City of Memphis | UrbanArt Commission
MALLORY HEIGHTS BUS SHELTER ARTISTIC ENHANCEMENTS |
CALL TO ARTISTS
Release Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Budget: $65,000 (includes three finalist honoraria of $500 each)
Deadline: Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 11:59pm
Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Artists are invited to submit collaborative work if desired, but may only submit one proposal per project opportunity. While there is no limit to the number of calls an artist may apply to at once, UAC strongly encourages artists to consider both the time and scale of each call.
Information Session: Wednesday July 6 @ 5:30pm, RSVP now.
BACKGROUND
About Mallory Heights:
Mallory Heights is a primarily African American community located in the 38109 zip code. The boundaries for the area of the Mallory Heights are Belz Boulevard to the north, Third Street to the east, Interstate 55 to the South and Martin Luther King (Riverside) Park to the west.
The neighborhood is about 98% black with less than 45% homeowners. The median household income is $31,067 and 48% of the community have no earnings.There is a significant amount of pedestrian activity as just over 40% of the community is 50 years old and over with a large percentage of the total population not owning vehicles. Most pedestrian activity is centered around walking to transit stops or to the nearby stores. In the late 1950s the Southgate Shopping Center was developed adjacent to the neighborhood, and in the 1960s the racial mix of the neighborhood began transitioning from white to black. The community families had access to major shopping stores such as JC Penny, Woolworth, Woolco, Sears and more. The elementary school was named after the community: Mallory Heights Elementary School.
In recent years, the commercial areas along Third St. have seen little development and are mostly limited to discount and automotive retail, fast food restaurants, and light industrial. In 2018, the area saw the major grocery store, Kroger, leave the Southgate Shopping Center to be later filled by Cash Saver. Within the Shopping Center, the Memphis Public Libraries has taken residence in a vacant storefront and serves as an educational resource to residents. Mallory Heights utilizes two separate parks within the neighborhood: Martin Luther King Park (MLK) and Belz Park.
The Mallory Heights residents gathered to watch Michael Jackson perform on the roof of Woolco at Southgate Shopping Center.
About Mallory Heights Community Development Corporation (MHCDC):
The mission of the Mallory Heights Community Development Corporation (MHCDC) is to develop and implement a creative, business community-based strategy, through public and private partnerships, to build robust economic growth, environmental sustainability for a better, safer, and healthier community. MHCDC organization is a relatively new CDC that was founded in January 2018. Prior to that date, the organization operated as Mallory Heights Community Club non-profit since Nov 1991. The members of the community club were long-term residents and homeowners within the neighborhood who lived in the community and now the Board of the CDC incorporates second generation members who grew up in the community along with Memphians who have a passion for increasing community art, walkability, accessibility, community gardens and advocating for better transit services within the city. In 2020, MHCDC board members collaborated with the team preparing the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan. This alignment was critical to recognizing the 38109-zip code as an underserved community and included strategic alignment for Mallory Heights projects in the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan. The Mallory Heights CDC goals are to address community needs by focusing on 6 key pillars: reduce blight, vacancy & improve housing; improve local capacity and engage residents; build stability; improve local opportunities; improve quality of life for the residents.
About UAC:
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) works to create opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. Since 2002, UAC has managed the City of Memphis’s Percent-For-Art Program, which allocates funds annually to develop public art in connection to capital improvement projects. UAC also facilitates public art projects throughout the city working with various partners and clients to support artists and new experiences with art.
SITE SPECIFICS
UAC and The City of Memphis, in partnership with Mallory Heights CDC, are seeking an artist to create artistic enhancements to four Tolar bus shelters at Belz & Florida, Belz & Third, Mallory & Florida and Mallory & Third. The sites chosen are those that have been identified by the residents as the four anchor corners to the neighborhood. The Mallory Heights neighborhood has expressed a strong desire to refresh and enhance these shelters in their community. Artists’ designs may not alter or weaken the shelter’s structural integrity.
MATA Bus measurements and specs.
Image of Current Tolar Shelter at Belz & Third
*Please note: The shelters at the other three locations in Mallory Heights will be updated to reflect this same style of Tolar Shelter.
Note: The actual structure of the Tolar Bus Shelter is to not be modified. It may be enhanced with artistic elements and features.
Enhancements may not impede on ADA accessibility. “In order to make sure shelters are accessible, the concrete pad supporting the shelter should be flush with the surrounding sidewalk. In addition, seating within the shelter should not extend the full length, but a clear zone for wheelchairs of at least 30” x 48” must be maintained.”
UAC will assist with access to a structural engineer to assist the artist.
SCOPE OF WORK
UAC and The City of Memphis, in partnership with Mallory Heights Community Development Corporation, are seeking an artist to create artistic enhancements to bus shelters at Belz & Florida, Belz & Third, Mallory & Florida and Mallory & Third.
