Halifax Central Library - Public Art Update
Background
HRM is seeking qualified professional artists and artist-led collaborative groups to participate in a public art design process for the new Halifax Central Library, scheduled for completion in 2013. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was released on Dec. 7/10 and closed on Jan. 25/11.
The full details of the process are available online at:
http://www.halifaxcentrallibrary.ca/media-room/request-qualifications-public-art.html
The first stage of this solicitation was the RFQ. From these responses, the Selection Committee chose a shortlist of six artists who have been invited to participate in a second Request for Proposals stage. These artists will work in consultation with project architects and municipal staff to produce a detailed design for integrated public artwork to be included in the construction of the Halifax Central Library.
The short-listed artists will be contracted by HRM to complete a detailed design proposal. They will submit proposals based on a total project budget of $450,000 for the public art component of the Library. This budget is inclusive of all material and production costs of the artwork, as well as all artist and professional fees. Funding for the public art budget is provided for in the overall Central Library budget of $55 million.
Process Update Mar 21/11
- 94 submissions were received in response to the RFQ . A complete list of candidates can be found at http://halifax.ca/procurement/documents/10-344artistspreadsheet.pdf.
- Information requested was:
- A professional CV
- A statement describing their artistic practice
- A statement describing their general approach to the Halifax Central Library Project
- 15-20 visual images/files of their past work
- HRM Procurement is currently in the process of compiled packages that were delivered to the Selection Committee – a group made up of prominent members of the local art and design community and HRM and Halifax Public Libraries staff.
- The Selection Committee met on February 28th to assess each submission on the basis of their ‘qualifications’. The qualifications were:
- the artist’s or collective’s capacity to work collaboratively with the project team (architects, etc.)
- the strength of their past work and peer recognition
- the nature of their approach to this project in relation to the project itself (the design of the building, the functional use of the space, and the community relationship to the library)
- Following this “first stage” assessment, a shortlist of six artists was determined. They are listed below.
- Dan Corson, USA
- Garry Neill Kennedy and Cathy Busby, CDN
- George Legrady, CDN (living and working in USA )
- Jill Anholt, CDN
- Realities United, GER
- Rodney Latourelle, CDN (living and working in Germany)
- The six candidate artists will be contracted by HRM to provide detailed proposals specific to the library. To do this they will work collaboratively with Central Library architects and members of the project team to develop integrated projects that enhance the design of the library and its public use, and actively accommodate the design of the library.
- The proposals will be developed and refined over several draft stages in consultation with the project team and presented to the Selection Committee - tentatively scheduled for mid-June. Out of this presentation a single proposal will be chosen.
- A “single proposal” does not necessarily mean a single piece of artwork. It could be several pieces in relation to one another, several artists working collaboratively under a single submission, etc.
- Once selected, the artist/team will become part of the ongoing project team and directly participate in the detailed design, fabrication and installation of the artwork. This will be coextensive with the development of the library itself, scheduled for completion in 2013.
