Deadline   
    Wednesday, May 6th, 2024, at 5:00PM

Description
  The City of Tempe is seeking an experienced visual artist or artist collective to create a participatory art piece that is site specific to 8 Arts in the Parks events occurring between September 23 to November 7, 2024. The installation must integrate or address illumination to ensure that the piece remains visible in both daylight and darkness for events spanning from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This artwork should be vibrant, dynamic, and engaging to encourage community exploration and creative collaboration. The artwork must incorporate components that can be touched, arranged, or modified by attendees of all ages over the course of the event(s). Possible approaches could include but are not limited to artist made objects that the attendees are encouraged to alter or construct with, or artworks designed with movable parts, interactive elements, or mechanisms that allows park visitors to become active participants in shaping the visual and sensory experience within the park. Successful candidates are expected to attend Arts in the Parks events and meetings related to this project. Artists with an interest in responding to and collaborating with community are encouraged to apply.

 Park locations are in Tempe, Arizona: Indian Bend, Scudder, Corbell, Mary and Moses Green, Meyer, Optimist, Clark, and Daumler.

Arts in the Parks Program Description
     Arts in the Parks is a City of Tempe Community Arts program that brings arts-focused events and activities to parks throughout Tempe, Arizona. With sixteen free events throughout the year this program activates outdoor community spaces and gives Tempe residents an opportunity to connect with their neighbors and professional artists while expressing their creativity.
    These hyper local events are customized for each park community based on feedback received at previous events and advertised exclusively to the households in close vicinity to each park. Around 250-600 residents of all ages attend each Arts in the Parks event to enjoy themed arts activities, listen to live music, and indulge in the offerings of local food trucks. The Arts in the Parks program places a strong emphasis on inclusive arts encounters that are accessible to everyone, recognizing the diverse composition of each park community in terms of age, cultural backgrounds, and abilities.
www.tempe.gov/ArtsintheParks

Compensation: Up to $40,000 for 8 park events for one artist or artist collective.
     (Includes artist stipend and all materials)

Qualifications
     Artists who meet the following qualifications are encouraged to apply:

• Experience in visual arts and/or multi-modal arts. 
• Demonstrate the ability to complete site-specific projects. 
• Interest in using creative skills to connect and collaborate with community. 
• Reside in the regional southwest: Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, or New Mexico
• Will be available the week of Sept 23rd, Oct 15th, and November 4th

Expectations

• Attend up to four in person or virtual meetings about progress.
• Design, fabricate, transport, and store a community collaborative artwork that is illuminated, colorful, vibrant, and encourages participation from event attendees of all ages.
• Facilitate community engagement with artwork at 8 weeknight Arts in the Parks events. Event hours are from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM.
• Artists must be fully self-sufficient in transporting, setting up, and storing artworks for and in-between Arts in the Parks events. 
• Access to power or water utilities is not available in these parks. If the artwork necessitates these elements, it becomes the artist's responsibility to make appropriate arrangements or find suitable alternatives.

 
Restrictions
     This commission will not fund:

• Augmented reality experiences and/or artworks that rely on personal cell phones
• Community murals
• Artworks that are 100% projection as it needs to be visible in both daylight and darkness.
• Artwork cannot physically attach to the ground, or any existing structures within the park. 

 
Timeline

• March 29th - Call opens
• April 25th - Virtual pre-submittal meeting on Zoom. If you are unable to attend, a recording of the meeting can be provided upon request. Sign up to receive the pre-submittal meeting zoom link and recording here. 
• May 6th - Call closes at 5PM 
• Mid-May – Finalists are notified. A stipend of $300 is provided to each finalist to develop a proposal that fits this call. 
• Beginning of June– Proposal presentations and interviews. Artist selected and notified.
• June–Sept - Planning/Fabrication/Meetings 
• Sept 23rd-Nov 7th- Arts in the Parks weeknight events from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM.

 
How to apply

Statement of Interest (max. 300 words)

• How have your past artistic endeavors and experiences influenced your interest in participating in this opportunity? Please provide insights into any themes, materials, and directions you are interested in exploring if selected for this project. Draw connections to your previous projects to illustrate the development of your artistic practice and interests. Please note that we are looking for an understanding of the skills and experience you might bring to this project and are not requesting a fully realized proposal at this stage.
   

Community Engagement Statement (max. 250 words)

The artist selected for this call will facilitate a hands-on community experience at eight Arts in the Parks events that connects with the commissioned art piece.

• How have your previous experiences in engaging with the public through creative means prepared you for the role of facilitating a hands-on community experience at the Arts in the Parks events? Please provide examples of relevant experiences such as facilitating community workshops, live art demonstrations, interactive installations, or collaborative projects. 
• Share preliminary ideas on how you envision engaging and collaborating with event attendees during these 2-hour events, aligning with the goals of fostering community exploration, creative collaboration, and inclusive participation.

Work Samples 

• 8 images
• Provide a brief description for each of your work samples including materials used, and size. Please list all artists involved in each project. If you collaborated with other artists or community members, how were they involved and what was your role in the project?

 
For Questions Contact:
       Dani Godreau, Community Arts Coordinator
       Dani_Godreau@tempe.gov
       (480) 793-1257
 

• We will host a pre-submittal info session on April 25th! Sign up to receive the pre-submittal meeting zoom link here. If you are unable to attend a recording of the meeting can be provided upon request.
   
• Schedule a one-on-one meeting regarding this call here.