Miami-Dade Art in Public Places: City of Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation

The Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC) and Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs through its Art in Public Places Program seek qualifications from professional artists to visualize and implement a comprehensive public art project for the Magnolia North neighborhood of Opa-locka. This is an open call to all professional artists, with Miami-Dade County based artists encouraged to apply.

The project, City of Opa-locka Vision 20/20 Community Design Project, involves commissioning a professional artist or artist team to work collaboratively with the architect, landscape architect and project team to conceptualize and implement a public art component in conjunction with the redevelopment of the Magnolia North Neighborhood. The proposed project should engage residents and provide the community with the means to positively impact their environment and develop a sense of pride and ownership over their streets, parks and public institutions. The public artwork may engage people in the community into the process of creating the art and/or use their knowledge and experience as part of the work. The commissioned artist will collaborate with the OLCDC to identify site(s) where the public art is integrated, considering areas that experience high levels of pedestrian and street traffic, are easily accessible to the public, and can anchor and activate their site, enhance the streetscape, create a place of congregation, develop a sense of place and/or establish a landmark. The OLCDC is also interested in incorporating artist designed elements throughout the housing units, including interiors, courtyards, parking lots and/or breezeways in the Magnolia North Apartments.

Estimated budget is $610,000, which must be inclusive of design, engineering, fabrication, installation, and any other cost associated with the implementation of the art project. Artists will be selected based on previous work samples. Selected artists will be required to participate in a site visit and will be provided additional materials prior to developing site specific project proposals. The estimated project completion is January 2013. This is a time sensitive project with a tight schedule; applicants must have the ability to adhere to the project timeline. Professional artists with demonstrated experience in creating signature works of art are strongly encouraged to apply. Miami-Dade employees, as well as selection panelists and panelists' immediate family members, are excluded from participation.