RFQ - Baltimore Museum of Art

The Baltimore Museum of Art | Request for Qualifications Date of issue: JANUARY 3, 2016 Deadline EXTENDED: MARCH 15, 2017 SUMMARY: The goal of the RFQ is to select an artist or artist team, based on qualifications, experience, and references. Proposed concepts will not be considered for this RFQ. The Baltimore Museum of Art is pleased to offer this opportunity for artists. The BMA will contract with one artist or artist team, in partnership with an area non-profit, to produce the final projected 10-month long project on the theme of ‘home’ in the Museum’s new Joseph Education Center. The artist will activate the Museum’s Commons with artwork (and, if relevant, project documentation) and with a series of free public programs implemented during the run of the installation, November 2017 – August 2018. The selected artist/non-profit team will begin work in May 2017, six months prior to the opening. The selected artist will: Work with a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the greater Baltimore area to develop a year-long project in the Commons and work with BMA staff to develop an accompanying suite of public programs. The successful project will: o Thoughtfully engage the community in the process of its making. o Be appropriate for installation within a museum context for a period of up to one year. To that end, the project must 1) have a strong visual component, 2) be made from materials that will endure over the course of a 12-month period with little to no maintenance, and 3) be deemed safe and secure for a moderate to heavily trafficked public space. o Set itself in innovative dialogue with the theme of ‘home’ and the collection-based exhibition (see below for description) in the adjacent space. This includes developing an artistic project around that topic that lends itself to related public programming. o Be appropriate and compelling to a broad segment of the museum-going public, including children and families. QUALIFICATIONS Artists who have an established social engagement component to their artistic practice are encouraged to consider this project. Experience producing projects in conjunction with, or under the auspices of, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit is strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience working on a project of this scope and budget is also preferred. Artists residing in or with a connection to Baltimore preferred.

ELIGIBILITY Eligibility is limited to artists who meet the following guidelines: o Candidates are working in traditional or new media, public art, and/or performance-based visual expression. o Candidates have a history of collaboration, social, and/or participatory practice. o Candidates whose work addresses the theme of ‘home.’ o Candidates may not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, either part-time or full-time, at an institution of higher learning at the time of the application deadline. o BMA staff and their families are not eligible to apply. o Candidates must apply in partnership with a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. BUDGET The project budget, inclusive of all fees, materials, fabrication expenses, and transport is $30,000. RFQ DEADLINE All submissions must be received by midnight EST, March 1, 2017. Late submissions will not be considered. POINT OF CONTACT Jessica Braiterman, Manager of Community Engagement and Learning, [email protected] ABOUT THE BMA The Baltimore Museum of Art is home to an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern, and contemporary art. Founded in 1914 with a single painting, the BMA today has 90,000 works of art—including the largest holding of works by Henri Matisse in the world. Throughout the Museum, visitors will find an outstanding selection of European and American fine and decorative arts, 15th – 19th-century prints and drawings, contemporary art, and objects from Africa, Asia, the Ancient Americas, and Pacific Islands. Two beautifully landscaped gardens display an array of 20th-century sculpture that is an oasis in the city. As a major cultural destination for the greater Baltimore region, the BMA organizes and presents a variety of dynamic exhibitions and innovative programs throughout the year. The Museum is located three miles north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in a park-like setting in the heart of Charles Village, adjacent to the main campus of The Johns Hopkins University. It is distinguished by a grand historic building designed in the 1920s by renowned American architect John Russell Pope and a massive wing for contemporary art added in 1994. Thanks to extraordinary government and private support, general admission to the BMA is free for everyone, every day, so that great art is accessible to all. ABOUT THE JOSEPH EDUCATION CENTER The Joseph Education Center is designed to fuel new ways of thinking about art, culture, and contemporary life in Baltimore and beyond. Through exhibitions, public programs, outreach, and partnerships, the Center deepens visitor understanding of human experiences and stimulates the creative thinking essential for addressing society’s challenges. The Center is comprised of five

interconnected spaces—a total of almost 5,000 square feet adjacent to the Museum’s newly renovated Zamoiski East Entrance and East Wing Lobby. The spaces are: o

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Gallery (1,883 sq. ft.): Visitors encounter art works from across the collection, from different cultures and time periods, organized around the theme of home. Innovative interpretation and digital strategies engage them in close looking, inquiry, reflection, response, and sharing. Imagining Home is the inaugural three-year exhibition in this space. Commons (864 sq. ft.): Partnering with the selected artist/community organization, the BMA will develop programs that reflect the voices and creativity of the community. This flexible space will host conversations and workshops. Studio (1,296 sq. ft.): A welcoming and lively studio space for hands-on experiences that spark invention, artistic expression, and encourage thinking through making among visitors of all ages.