The selection committee has expressed interest in enhancements that:
(please note: the need for maintenance should also be low, with no use of custom-made components)
Maintain visibility of approaching buses while providing protection from the elements
Include lighting and comfortable seating
Focus on practical features such as hooks for grocery bags and information about the bus system and schedule
Feature imagery referencing Mallory Heights history and culture (i.e. parks, muscle cars, barbershops, Southgate, walkability, etc.)
Represent the faces and families of Mallory Heights
Enhance the experience of waiting for the bus more enjoyable/practical
(Memphis’ weather is harsh, sideways rain, blistering heat etc.)
The commissioned artist/s will be selected based on the strength of their qualifications submitted, ability to adhere to deadlines and work within the stated budget. Applicants are expected to have or collaborate/subcontract with appropriate vendors to meet the necessary technical capabilities to design and install such projects, including providing maintenance instructions. The artist(s) will work with the UAC Program Managers to coordinate community engagement efforts. This engagement should help inform the final design. The finished project must require little to no regular maintenance. Final artwork should complement the characteristics and neighborhood identity of the site. The artist/s selected shall be expected to collaborate closely with site engineers, landscape architects, and any necessary party for the successful installation of the project, including residents. NOTE: Commissioned artists are permitted to work with outside contractors to fabricate the actual work of art.
PROJECT EXPECTATIONS
A selection committee organized by UAC will review submitted portfolios, and will invite three finalists to submit site-specific design proposals. All finalists will receive a stipend of $500 for their designs. The selected artist will be expected to work closely with the Selection Committee and UAC to execute the proposed artistic enhancements.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Vera Holmes: Mallory Heights CDC: UAC’s Neighborhood Partner
Andres Arauz: Crosstown HS Graphic Design Teacher: UAC’s Artist Representative
Jera Moran: Washington Manor Apartments Property Manager: Neighborhood Stakeholder
John Lancaster: MATA Chief Development Officer: MATA Representative
Nick Oyler: City of Memphis’ Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager: City Representative
Alex Weaver: Haizlip Studio: Architect/Engineer Representative
Anthony Watkins: CashSaver Store Manager: Neighborhood Stakeholder
Ural Grant: Mallory Heights CDC: Mallory Heights Resident
John Truong: BD&C Project Manager: City Engineering Representative (nonvoting)
Adrianna Moore: Community Engagement Administrator: Parks’ Representative (nonvoting)
*Neighborhood Vote: Collected public votes will serve as one additional selection committee member vote for the final selected artist
PROJECT BUDGET
Total project budget is $65,000, including artist honoraria - up to three finalists will receive a $500 honorarium for a site-specific proposal. Design budget $15,875; Fabrication/installation budget $47,625 all-inclusive.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Tuesday, June 21, 2022: RFQ released
Wednesday, July 6th, 2022: UAC Virtual Information Session
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 11:59pm: RFQ deadline
Tuesday, August 16, 2022: Notify finalists of RFP invitation
Tuesday, September 27, 2022: RFP deadline
Fall 2023: Completion celebration
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Please submit the following materials online:
Completed application form
A typed letter explaining your interest in the project and your general approach/concept to its design and production. Please do not submit design proposals at this point.
Up to 20 images of past work including title of work, date, medium, budget and project partners, if any.
Resume or CV, not to exceed 2 pages.
List of three professional references, including current phone and email.
To apply to an open Request for Qualifications (RFQ) or Request for Proposals (RFP), go touacmem.org/calls-to-artists. Follow the Mallory Heights Bus Shelter Enhancements link to view more details.
Clicking on the Submit button will redirect you to our Submittable page, which contains all of our current open opportunities. Click the Submit button next to the opportunity that you wish to apply for, or if you are already within an opportunity, scroll down to the Create your account / Have an account? Sign in form.
If you already have a Submittable account, click the Have an account? Sign in tab to sign in to your account.
If you don’t have an account, you must create one to apply. Create your free account by filling out the Create your account form. Fill in all information and click the Create Account and Continue button to continue with the submission process.
From there, you will be able to complete and submit your application. You can now use this account login when submitting to all future UAC opportunities. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email that confirms receipt of your full application.
For more information about this project, please contact:
Travis Washington | Program Manager
901.221.4077 | travis@uacmem.org
This RFQ can be found on www.uacmem.org/calls-to-artists
INFORMATION SESSIONS
UAC will host a virtual information session for interested artists on Wednesday July 6th, 2022 at 5:30pm. The virtual session will be recorded and a link made available to applicants who are unable to attend during that time. Interested artists who have not completed a public art project previously or not completed a project of this scale are strongly encouraged to reach out to the UAC team in advance of submitting their application. Artists may also schedule a meeting with UAC staff to review their application and portfolio. Appointments are available until 1 week prior to the close of the call to artists. See project contact information in the above section.
DISCLAIMERS
UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application. Commissioning of artists by UAC and the pursuit of all UAC activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.
UAC reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists.
UAC reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project.
The UAC team will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of UAC.
