AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

The Arts Council for Long Beach and the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency
announce a Call-To-Artists to select artists for temporary public artwork
for a vacant lot at the northwest corner of Ocean Boulevard and Lime Avenue
in the City of Long Beach.

Project Overview
Public art is an essential component in the creation of a civic identity.
Its presence contributes to a shared heritage and serves to honor a
community’s history and culture. The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA),
in partnership with the Arts Council for Long Beach, proposes a temporary
public art strategy that is both critically relevant and congruent to the
RDA’s principle redevelopment goals. Artists/ artist teams will be
commissioned to temporarily transform a vacant lot at the northwest corner
of Ocean Boulevard and Lime Avenue.

Program Description
Planning between the RDA and the Arts Council has identified the
establishment of temporary, public art programming as an area of
concentration. The Urban Lab is one of these programs aimed at addressing
the prevalence of vacant lots and underutilized spaces through the
incorporation of a thoughtful and proactive temporary public art strategy.
Artists/artist teams will be commissioned to transform these spaces into
ones of creative activity. Commissioned artwork will be site sensitive,
relevant to the surrounding community and will improve visual character and
overall site functionality. The Urban Lab intends to increase the economic
viability of neighbor­hoods through elimination of blight and increased
cultural tourism.

Site
The commissioned artwork will be sited on a vacant lot at the northwest
corner of Ocean Boulevard and Lime Avenue in the City of Long Beach. Located
along Ocean Boulevard, a major thoroughfare, the artwork will have
substantial visibility. The approximate site dimensions are 50 feet by 95.4
feet. A site visit is strongly recommended.

Historical / Cultural Background
The City of Long Beach is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse
cities in the nation. As the fifth largest city in California, Long Beach
plays an important role in shaping the identity of the state. Long Beach is
an attractive and accessible coastal gateway that serves as an important
tourist attraction and is home to the Queen Mary, Boeing Aerospace, the Long
Beach Aquarium, an expansive beachfront and one of the largest ports in the
world.

Scope of Work
The RDA and Arts Council seek to commission artists/artist teams for the
development of site-specific works for vacant lots. Artists/artist teams may
consider the addition of sculptural and architectural elements,
embellishments and/or structures. Artists/artist teams should be primarily
focused on the creation of site identity and the emergence of a unique and
creative location. Artwork will remained installed for a period of up to two
years depending on RDA priorities. Proposals should reflect the temporary
nature of the commission in a sophisticated way. Artwork should require
minimal to no maintenance.

Budget
The budget for the temporary public artwork is $70,000. The budget includes
all costs associated with, but not limited to: artist’s design fees; project
materials; travel; insurance; fabrication; installation and artwork
documentation. The selected finalists will be paid an additional honorarium
to develop and present proposals.

Artist Eligibility
This is an open call to all interested professional artists/artist teams.
All costs associated with travel should be considered in your overall
project budget; travel stipends will not be granted. Artists applying as a
team must have worked together on prior projects. Artists/artist teams
identified as emerging are encouraged to apply. Selected artists must be
available to meet in the Long Beach area.

Schedule
April 30, 2009: Deadline for Phase 1 Submission

Selected Finalists will be notified in writing of next steps.

Please visit www.artslb.org to download the full RFP or contact Erin
Harkey, Associate Director of Public Art & Design, erin.harkey@artslb.org

from LA Culture Net