South Street Art Initiative: Art Square Public Art Commission, Jamaica Plain, MA

Art Square is located at the intersection of South Street and Carolina Avenue in Jamaica Plain, MA. This public square is approximately 5,400 square feet adjacent to an active recreational area with two tennis/basketball courts and is surrounded by a mix of residential and retail buildings. The Boston Parks Department is facilitating a public review process in advance of providing significant landscaping and infrastructure improvements for the park. The JP Centre/South Main Streets (JPCS) organization is seeking one artist to provide a public art component(s) to enhance these park improvements, reflect the creativity and vitality of the neighborhood, and participate in the public review process. Potential installations may include a custom kiosk, community mural, sculptures, unique paving treatments, fencing and/or other creative elements.

JPCS has identified the following priorities: (1) Fencing between recreational area and walkway to create a visually dynamic streetscape element and/or new entry to the recreational area; (2) Art Kiosk landmark that might include public information, sculptural elements, lighting, and/or green elements; (3) Sidewalk Art with engaging artistic elements underfoot incorporating stone, bronze, and/or other materials. Qualified artists are encouraged to consider elements that could make a visual connection between Art Square and a second site, the Agassiz Arboleda, located 240 feet away, which includes 11,000 square feet, 50 feet along South Street, a small fruit orchard and garden, pedestrian access to the Agassiz Elementary School, and an outdoor classroom.

Qualified artists may be required to work with integrated structural art elements, design work that is site-specific, and be able to communicate effectively with the community contracting the work and within a design team process. The selected artist/designer/team will be paid to create a full proposal. Initial funding is provided by the Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund Trust Fund of the City of Boston. Open to artists/designers/teams residing in the U.S. The Boston Art Commission has requested that artists/designers/teams who are currently working on a public commission in the City of Boston or had a public art commission over $100,000 installed in Boston within the last two years are ineligible to apply. Submission deadline: March 21, 2007 by 5 p.m. Submit ten (10) digital images of relevant work, artist's resume (limit 2 pages), and artist's statement (not to exceed 4,000 characters) via CaFE at www.callforentry.org. Contact: Jean Mineo, 508-242-9991, [email protected].