Overview
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission seeks an innovative artist(s) to design and create one or more compelling artwork(s) for the San Fernando Mental Health Center. Possible locations for artworks include the main entrance lobby, the children’s lobby/play room, conference rooms, group room, the hallway along the interview rooms and/or the interior outdoor courtyard. Construction on this new facility will begin in early 2018. The center will deliver an array of outpatient mental health services to children and their families. Mental health programs that serve the community will also be housed at the center. These programs include the Child Navigation Team, Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams and Law Enforcement Teams. These programs are field based, responding to the mental health needs of communities within Service Area 2. The artwork should be sensitive to the programs’ priorities and, in a thoughtful manner, address the needs of its clients. The artwork should be welcoming and engaging and establish a warm and comforting environment for the young clientele visiting the center. Delicate or fragile works should be designed to be out of reach of children.
Artwork Opportunities include:
1) The primary artwork opportunity is in the main entrance lobby, work may be sculptural
or 2D
2) Secondary interior spaces, including the children’s lobby/play room (2D or sculptural), two conference rooms (2D), group room (2D) and hallways (2D)
3) Interior outdoor courtyard (sculptural)
Permanent artworks are expected to be low maintenance and have a lifecycle of at least 25 years.
GOALS OF THE ARTWORK
San Fernando Mental Health serves the San Fernando community and the civic artwork will complement the center’s mission of “Enriching lives through partnerships designed to strengthen the community’s capacity to support recovery and resiliency.” The artwork selected will have the power to augment the experience for patients, visitors and staff to the center and enhance the atmosphere and environment in an uplifting way. The work should contribute to a warm and inviting experience for clients, which is in line with the building’s design goals.
BUDGET
All-inclusive artwork budgets will be developed during the artist selection process and will vary but will be approximately $70,000. This budget includes artist fees, liability insurance, artist travel, and all costs associated with the design, fabrication, delivery and installation of the artwork.
ELIGIBILITY
The commission(s) is open to professional artists residing in Southern California, defined as Ventura to San Diego Counties, who have demonstrated successful completion of a permanent large scale civic artwork. Artists who have artwork in the County’s Civic Art Collection will not be eligible unless this project has a higher budget than the previously commissioned project. See “Criteria for Selection” for required qualifications.
San Fernando Mental Health
San Fernando Mental Health provides mental health service, medication support, day treatment services and day rehabilitation, crisis intervention and crisis stabilization, targeted case management and therapeutic behavior service.
Their vision is to establish partnerships with clients, families and communities to create culturally competent opportunities for hope, wellness and recovery. (http://dmh.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dmh http://dmh.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dmh)
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission Civic Art program strives to create artworks which reflect aesthetic and technical quality, innovation, site specificity and civic engagement. To ensure that the artwork meets the expectations of patients, visitors, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders, the selected artist or artist team will be required to participate in a rigorous design process. This process includes place-based research through creative engagement, site visits
and design meetings, conservator review, structural engineering, budget tracking and timeline management.
Artist applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Ability to create an artwork that will resonate with the facility’s patients, visitors, staff and the San Fernando Mental Health community; · Proven artistic merit and strong professional qualifications that demonstrate the artist’s ability to achieve the guiding principles of the Civic Art Program ( aesthetic and technical quality,
innovation, site specificity, civic engagement and the ability to transform a space and the user experience);
Ability to work with a government agency, architects and engineers; Ability to effectively assess the spatial and technical conditions of an architectural space and propose an integrated, easily maintainable artwork; and Experience managing a budget of similar scale and working within time constraints. Only artists who meet these criteria should apply.
SELECTION PROCESS
An artist will be selected through a two phased process. In the first phase, artists’ responses to this RFQ will be evaluated by the Project Coordination Committee, which will shortlist up to three finalists and one alternate. Artists should NOT send art proposals in response to this RFQ.
Finalists will receive $750 for development of a conceputal design proposal and presentation to the Project Coordination Committee (PCC).The PCC reviews artist applications, conducts finalist proposal presentation/interviews, selects the artists (or artist teams) and reviews the project from design development through artwork installation. The PCC is composed of nine to eleven representatives from applicable County departments, the citizen advisory committee and arts professionals. The Civic Art project manager serves as a non-voting advisor to the PCC and facilitates the selection process.
