Call for Participation Activating Vacancy Downtown Dallas Call for Participation Release Date: June 30th, 2017 Application Deadline: 11:59 CST on July 31st, 2017 Submit Via Typeform: https://bcworkshop.typeform.com/to/OfZNUi Contact: Lizzie MacWillie, lizzie@bcworkshop.org, PROJECT OVERVIEW buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]), with Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI), is excited to announce the Activating Vacancy Downtown Dallas (AVDD) call for artist proposals. Artists are invited to submit proposals that directly address issues identified by downtown stakeholders through a previous process called Community Audited Public Space (CAPS), as well as by a Community Advisory Committee. AVDD will utilize [bc]’s Activating Vacancy process to partner artists with community needs and interests as determined by local stakeholder. Artists selected for AVDD will make artworks that respond to and addresses the following priorities and themes identified through CAPS and by the Community Advisory Committee: ● Walkability, including poor sidewalk conditions, and construction impeding the public realm ● Vehicular transportation and road infrastructure, including fast street traffic, and poor bike infrastructure ● Visions of the future ● Crime and crime prevention / perceptions of safety ● Historic architecture and significant sites ● Recreation ● Homelessness / inclusion, fostering a downtown that’s for everyone Artists will select 1 or more locations within the Central Business District of downtown to site their work. The Central Business District of downtown Dallas includes all of the neighborhoods within in the highway loop of Spur 366, I-35E, I-30, and US 75. For more information, please refer to this map. Examples of potential sites that have been discussed with DDI and residents include: ● The Farmers Market ● Downtown parks (Carpenter Park, Ferris Plaza, Aston Plaza) ● Private or public property including ○ Scaffolding ○ Fences ○ Storefronts ○ Plazas
[bc] will work with artists, DDI, and relevant parties to get necessary permissions. Given the short timeline of the project feasibility of permits and permissions will be a factor in proposal selection. Potential sites will be further explored during the Neighborhood Social and Site Tour on Saturday, July 15th, 12pm-3pm at 416 S Ervay Street. Artists will work in collaboration with community leaders and local stakeholders throughout the imagination, construction and implementation of this two month project. Artist projects will be designed and constructed in August and September 2017 and exhibited in October of 2017. A project stipend of $10,000 will be provided to successful applicants to cover their time and material costs. Activating Vacancy Downtown Dallas is a quick paced and highly collaborative project. Artists will get to know residents and stakeholders, from local property owners, to City of Dallas workers, to library patrons, to office workers, and more. Artists will workshop proposals with community stakeholders and facilitate design and fabrication workshops. Throughout the process [bc] will provide communication support with committee leaders, guidance on the Activating Vacancy process and access to information and data gathered through the Community Audited Public Space programing. This initiative is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. PROJECT PROCESSES Artists selected for Activating Vacancy Downtown Dallas will propose and implement an art project in collaboration with community members utilizing [bc]’s Activating Vacancy guiding principles and process. According to Activating Vacancy’s guiding principles, projects should: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Be driven by a set of goals defined and articulated by the neighbors and residents of a particular place Elevate voices and encourage civic participation Strengthen neighborhood identity and cultural history, challenging gentrification and displacement Foster collaboration and creative participation between a diverse set of individuals, culminating in a work co-created by artist and community Empower residents to address the future of their own neighborhood, and pursue larger outcomes related to community goals Shift perceptions of challenges
More information on the Activating Vacancy process can be found here. ELIGIBILITY
Artists of all disciplines living in the DFW area (Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Denton, Richardson) are eligible to apply. Artists should demonstrate a strong interest in social justice and desire to work collaboratively with stakeholders from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. Artists with interests in design, community engaged projects, urban planning or creative placemaking are especially encouraged to submit applications. Individuals and collectives/groups are welcome to apply. Artists using the following media are encouraged to apply, although [bc] welcomes applications from artists practicing in all media: ● Public installations and sculptures ● Interactive environments/landscapes ● Dance, theater, or musical performances ● Spoken word poetry ● Storytelling PROJECT AWARD 2 artists will be awarded a budget of $10,000 each. Selected artists will be required to participate in a Neighborhood Social on August 19th (time TBD). This event will provide artists with the opportunity to meet residents and learn about the community. Programming for this event may include a neighborhood walking tour or other similar events to help introduce neighbors to the artists. Based upon interactions with residents, information from the CAPS events and additional research artists will create a project proposal, timeline and budget. This proposal will be presented to community partners at a second Neighborhood Social on August 26th (time TBD). Artists will schedule and facilitate a Community Design Workshop the week of September 4th and a Community Fabrication Workshop the week of September 11th. Interested parties should ensure that their schedule will permit them to prepare and participate in these programing events before applying. TIMELINE 6/30
