Mattapan Branch of the Boston Public Library Exterior Art Initiative

The new Mattapan Branch of the Boston Public Library is located at 1350 Blue Hill Avenue, at the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Babson Street in Mattapan. The library site is in a densely settled residential area and is closely adjacent to a middle and elementary school. The new branch has been designed with a densely configured technology infrastructure and is meant to make an optimistic civic statement through scale, massing, and eye-catching interior and exterior finishes.

The artwork would be located on the northeasterly side of the new branch within an area approximately 15 feet wide by 40 feet long. The backdrop on one side would be a solid red brick wall punctuated by periodic window openings. The side closest to the entrance is floor-to-ceiling glass on both the front and rear facades, making the artwork partially visible from the sidewalk along Blue Hill Avenue. This highly visible site, adjacent to the main entrance and prominently visible from within the building and from the adjacent parking lot, appears ideal for artwork in which perspective is a key element. Art complementary to the architecture of the building is preferred. Initial funding is provided by the Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund Trust Fund of the City of Boston.

Qualified artists must have excellent people skills and be able to effectively communicate abstract concepts to a diverse community. The selected artist/designer/team will be paid to create a full proposal. Eligibility is open to artists/designers/teams residing in the Northeastern United States. Artists/designers/teams currently working on a public commission in the City of Boston or who have had a public art commission over $100,000 installed in Boston within the last two years are ineligible to apply. Conceptual objectives include adding memorable art to make the facility an exciting destination, creating a seamless transition between art and architecture, providing an educational and aesthetic focal point, and integrating durable and low-maintenance artistic features.

Applications must be submitted online through CaFE by November 14, 2007 at 5 p.m. and include: 20 digital images of relevant work (not presented as a gridded montage), a resume for each artist (MS Word or PDF format), and an artist's statement not exceeding 4,000 characters. Finalists will be notified on November 28, with finalist presentations completed by December 12 and final selection notification on December 14.