Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman
Public Art Project RFQ:
City of Norman Development Center Interior Mural
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 11:59 P.M. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2023
The Norman Arts Council, on behalf of the City of Norman, is seeking an artist or team of artists for a monumental, interior mural project on the City Hall campus in Norman, Oklahoma.
In 2023, the City of Norman opened its new Development Center. This new center takes a variety of city departments that were scattered across the city campus and puts them together under the same roof. The Building, Zoning, Utilities and Parks and Recreation departments are now conveniently located not only for the city staff but for developers and the community at large. The motto of this new space: Build like a Champion!
Within this building is a monumental, white-walled corridor which has been designated as the site of a mural. The available space for the mural is 55’ x 9’. It is a publicly accessible site. The Development Center hosts diverse audiences, it has approximately 100 employees, community developers applying for permits, the public who come in for various reasons including to register for parks programs, pay utility bills, and attend board and commissions meetings.
A selection committee has been established to oversee the selection of the mural. That committee has determined that the mural should reflect a visual interpretation of Norman’s development milestones. This can include the development of Norman over time; inclusivity in the community; progress and progression to the future; concepts of community; Norman’s past, present, and future; or the site’s relationship to the public.
Additionally, the mural should beautify the interior and function to guide people through the building and announce that it is a space that the public is meant to visit. Overall, the mural should communicate that this is a building for the people.
BUDGET
The total artist fee for the project is $15,000. This amount must cover all associated costs including materials, installation, and insurance.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
The RFQ is open to all qualified mural artists in the State of Oklahoma. Preference may be given to artists of color, Indigenous artists, and/or Norman artists.
A look at the corridor where the mural is set to go.
TIMELINE
RFQ Deadline: August 11, 2023 @ 11:59 p.m. CST
Finalists Selection: By August 25, 2023
Final Design Presented: By September 15, 2023
Mural completed: By October 13, 2023
Public dedication and celebration: On or around October 26, 2023
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
All applications must be submitted via Submittable
Submissions for this project must contain the following materials:
A letter of interest outlining your qualifications for and interest in the project as well as your general idea for your approach to the site. Please consider the following questions in developing your letter of interest:
Why do you want to work on this project?
How would you approach this project?
Have you worked on similar projects? If not, what relevant experience do you have?
Resume/CV
Artist Bio
Three references with whom you have worked on a public art project, including current telephone number and email address.
10-15 high-resolution images of previous work you feel would support your ability to carry out this project.
Checklist of images including title, medium, size, date of completion, and location of work
SELECTION PROCESS
Selection for this project will be made by a Selection Committee comprised of City representatives and Norman Arts Council Public Art Committee representatives.
Two to three finalists will be selected based on the materials submitted in response to this RFQ.
Finalists will receive a $500 design stipend to create their final proposed design.
Finalists will present their final proposed design to the Selection Committee on or around September 15, 2023 (mutually agreeable date TBD).
The selected artist or team of artists will be announced on or around September 15, 2023.
The Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman reserve the right to modify this solicitation at any time. The Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman also reserve the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection waiver, or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. In additional, they may solicit proposals from artists not responding to this call and reserve the right to select an artist outside of the pool of artists responding to this call.
For questions email Erinn Gavaghan, Norman Arts Council Executive Director at erinn@normanarts.org.