AVDD Call for Proposals Launches
Week of 7/15
Neighborhood Social and Site Tour (suggested attendance)
7/21
Open office hours with [bc] to answer application questions
7/31
AVDD Applications Due 11:59pm
8/11
Selection of Successful Applicants Announced
8/19
First Neighborhood Social (***required artist attendance)
8/26
Second Neighborhood Social/ Project Proposal, Budget and Timeline Presentation with Community Feedback (***required artist attendance)
Week of 9/4
Artist Led Community Design Workshop
Week of 9/15
Artist Led Community Fabrication Workshop
Week of 9/24
Project Installation
9/30
Opening Event (***required artist attendance)
10/28
Closing Event (***required artist attendance)
10/29-10/31
De-Installation
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Applications may be submitted online here. [bc] staff are happy to support applicants in the completion of their application at any point in the application process. All applicant questions can be directed to Lizzie MacWillie at
[email protected]g. All applications will require: 1. Applicant Information: name, address, phone number, email and website (if applicable) 2. Artist Bio (700 characters) 3. Artist Statement (700 characters) a. Artist experience and interest in working collaboratively with communities during the development of an artwork 4. Project proposal (900 characters) a. Specify artist’s interest in and approach to addressing stated community priorities b. Address how the work would relate to Activating Vacancy principles 5. Work Samples and Descriptions: Artists or art organizations can provide up to 10 work samples. Art samples should highlight community participation as part of process or art work product and connect to the proposed project’s scope. All links and images should be compiled into one PDF, less than 10MB.
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Time Based Media: Up to 3 of the work samples can be audio or video (through Vimeo, Soundcloud or Youtube). Do not password protect media links. The total time of audio or video submitted for all 3 media samples should not exceed 6 minutes. All links must be cued to the start time. Photo Documentation of Time Based and Plastic Work: Photos should be 72 DPI, no smaller than 800 pixels and no larger than 1100 pixels on the long side. The total file size of each image can be no larger than 10MB For each work sample include: 1) Title, year and dimensions 2) Role of the artist in the work’s production 3) Brief description of the work 4) If applicable, brief description of how community engagement was used to create or share the work
LOGISTICS All applications must be submitted through the online portal at https://bcworkshop.typeform.com/to/OfZNUi Applications are due in full by July 31st, 2017 at11:59pm CST. Please contact Lizzie MacWillie,
[email protected] with any questions you may have about the application process. Please note that [bc] will not be available to answer any questions you may have about the application process after 6pm on July 31st. We encourage applicants to submit early. Our application portal does not allow you to save and return to your application. We invite applicants to review the application prompts and prepare their materials in an outside document until they are ready to submit.
SCORING Applications will be evaluated by [bc], the Community Advisory Committee, and the Curatorial Advisory Committee, based upon the following criteria: ● Applicant’s alignment with Activating Vacancy principles ● Applicant’s experience engaging communities in innovative, thoughtful and creative ways ● Applicant’s experience working collaboratively within time restraints and on deadline ● Nuance and strength of applicant’s expressed interest in working with downtown Dallas ● Applicant’s interest in incorporating data collected through the Community Audits of Public Space ● Strength of applicants ability to incorporate aesthetic principles to address community based challenges ● Originality, proficiency and consistency of applicants work samples ● Feasibility of permitting/permission process
PROJECT PARTNERS buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]) is a Texas based nonprofit community design center seeking to improve the livability and viability of communities through the practice of thoughtful design and making. We enrich the lives of citizens by bringing design thinking to areas of our cities where resources are most scarce. To do so, [bc] recognizes that it must first understand the social, economic, and environmental issues facing a community before beginning work. Downtown Dallas, Inc.(DDI) is the principal advocate, champion and steward of Downtown, effecting change by developing strategies, setting targets and mobilizing resources that: ● ● ● ● ●
Stimulate a vibrant and sustainable Downtown environment Improve infrastructure Enhance economic competitiveness Create a culturally inclusive urban center Position the area as a global destination
The work done produced during Activating Vacancy Downtown Dallas will directly inform the ongoing Downtown Dallas 360 planning process. For more information on Downtown Dallas 360, see http://www.downtowndallas360.com. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ● Community Audited Public Space Downtown Dallas Report ● Downtown Dallas neighborhood history research ● Community Advisory Committee Intro Meeting Outcomes Worksheet ● Community Advisory Committee Intro Meeting Notes ● Downtown Dallas neighborhood map ● Activating Vacancy Project Guide