The existing School Entrance (748 sq. ft.) is a welcoming space for school children touring the BMA. The Docent Room (273 sq. ft.) creates new opportunities for the Museum’s volunteer educators to research and learn about the collection and exhibitions, and develop learning experiences for visitors. ABOUT THE EXHIBITION THEME ‘HOME’ Imagining Home is the first exhibition in the Museum’s new Joseph Education Center. Installed in a 1,883-sq.-ft. gallery, Imagining Home features 33 objects from the full spectrum of the Museum’s collection—paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, textiles, and works on paper from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia—spanning ancient to contemporary times. It opened in October 2015 and will be on view for three years. For centuries and across cultures, artists have created objects about or for the home. Whether decorative or functional, real or ideal, celebratory or critical, these objects communicate the social and cultural values and history, economics, and the beliefs and politics of their makers, owners, and users. The exhibition invites visitors to see similarities and appreciate the important differences among diverse representations and attitudes towards home, expanding their perspectives. The following exhibition themes encourage visitors to make connections with works of art and think critically about home: o

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Façades & Thresholds: The façade and transitional spaces of the home—doors, windows, and porches—communicate the layered history of a dwelling as well as the identity and values of its makers and occupants. Domestic Interiors: Works of art made for or featuring the domestic setting reflect and shape the individual, familial, social, and cultural identities and activities of their owners, makers, and users. Arrivals & Departures: Throughout history, travel and migration—coerced or voluntary—have been critical to change, compelling individuals, families, and entire communities to redefine their notions and perceptions of—and relationships with—home.

ABOUT THE COMMONS The Commons is an 864 sq. ft. space, which lies immediately adjacent to the Imagining Home exhibition. Designed for programs and conversations, the Commons functions in two ways:

First, it serves as a space for frequent public programs and events, including but not limited to those developed by the artist/non-profit team. Examples include film screenings, community meetings, lectures, workshops, readings, and other events. In the absence of a program, the space will contain a reading area, casual seating, and educational materials for visitors. One of the four walls will be reserved for this purpose. The remaining three of the four walls will be free and clear for use by the artist/non-profit team. Two contain doorways, which must remain open during Museum hours. The ceiling contains a video projector and the light throw to the screen must be kept clear. The successful project will allow the space to remain flexible, accommodate—and possibly facilitate— the various uses for the space, and work in dialogue with the Commons’ adjacency to the Imagining Home exhibition. REVIEW PROCESS An eight-person jury will review applications and make a selection. The jury will be made up of BMA Museum staff and Baltimore-area art and community leaders. Submissions will be reviewed by the jury and a shortlist selected. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to develop and present a concept proposal, including budget, and will be interviewed by panel members. One artist/non-profit team will be selected. The selected artist/non-profit team will be chosen on the basis of their RFQ submission, concept proposal, interview, and references. A public announcement of the selection will be made on the BMA website, via social media, and via press release. REQUIRED ELEMENTS LETTER OF INTENT A Letter of Intent, not to exceed two pages, outlining how the artist will approach the theme of ‘home,’ collaborate with a specific non-profit group, and develop public programs at the Museum. PORTFOLIO A PDF portfolio of 10 representative images of your artwork with all relevant information about date of production, materials, scale, and duration (if applicable). Artists may also include a brief statement, no more than 200 words describing each artwork. A link to no more than 5 minutes of video or web media (optional) may also be included. RESUME A resume, not to exceed three pages, for each project participant. REFERENCES Contact information for three references from other institutions or organizations with whom the artist has worked in the past.

LETTER OF SUPPORT A Letter of Support from a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in the Greater Baltimore area who will partner with the artist on the development and implementation of the project and related programs. MISSION STATEMENT A mission statement, not to exceed one page, from the proposed partner non-profit organization. PROOF OF 501(c)(3) STATUS Legal proof of 501(c)(3) status from the proposed partner non-profit organization. SUPPORTING MATERIALS (OPTIONAL) Up to five pages of articles, interviews, press or other supporting materials that contextualize the submission. SUBMIT TO: Please group all submission materials into a zipped folder, named “BMA-RFQ_LastName.” Upload the zipped folder to the link below. The total size of the submission package shall not exceed 50 MB. BMA FTP link: http://cwok.me/u/62jG QUESTIONS Please address all questions to Jessica Braiterman, Manger of Community Engagement and Learning ([email protected]). Questions and their answers will be made public to all candidates via email. No questions will be accepted after March 1, 2017. A public information session will be held at the BMA on January 31st. To attend, please contact Jessica Braiterman at the address above. PROJECT TIMELINE Date of issue/period for Questions begins: Information session Period for questions closes: Application deadline: Shortlist selected: Shortlist presentations and interviews: Artist notified: Project begins: Project installation begins: Project opens: Programming period: Project de-installation:

January 3, 2017 January 31, 2017 March 1, 2017 March 15, 2017 midnight Late March 2017 Late April 2017 Early May, 2017 May 2017 Mid October 2017 November 2017 November 2017 – August 2018 August 2018