Westfield seeks submissions for artistic benches

Westfield is seeking artists to design and paint original artwork on up to four benches throughout the city in high-traffic locations (Project). The city is seeking eye-popping artwork designed with the city’s park and trail system in mind, with the intention of paying homage to the city’s heritage.

Applicant artists are welcome to use Westfield’s history, signature events and physical environment as inspiration, if they choose.

Deadline for submission

Friday, Aug. 30 at 11:59 p.m.

Eligibility

To be eligible to submit qualifications for this Project opportunity, applicant artists must:

• Be able to meet all Project requirements (see below)
• Be age 18 or over
• Be willing to meet all contractual obligations and adhere to a strict budget and timeline
• Carry and submit proof of appropriate liability insurance for the duration of the Project (the City of Westfield can provide a referral to an insurance provider, if needed).

This project will require:

• Providing a concept design with qualification submission
• Coordinating with city officials to develop an approved design
• Coordinating with city officials for installation dates
• Painting and sealing the art on a concrete bench

Project budget

This Project will carry a commission fee of $1,000 per bench, to be paid to each artist selected to complete the Project pursuant to this Request for Proposals (if a team of artists is selected to paint one bench, the $1,000 commission will be split among the team members). This fee encompasses and includes all the selected artist’s compensation and anticipated expenses, including (but not limited to) design fees, paint, brushes, sealant, other materials, production and labor. Additional compensation in relation to this Project will not be provided.

Each concrete bench will be provided by the city. Payment will be made in two installments: half will be paid to each selected artist at the beginning of the Project, with the remaining half to be paid upon completion of the Project. Please note that due to the city’s statutory claims process, these payments may take up to 30 days to arrive.

Resources

Upon request, city officials can provide any applicant artist with electronic copies of printed elevation drawings of the benches.

Selection process

Artists must submit their qualifications (see below, “How to Apply”) to Kayla Arnold (karnold@westfield.in.gov) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30.

City representatives will review submitted qualifications and select finalist artists to design and paint up to four benches. One artist may be selected to paint multiple benches, and teams of artists are welcome to submit qualifications as a team. Each selected artist will be provided a contract for services that must be executed and returned before work on the Project may begin. Each contract will contain provisions required by Indiana law, including but not limited to Ind. Code § 22-5-1.7-11 and Ind. Code § 22-9-1-10.

Note: While this is the intended selection process, in the event of an insufficient number of qualified applicants, the city reserves the right to invite an artist to propose to perform the Project, or to directly select an artist, and also reserves the right to cancel this RFP and the associated opportunity entirely at any point and for any reason.

Selection criteria

Finalists will be selected based upon the following criteria:

• Technical ability: artist’s submission indicates professionalism, skill with materials and techniques, and indicates the capacity to meet the requirements of this Project
• Artistic quality: artist’s past work is appropriate to its context, innovative, creative and stylistically distinctive.

Project Timeline

This timeline represents the Project as of the date of issuance of this RFP. Changes may be necessary as the Project progresses.

• Deadline for qualification submissions: Aug. 30
• Selection Committee Review: Sept. 2 to 5
• Selection of finalist artists and provision of contracts for signatures: no later than Sept. 6
• Design: Sept. 6 to Oct. 3
• Installation: early to mid-October 2024

How to apply

Artists must submit the following information to Kayla Arnold, Director of Communications, at karnold@westfield.in.gov. Submission materials will not be returned to applicants.

• Resume: Please include a copy of your artistic resume.
• Cover Letter: Please include a statement about your interest in this Project, as well as any personal or professional connection you have to Westfield and how that connection influences your interest in this Project. Please also include a statement about how your previous work experience qualifies you for this opportunity.
• Concept Design: Please include a digital concept design of your proposed artwork for the concrete bench.
• Examples of previous artwork: Submit two to 10 digital images in JPG or PDF format of past work. Please limit the file size of each image to 2 MB. If possible, include images of at least one previous project that is appropriate to the conditions of this Project.
• Image information sheet: Submit a sheet with the following information about each submitted project: title, date completed, client/neighborhood/site name, total artwork budget, and a brief (one to two sentences) description of the project or piece at is relates to this Project. Include a directory of which image titles you have submitted are associated with each project (example: for an artist named Smith: PROJECT X: Images Smith 1, Smith 2, Smith 3; PROJECT Y: Smith 4, Smith 5, Smith 6). Submit this sheet in DOC, DOCX, or PDF format.

Delivery of submissions

Submissions may be emailed to karnold@westfield.in.gov, shared via Dropbox, or hand-delivered to Kayla Arnold at the City of Westfield located at the below address.

The delivery address is:

ATTN: Kayla Arnold
City of Westfield
2728 E. 171st St.
Westfield, IN 46074

Mailed or delivered submissions must be loaded on a single USB drive. CDs, DVDs, or printed items will not be accepted. USB drives must arrive at City of Westfield City Services building (address below) no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30. A Dropbox share request must be time-stamped by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 – all items must be included in the shared folder by that time. Any item that is time-stamped as being uploaded after 11:59 p.m. will be disqualified from consideration.

Questions?

Contact Kayla Arnold, Director of Communications at karnold@westfield.in.gov or (463) 214-1928.