RFQ - Public Art Project at East Library Branch, Norman, OK

Norman, located 20 miles south of downtown Oklahoma City, is the third-largest city in Oklahoma. The City of Norman initiated NORMAN FORWARD, a proposal to renovate, expand, construct and fund Quality of Life projects throughout Norman, which was overwhelmingly supported by Norman voters in 2015.

The Norman Public Library East, part of the Pioneer Library System, will be located adjacent to Fire Station No. 9. The library will feature 12,500 square feet of flexible space with a collection of 20,000+ items, including a 1,100 square-foot children's area and a 3,700 square-foot area for teens and adults with 38 reader seats and 18 computer stations. A community program room will seat 100 people.

The Project Team has determined that the artwork will be most effective outdoors in the area around the building. The artwork should complement the beauty of the site and architecture while welcoming all visitors. It should express a spirit inherent in libraries—a sense of wonderment, curiosity, learning and inclusiveness. Visitors, staff and customers should be able to interact with the artwork either physically (sitting on it, in its shade, or touching it) or passively (listening to it or observing it). The Project Team is open to any media or material appropriate to the site as long as it is durable, safe, low maintenance and vandalism resistant.

The total artist's fee is $30,000.00, which must cover all associated costs including design, materials, fabrication, travel, insurance coverage, shipping and installation. The opportunity is open to professional artists with experience working on public art projects and creating site-specific works.

Three finalists will be selected to visit Norman for a mandatory site visit and will receive a $250.00 allowance for transportation, hotel and per diem expenses. Finalists will create a site-specific design proposal including a scale model, maquette, or computer-generated design; an itemized budget; a project timeline; a project narrative; and a maintenance plan. Each finalist will receive a $500.00 honorarium for their proposal. Finalists will present their proposals in person and receive an additional $250.00 allowance for presentation travel expenses.

Timeline: RFQ Deadline is Friday, December 16, 2016 at 11:59 pm Mountain Time Zone. Artists will be notified by Thursday, January 12, 2017. Finalists' site visit is by Friday, February 3, 2017. Finalists' presentation of proposals is by Friday, March 10, 2017. Selection of artist is by Thursday, March 23, 2017. The Norman Public Library East opens in December 2017.

Selection will be made by a panel including stakeholders, design professionals, a City representative, a member of the Norman Public Art board and members of the arts community. The panel will evaluate the merit of the artist's work, past experience completing projects on time and within budget, appropriateness and maintenance requirements of the proposed concept, sensitivity to the site and surroundings, and ability to commit and effectively work within the project timeline and collaborate with Library administration. Work sample requirements: 10-15 images.