Lake Cumberland Slave Memorial Public Art Project RFQ

LexArts Inc. in association with the Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial seeks artists to create public art that recognizes slave graves both marked and unmarked in the Lake Cumberland area. The Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial board was created to recognize and honor slaves and their burial sites in the Lake Cumberland area, to demonstrate that every person be regarded with dignity and respect. This artwork will create a visual landmark within the community. The goal is to commission proposals by three experienced public artists for the site with the expectation of realizing one of the proposals in the following year. There is no application fee to enter.

The project budget is $50,000, negotiable but must include travel, research, design, execution, insurance, taxes, site preparation and materials. The selected site remains uncertain, with various locations proposed. The City of Somerset has offered multiple locations, with the most logical site on the grounds of The Mill Springs Battlefield Museum and Visitors Center, which has identified three locations on its grounds. The selected artist will have the opportunity to suggest locations that best display their work.

Submissions must include a one-page artist statement describing public art experience and interest in the project, a current resume (no more than three pages), and up to 6 digital images of past artwork in .jpg format no larger than 500 kb each. The submitted qualifications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of artists, arts professionals and community leaders. Images from top artists will be exhibited in a gallery setting allowing the public to vote on their favorite works. The committee will identify three finalists, who will be paid $500 to develop a design and deliver a proposal. One artist or artist team will be selected to realize their proposal. Artist notification is June 8, 2016, with finalist proposals due July 15, 2016.