CALL TO LOCAL ARTISTS - CUSTOM ART INSTALLATION TOPS FRIENDLY MARKETS - JEFFERSON AVENUE - BUFFALO, NY

Project: Tops Honor Space in Remembrance of 5/14

Description: The goal of this public artwork is to create a visually inspiring addition to the designated honor space that remembers those lives taken on May 14, 2022 and this place of respite and reconnection for survivors and the community. This honor space is adjacent to the parking lot of the Tops Market at the corner of Jefferson Ave & Landon St in the city of Buffalo. This is a separate and distinct project from the Buffalo Memorial Commission project being led by the City of Buffalo and Mayor Byron Brown.

The public artwork proposal selected for this project will be:

• custom created by a local, western New York artist
• located outdoors and be permanent in nature
• spiritually, culturally, and space appropriate
• easily maintained

Budget: Up to $50,000

The total amount for the purchase, planning, design, fabrication and installation for the public art may not exceed the dollar amount above. The distribution of the amount will be determined by the type of art and the cost of the work submitted. A reconciled budget needs to be included with the design and material costs.

Distribution of the amount will be determined by the sponsor.

Proposal Deadline: Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5pm EST

Questions: On Behalf of the Owner, direct questions to:

Joy Kuebler
Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC
jkuebler@jklastudio.com
716.695.1987

ANTICIPATED TIMELINE

Call to Artists Announcement: Monday, September 18, 2023

Proposals Due: Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 5pm EST

Committee Selection of Public Art: December, 2023

Contract Execution with Artist: January, 2024

Installation Complete: April 30, 2024

PROJECT SITE RENDERINGS

The attached rendering is for reference only. The rendering depicts the Honor Space and the anticipated location of the custom artwork, and uses a generic art element to convey the intention to the public. This RFP serves to solicit pieces for this location.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF HONOR SPACE

• The overall space is approximately 24' x 32' and is intended to be an intimate space for remembrance and reflection.
• The materials to be used are a combination of colored concrete, precast concrete pavers, custom concrete lighted bollards, backless stone benches. The vegetation consists of ground cover, shrubs flowering perennials and memorial trees.
• Color palette to be used will be in warm grey to brown tones
• The honor space will be accessed through a main threshold near the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Landon Street. A smaller path from Jefferson Avenue will enter a contemplative seating area.
• The site will include five, 11' light columns, four non-illuminated bollards at the intersection of Jefferson and Landon, plus 10 illuminated, custom bollards honoring the names of those lives taken.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF PROPOSED ART STRUCTURE

• The dimensions of art installation cannot exceed 40" diameter, and 9'-0" in height, including and base for the piece Weight limit of piece cannot exceed 37,500 lbs. Please include wind load in proposal as well.
• Electricity will be the only available utility for use on the site. Lighting considerations can include Low Voltage or LED lighting. No water features will be accepted.
• Materials used must be durable, permanent in nature, and able to withstand harsh weather
• Design and materials must be appropriate for ongoing public access and regular contact by the public. Because this is a very active public space, please note that this has the potential of vandalism.
• Structure should not require ongoing maintenance
• Names of the lives lost will be memorialized on the decorative bollards in this honor space.
• Art structure should not include these names.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

• Any local, western NY artist may submit proposal for consideration. This is intended as a public work for and by the neighborhood.
• Also welcomed are collaborative "team" submissions.
• When proposing artwork in concept, include a typed description of the proposed art. The description should describe the artwork and specify how it would achieve the goal for this public art as stated in this Call to Artists. Use additional pages to submit drawings or visual representations of the art. Materials must collectively provide a strong visual impression of the finished work.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Proposals will be screened for completeness to the specifications outlined in this Call to Artists. The judging committee is not required to select any artist's work as a result of this Call to Artists and reserves the right to reject any and all submissions.
• The following criteria will be considered in the selection process:
• Artist Qualifications - Artistic excellence, originality, and ability to produce a consistent body of work; experience with projects of a similar scale and scope; good work habits, including the ability to meet deadlines, experience with budgeting, good communication skills, and good problem-solving abilities.
• Artist Availability- Commitment of the artist(s) to work within the project time frame as stated in this Call to Artists; ability to work coordinate installation/fabrication with project construction; availability to attend meetings if requested.
• Artwork Design - How the proposed artwork achieves the goal for this public artwork as stated in this Call to Artists; approach and style to the intent and location site; quality of the aesthetic design; consideration of scale, form, and content with respect to immediate and general, social and physical environment.
• Artwork Feasibility - Achievability of successful completion within given timeframe; durability of the materials and construction; maintenance requirements; safety and security; installation requirements; engineering limitations; location; issues impacting technical feasibility.
• Budget -Assurance that the budget as outlined in this Call to Artists will be met; cost and current market value of artwork in relation to the scope and value contemplated for this commission.
• Technical Specs - A licensed engineer will need to review and stamp your foundation insuring it meets the requirements of the space. If you don't have an engineer, we are able to provide contacts for you.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Proposals must be received by Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5pm EST.
The Project Sponsor is not responsible in the case of lost, misdirected, or incomplete submissions.

To Submit:
All submissions including narrative, renderings, budget, etc. must be done electronically and submitted to Kim Klavoon at kklavoon@jklastudio.com You may also submit a hard copy of your rendering by placing all required materials in a full size envelope with correct postage along with a jump drive with the document and mail to:

Joy Kuebler, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, PC
65 Zimmerman Street
N. Tonawanda, NY 14120
tel 716.695.1987

File requirements:
All files should be no greater than 100mg. If files exceed this size, please send via drop box or shared files to kklavoon@jklastudio.com. Please be sure to name your files as artist name_Topshonorspace

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This Call to Artists is sponsored by Tops Markets, LLC. Any artwork subsequently purchased becomes the sole property of the Sponsor. Those whose work is selected will be required to enter into a contract with the Sponsor that includes the waiver of copyright permissions. The Artist may however use the final artwork in their own marketing materials, website, social pages, and in their portfolio.

The Sponsor reserves the right to withdraw, amend, and/or reissue this Call to Artists at any time and for any or no reason. Receipt of an artist's entry or selection of an artist for purposes of negotiating a contract confers no rights to any artist nor obligates the Sponsor in any manner. The Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion and for any reason, to reject all submission entries and not award any contract and to solicit additional or different submission entries at a later time. The Sponsor incurs no obligation regarding this Call to Artists, or any contract resulting there from, until a contract is fully completed and documents properly submitted and executed by all parties. The Sponsor also reserves the right to extend the dates in the timeline set forth in this Call to Artists.

The Sponsor may, in the event the selected artist fails to negotiate a satisfactory contract or fails to perform and the contract is terminated within forty-five (45) days of its initiation, request the artist submitting the next best entry to honor their submission entry. Costs of developing a submission entry are solely the responsibility of the artist. The Sponsor shall not provide reimbursement for such costs. The Sponsor shall not be liable for any artist's preparation costs for any reason. Submission of an entry shall constitute acceptance of the terms, conditions, criteria, requirements and evaluations set forth in this Call to Artists and operates as an offer and a waiver of any and all objections and Proposer originated modifications to the contents of this Call to Artists.

The Sponsor reserves the right to reject any entry deemed to be non-responsive for failure to comply fully with the terms of the Call to Artists. However, the Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request clarifications, corrections or additional information and to waive Irregularities in execution or delivery of the entry provided it is in the best interest of the Sponsor. The Sponsor reserves the right to amend this "Call to Artists" at any time.

CALL TO ARTISTS ENTRY FORM

Click here to download Artists Entry Form