To Apply
The following application materials must be received by May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, via Dropbox link to Civic Art at Civicart@arts.lacounty.gov mailto:Civicart@arts.lacounty.gov.
1. Résumé including name, mailing address, phone number(s), email and web page (if applicable). Résumé should not exceed three (3) pages.
2. A two-page letter of interest addressing:
Why this project interests you; Interest in or experience with mental health or health facilities; Engagement practices and how does that reflect in your work; What does collaboration look like in your projects; and · If you were referred to apply for this call, please list the person who referred you.
Only letters that specifically address these points will be considered.
3. Up to ten (10) images of your relevant work.
Submit digital images in JPEG format, PC compatible, no larger than 1920 X 1920 pixel resolution. Label each image with artist’s name and a number which corresponds to the annotated image list – for example 01JaneJones, 02JaneJones. Do not insert multiple photos into one image.
4. An accompanying annotated image list including:
· Thumbnail image of artwork;
· Title, date and location of artwork;
· Very brief project description no more than 250 words;
· Medium and dimensions;
· Budget; and
· Commissioning agency or client, and project manager, if applicable.
5. List of three professional references, with title, phone and email addresses.
deadline for Applications Application materials must be submitted May 15, 2017 at 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.
Complete applications shall be delivered via Dropbox link to Civic Art at Civicart@arts.lacounty.gov mailto:Civicart@arts.lacounty.gov, incomplete applications, and any applications submitted after the deadline, will be deemed ineligible and not be considered.
tentative SCHEDULE
RFQ issued April 13, 2017
Application Technical Assistance Workshop April 26, 2017
Applications Due May 15, 2017
Artist Selection June 15, 2017
Selected Artists Contacted July 3, 2017
Proposals Due September 15, 2017
Project Completion January 2019
OPTIONAL: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP
A presubmittal technical assistance workshop will be offered on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, 6:30 p.m. for interested applicants to learn more about the San Fernando Mental Health Center and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission Civic Art program application process. Workshop will take place at the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Please RSVP to civicart@arts.lacounty.gov mailto:civicart@arts.lacounty.gov with “San Fernando Mental Health TA” in the subject line by Monday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For questions about the San Fernando Mental Health Center RFQ, please contact Caroline Kerrigan Lerch, Civic Art Project Manager, at 213-202-5941 or clerch@arts.lacounty.gov mailto:clerch@arts.lacounty.gov. For additional information about the Civic Art Program, please visit the Civic Art Program online at www.lacountyarts.org/civicart.htm http://www.lacountyarts.org/civicart.htm.
Do not send original artwork. Late applications will not be considered. If artists are applying as a team, the team must be declared at the time of application in the letter of interest. Include resumes for all team members with application. Please submit a minimum of 5 images per team of completed or proposed projects, not per artist. While every effort will be made to carefully handle applications, the Arts Commission cannot be held responsible for lost or damaged materials. The Arts Commission reserves the right to accept or reject any and all responses received, or commission an artist through another process. All artists who submit their materials for review will receive written notification of the results of the selection process, including identification of the selected artist(s). This request for qualifications does not constitute an offer to contract or a promise for remuneration, recognition, or any other thing. Submission of any materials in response to this request for qualifications will not constitute an express or implied contract. The information contained and/or any program or event described herein may be changed, amended, modified, canceled, revoked or abandoned without notice at any time and for any reason in the sole discretion of the Arts Commission or the County of Los Angeles. Artists will not be eligible for more than two County projects at any given time. Priority will be given to artists who have had no prior commission of the same or greater budget with the Los Angeles County Civic Art Program. If artwork proposal and/or design are selected, artist will be required to enter into a contract with the County of Los Angeles. Because the artwork will be located on public property, and because the County of Los Angeles is a public entity subject to laws, rules and regulations which are not necessarily applicable to private persons or companies, the Arts Commission has prepared a form agreement for use in connection with artwork commissioned for the Civic Art Program. A copy of the form agreement can be found on the Arts Commission’s website, at
http://www.lacountyarts.org/civicart_opportunities.htm. If artist is selected, the artist acknowledges that he/she is willing and able to enter into a contract in the form made available on the Arts Commission website. The Arts Commission reserves the right to revise or change its form agreement at any time, for any reason, and to require artists to use the revised form for contracting purposes.