City Brights II 2024
City Brights II
Call for Artists: Temporary Light Installations
Deadline: July 8, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
Submit Proposal
City Brights II is an opportunity offered under the City’s In-Sight Temporary Public Art program that aims to activate Albuquerque's downtown with light-based artworks in the winter and autumn months. Up to ten sites will be lit up with installations, architectural light interventions, light sculptures, performance, projections, and more during Fall 2024 into early 2025.
Albuquerque's Department of Arts & Culture and the Public Art Program invites local artists to submit proposals for small, medium, and large scale site-specific temporary public art installations that will activate downtown spaces with light. Artists may propose sites they are interested in activating, or sites may be coordinated through the Public Art Program. Artists are encouraged to challenge traditional artistic mediums and explore unconventional digital or light affects; all projects must include light as a primary element. Ten projects will be selected.
Public Art Program staff and consultants are available throughout the project to mentor artists in making excellent proposals to the open call and supporting selected artists in the execution, documentation, and promotion of their artworks. Public Art Program staff are not part of the committee and are available to help all artists through the process. All projects will be promoted as part of the In-Sight Temporary Public Art program and documented photographically for inclusion in the City's permanent collection. A proposal development workshop will be offered prior to the application deadlines for submission both in person and on Zoom.
Project Intent/Theme
The objectives of the City Brights project is to connect artists interested in using new technologies for art-centered engagement:
- Develop quality public light-based artworks that exhibit a wide range of artistic styles and disciplines.
- Support diverse local artists, especially emerging artists, in the management of a small-scale public art project.
- Provide opportunities for artists to advance professional and creative skills.
- Enliven downtown sites with short-term installations of contemporary light-based public art.
- Build a program that projects radiance through form, content, and process.
- Encourage dialogue about the power of art to build community.
Project Timeline
- May 2024: Post Call for Artists
- July 8, 2024: Artist Proposals due
- July 17, 2024: Art Selection Committee Selects Artists
- August 1, 2024: Artists Notified
- September 2024 - Winter 2025: Light installations installed at downtown sites
Eligibility and Funding
Eligible artists must reside in Albuquerque and be 18 years of age and older. Awards are divided into small, medium, and large based on the site and scale of the proposed project. Awards are in the amount of up to $2,500, up to $5,000, and up to $10,000, and should be used by the artist to cover all materials, equipment, transportation, labor, and artist design fee.
Criteria
Artistic light experiences must be accomplished through innovative design and materials, craftsmanship, appropriateness to theme and character of the site. The artists must demonstrate their ability to successfully complete their project based on:
- Previous achievements and/or future promise in the arts
- Evidence of financial project planning through a project budget
- Technical competence and craft experience
- Feasibility of the proposed work, including:
- Durability, public safety, and maintenance
- Artistic merit of the proposed work, including:
- Idea to be conveyed, suitability of media to idea, visual impact and relationship to existing physical and social setting, including size and scale
- Artists are allowed to submit up to two proposals
Site Information
Artwork must be proposed for sites in the broader downtown core, generally Lomas, Broadway, 12th and Coal. Proposals for sites not owned by the city must be accompanied by as signed letter of agreement from the landowner/tenant who will host the proposed artwork. Placement and installation of approved projects will be overseen by the Artist with support from assigned Public Art Program staff.
Project Tiers
Up to ten sites/installation projects will be funded within three project tiers as described in the attachment:
- Small Tier: up to $2,500 project budget
- Smaller scale light project that is ready to install within a short time frame.
- Medium Tier: up to $5,000 project budget
- Smaller scale light project that may require additional time and funds to source lighting components and install the project.
- Large Tier: up to $10,000 project budget
- Large scale light project that will require time and funds to source lighting components and install the project.
Each award amount should be used by the artist to cover all materials, equipment, transportation, labor, and artist design fee.
Proposal Workshops
A free workshop will be made available to prospective applicants. The proposal process will be reviewed in-depth and the qualities of potential sites will be discussed. Applicants will have a chance to brainstorm ideas, ask questions, and get feedback.
Workshop 1 - in person: 6:00 p.m., Thursday, June 13, 2024, Gallery One, 1 Civic Plaza NW, Suite 1400, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Liability and Documentation
Responsibility for the artwork, including installation, loss or damage of the artwork due to vandalism, and clean-up /de-installation, is assumed by the artist. Artists will need to sign a loan agreement. The City will not own any materials utilized for the installations.
Artists are required to submit (1) professional quality photograph of the installed/activated temporary public artwork and a <1,000 word project description to the Public Art Program coordinator, within 30 days of the project's completion. Artists are encouraged (but not required) to submit video, drawings, and/or other media documenting the project.
Notification
All selected artists will be notified by email by August 1, 2024.
Media/Press Releases
The Department of Arts & Culture and the Public Art Program will promote City Bright through various press networks, social media, and public mailing lists. The Public Art Program must be notified of any artist-initiated media releases prior to distribution. All publicity must acknowledge that the project is funded by the Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture.
Payment
Payment will depend on the Project Tier of the site and scale of the proposed project. Payment will be made to artists in two phases: 85% of the project amount upon signature of the loan agreement, and the remaining 15% of the project amount upon the Public Art Program's receipt and approval of the project narrative and professional quality photographic documentation of the temporary installation and/or performance.
Submission Materials - Due by July 8, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. via the Public Art Program online application link at CODAworx: https://www.codaworx.com/commision-view-details/?key=MjQ3OTA4&rfp=1
Please note that applicants must register or sign in to a free CODAworx account to activate the application form: https://www.codaworx.com/register/
Application Steps:
- Contact information
- Resume, including relevant work history (no more than 3 pages; PDF format)
- Letter of interest to include the following as one PDF document:
- Site Request: proposed site for the light installation project. Please advise if contact with a downtown space has been established and if permission has been granted to install a City Brights project in this space. Assistance may be available to connect and coordinate an artist with an appropriate downtown business or city building.
- Project proposal including a description of the work, its conceptual intent, how the project engages the site; a description of the intended audience experience is required. A site-specific preliminary sketch or digital mock-up is optional but encouraged. Please note whether the proposed project currently exists or if it is a new idea. Also note whether your proposal is stationary and can be consistently viewed for a 2-3 month period or if it is a performative work that will be on view during each of the project's three First Fridays (2-3 pages, PDF format).
- A proposed budget of anticipated expenses, not to exceed $10,000.
- 5-10 images of previous work (5MB max each, JPG or PNG format) with image key including title, date, dimensions or duration, and up to 150 words of additional information.
All submission materials should be submitted electronically and uploaded to the Public Art Program online application.
For technical questions or issues, email [email protected]. Emails regarding technical issues received after noon of the day of the deadline may not receive support or a reply before the deadline of 4:00 p.m. that day.
Submission Deadline
The deadline for proposal application is July 8, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
Questions
Questions about the project may be directed to the Albuquerque Public Art Program: 505-768-3833 or by email at [email protected]