full demolition and rebuild of a new church entirely. The new construction was completed by 1966.  At the same time, Reverend Pinkston and Mount Moriah lead the charge for equality locally and throughout the county during the Civil Rights Movement earning Reverend Pinkston the title of the “Black Liberator of Marion County.”

In December 1968, Reverend Doctor Lorenzo S. Edwards, Sr. became the new pastor and lead the church/congregation for fifty years until 2018. Similar to his predecessor, Reverend Edwards was a civil rights activist and assisted the physical growth of the church through additional property acquisitions and construction expansion projects which included a new stained-glass window designed by his wife with the words: “In memoriam, for all deceased members of this church,” along with the scripture Matthew 25:21— “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”

Reverend Edwards received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Inter-Denominational Theological Seminary. Aside from being a pastor, Reverend Edwards worked for the College of Central Florida and served on the Ocala City Council from 1986 to 1996.

Over the years Mount Moriah, with hundreds of generational and new members, cemented a significant place in Ocala/Marion County, becoming a pillar in Ocala's religious and local community. The church was not only a place of worship, but also the epicenter of the African American community and culture. Located in the heart of downtown surrounded by black owned businesses, the church promoted education, youth development, health and food outreach, entrepreneurial and professional development, social service, and civic engagement.

In 2022, the church sold the property to the City of Ocala in order to build a new larger church for the growing congregation on a separate four-acre site in West Ocala. A parking garage is currently under construction at the 55 SW 3rd Ave. site and set for completion in July 2026.

The intention of the Mount Moriah Commemorative Public Art Project is to honor the church’s legacy, historic significance and deep roots in the local, African American history of Ocala/Marion County.

Scope of Work:

Artwork must be a free-standing exterior sculpture. Maximum artwork dimensions are 6’ x 6’ x 8’ tall. The artwork must be vandal and weather resistant with minimal maintenance requirements. Artwork must adhere to the City’s downtown form base code pertaining to public art, ORD. 2019-39 Sec. 122-968.

It will be located on the corner of SW Broadway St and SW 3rd Ave outside the new parking garage.

Selected artist/collective will be responsible for concept development, implementation and fabrication of approved concept, coordination of installation of artwork, and creation of a maintenance manual for the work.

Artwork Vision and Goals:

• Public art/memorial concept should be a testament to the church’s presence celebrating the church’s rich history, influence, and importance and its continuation to serve the Ocala community.
• Artwork references Mt. Moriah as the center/hub of the Black community, that was known for structure, discipline, excellence, community outreach, leadership, and unification, and a respected pillar of Ocala/Marion County.
• Artists can be inspired by elements of the physical church itself such as, the buildings, steeple, bell, stained glass, etc. No physical elements of the church will be provided, please refer to images.
• Artwork should not incorporate any living figures. Artwork should be interpretative of the overall church, congregation, history, and impact as a whole.
• Artwork concepts must align with Ocala’s form base code pertaining to public art, ORD. 2019-39 Sec. 122-968 without any language, writing, or religious specific iconography.
• Artwork should be prominent to stand out from the garage and draw public attention away from the surrounding buildings and invite closer interaction.
• Artwork can incorporate practical or structural elements such as a bench, sitting area, planters, etc.

For supplemental information, church images, site plans please visit the link below:

Mt Moriah Commemorative Public Art Project

Location:

• 55 SW 3rd Ave, Ocala, FL 34471 – historic site of Mt. Moriah church and current location of new construction parking garage
• Commissioned public artwork will be installed on the corner of SW 3rd Ave. and SW Broadway St. along an extended sidewalk.

Budget:

• Artists selected as finalists will receive a $500 stipend for their design concept proposal.
• The City will provide a total of $40,000 to the awarded artist who’ll be responsible for artwork concept design, fabrication, materials, installation, travel, and liability insurance.
• The City will provide 50% deposit payment with signed contract, and a 50% final payment at the completion of the project.

There is no application fee.

Timeline:

• RFQ Launch: March 13
• Submission Deadline: April 19
• Finalist Selection: April 27
• Design Development & Approval: May 20-27
• Installation: No later than December 2026

Deadline:

Applications due: April 19 at 11:59 p.m.

Selection Process:

Design concepts will be reviewed and selected by a jury composed of congregation and community members and City staff. The jury will consider the following criteria:

• Appropriateness of proposal, physically and conceptually
• Artist qualifications and letter of interest
• Uniqueness and originality of concept
• Technique
• Ease of maintenance

• Artist/Art Collective contact information:
• Name(s)
• Address
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Portfolio of work - Eight to ten images of previous large sculptural or monument work, preferably most recent projects.
• Letter of interest (1-2 pages) – Describe artistic background, interest in project, and approach to historical or monument public art.
• Professional CV/Résumé

You are eligible to apply to this RFQ if you are: 

• A Florida-based professional artists or artist teams with experience in historic or monument large, three-dimensional public art.
• An artist with experience working in historic contexts are encouraged to apply.
• An artist with demonstrated ability to complete public art projects of similar scale and complexity.
• An artist legally able to work in the United States.