Public Art RFQ and Letter of Interest
The Archive seeks to capture and document public art from across the globe into a single, searchable database that is free for all to use. Public Art Archive is supported by donors who want to make this resource available to everyone.
The City is seeking a qualified artist, firm, or creative team (“Artist”) to collaborate with park builders on the design of a new public art-playground structure at Kenilworth Park. The Public Art Committee is reviewing RFQ responses.
RFQ vs. RFP
An RFQ is when a company knows what they want and wants to dig into specifics on payments and pricing. The vendor with the lowest price wins the contract.
A public art rfq is different. The process asks artists to submit their background and experience. It also includes some information about the project, including community engagement goals. This is a great way to learn more about the applicant pool and identify potential artists that may be a good fit for the project.
Applicants are asked to provide scale renderings of their proposed mural, a written description, and a budget summary. They are given a stipend for submitting this information. The city and the arts council then review the proposals. A contract is then drawn up with the artist selected. The community then gets to enjoy the new piece of art! This project is a part of the One Percent for Art program and was funded by 5.6 million dollars from the Airport’s capital improvement budget.
Getting Started
For most public art projects, a team of professionals is needed to manage the entire process. Project managers, engineers, architects, landscapers, fabricators and artists all must collaborate with each other. It’s important to find the right people early in the process and have great communication.
Oftentimes, the first step in the selection process is an open call for artists known as an RFQ. The process usually involves submitting a professional resume, images of past work and a statement of interest. Then a selection panel is assembled to recommend the artist for the opportunity.
The selection panel may include local community members, arts professionals, city department staff and representatives of the community where the artwork will be located. Depending on the scope of the project, it may also be necessary to engage the community in a more formal way with forums, flip charts and surveys. The results of these engagements can be helpful in identifying possible themes, subjects and ideas for the artwork.
Letters of Interest
A letter of interest is a short letter that expresses your interest in working with a company. It is also known as an inquiry letter or a letter of introduction.
The goal of a letter of interest is to make a positive impression on the recipient and get them on your side as a candidate for future job opportunities. You can send this type of letter to a company even if they don’t have any open positions.
It’s important to write a great letter of interest that highlights your strengths and makes you stand out from other candidates. A good way to do this is by finding a creative angle that shows you know the challenges the company faces and then showing how your skills are the perfect solution for them. You can also highlight any unique qualities that you have, such as a fancy degree or a list of impressive certifications. Using a tool like Grammarly can help you avoid grammatical errors and polish your writing.
Final Words
Public art, whether in the form of a sculpture, painting, or fountain, provides numerous long-term economic benefits to a community. It increases the cultural and artistic allure of an area, draws in more tourists, encourages urban development and infrastructure projects, and can even make a place a destination for local residents to spend their free time.
In most cases, public art is commissioned through a process that begins with a Request for Qualifications, followed by a proposal phase where artists create plans for the desired artwork and submit them to the commissioning agency. The commissioning agency evaluates the proposals and selects a group of finalists to be paid to create more detailed plans for the final artwork.
Artists may apply individually or as a team. When applying as a team, the selection panel will review the qualifications of the individual members and teams and may limit team changes over the course of the project. Applicants must demonstrate the professional capacity to design, fabricate and install a permanent public work of art.