Request for Proposals (RFP) for Syracuse Community Health Center (SCHC) Public Arts Initiative

JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies announces 

A Call for Artists and Muralists

Public Arts Initiative

The Project

The Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc. (SCHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the Greater Syracuse area and Onondaga County, has started construction on a long-awaited new $22.5 million home for its operation at 930 S. Salina St., designed to accommodate SCHC’s facility needs in the 21^st century a block away from its existing location. SCHC, which serves primarily low-income and underserved patients with limited access to medical services, has acquired New York State approval to build on a vacant three-acre lot at the corner of South Salina and West Taylor streets. The new 56,000-square-foot building will replace SCHC’s existing main patient care facility at 819 S. Salina St. Given the unique social mission of SCHC and in light of its vision for this construction project as an investment toward revitalizing the city’s South Salina Street corridor, a call for (but not limited to) artists of color is herein issued in preparation for exhibition and/or permanent installation at the new SCHC facility. This opportunity is open to Central New York and New York State artists and also BIPOC artists currently located in other parts of the United States who are deeply invested in the well-being of the community SCHC serves. The application deadline for this initial call is 5:00 PM on October 15, 2022.

The Opportunity

Selected artwork or mural proposals will be either permanently installed, purchased, or displayed in a temporary exhibition at the new SCHC building or surrounding properties. Works should be specifically designed or suited for the following display locations:

1. New Construction (930 S. Salina Street):

1. • Donations or purchase of drawings, paintings, photos, statues, ceramics, etc.
   • Interior murals
   • Applied, inscribed, or embedded sidewalk or floor art

1. Exterior (Existing Site at 819 S. Salina Street):

1. • Murals, streetscape, or public art for the beautification of the railroad cement walls along E. Taylor St.
     

Project Intent

The purpose of this project is to assist SCHC patients with the healing process—enhancing patient recovery, promoting tranquility, and provide respite for visitors and staff—through an ongoing investment in beautifying the health center facilities and surrounding exteriors. The locations of these displays will be in the main foyer, department offices, patient rooms, waiting areas, walkways of the new SCHC facilities, installing work that compliments the architecture and interior design. All proposed artwork or murals may demonstrate artistic excellence, innovation, and support community well-being in the following ways:

• Communicate themes that are meaningful to the African American community and evocative of the BIPOC experience in the United States.
• Communicate themes that are meaningful to the African American community and evocative of the BIPOC experience in the United States.
• Be an original art piece which can be adequately and safely displayed and secured.
• Represent various artmaking mediums and disciplines, ranging widely from interactive and touch-responsive media arts installations; paintings, prints, murals, or other 2D works; photography; sculptures, figurines, or other 3D works.
• Create a signature presence for the new SCHC facilities. This can be whimsical and/or colorful; tell stories about people, places , or events specific to Syracuse or the Central New York communities; reflect on the local natural environment; provide meditative contemplations on personal healing or the public well-being.
• Provide excitement and interest for the community as a whole.
• Celebrate the history and contributions of the Syracuse Community Health Center.

How to Apply

Artists and artist teams interested in this project must prepare and submit the following:

• Proposed artwork or mural concept for the SCHC facilities. This proposal shall include conceptual design drawings, sketches and/or maquettes, sufficient to communicate the artist’s concept for proposed submission. Where applicable, proposals should include a budget (if the work has not yet been created) and describe the specifications for the artwork related to materials, size, weight, installation requirements and maintenance guidelines. Muralists should submit prior examples of successful murals and will receive further specs on mural location if selected.

• Letter of Interest, no more than one page in length, which explains your interest in the responding to this call for artists. Please include your name and contact information and briefly state the format of your high-quality sample images of the work to be contributed or the proposed artwork sample submittal (e.g., CD, DVD, website URL, file transfer service, etc.).

• For proposals from adult artists (over the age of 18), an Artist’s Statement is required that is no more than 200 words in length, describing your work.

• For proposals from adult artists (over the age of 18), a current resume is required. If submitting as a team, an individual resume should be submitted for each team member.

• For art being made by groups of youth or children under the supervision of art education or museum education instructional faculty or staff, the proposed art project and/or curriculum should be submitted along with any sample work where available. Selection of works of art for exhibit by large groups of youth or children will be based solely on evident quality and effort with no individual selection being guaranteed simply for participation.

• Muralists must provide at least two professional references familiar with your work and working methods. The list must include complete addresses and telephone numbers.

• Muralists must provide at least two professional references familiar with your work and working methods. The list must include complete addresses and telephone numbers.

• For proposals from youth artists (under the age of 18), no Artist’s Statement or resume is required, only a Letter of Interest.

• High-quality sample images of your work (e.g., CD, DVD, website URL, file transfer service, etc.). Artists applying as a team should submit work samples of each individual artist’s work. Where applicable and based on the nature and medium of the proposed artwork, all work samples must be submitted in either as digital images in a JPEG file format or as a video (no more than 15 minutes in length) that plays on a standard a DVD player. A corresponding sheet list your name and the titles, dates, media, and dimensions of your work. Note: if you are submitting video on DVD, you may send up to two additional images supporting your qualification to create public artwork. Each JPEG must be formatted and sent as instructed above with a separate description sheet.

Optional: Each artist may include up to three selections of support materials such as reviews, news articles, web links and other related information.

Submit all materials for physical submissions in a 10”x13” envelope. Do not use staples, paperclips, folders, or report covers on any application materials. Materials may also be submitted by email.

SCHC and JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies reserve the right to solicit additional information or proposal clarification should we deem such information necessary.

SCHC and JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies reserve the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive informalities or irregularities in the proposal submission process, and to negotiate further with any Proposers.

Materials must be received by JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies by 5:00 PM on October 15, 2022. Proof of postmarks alone are not acceptable.

Please mail application materials to:

JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies
Attn: SCHC Public Arts Initiative
201 W. Genesee Street, #180
Fayetteville, NY 13066

OR, EMAIL APPLICATION MATERIALS, WITH “SCHC Public Arts Initiative” IN THE SUBJECT LINE, TO:  ROLLING@SYR.EDU

SUBMISSION MATERIALS WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
Final Artist Selection:
The SCHC and JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies will review all submittals and select artists to create or contribute original, thematically relevant, and/or site-specific works of art.
If a proposal is accepted, individual artist(s) and submittal teams will be notified during the month of November 2022.

Criteria for Selection:

• An initial proposal that reflects Project Intent as described in this document.
• A body of work reflecting artistic excellence
• Experience working in public settings and public process (for adult artists)
• Experience fabricating and installing permanent artwork (for adult artists)
• References provided as part of this application which will be contacted prior to final selection (for adult artists)

Additional Information:

Where applicable and based on the nature and medium of the proposed artwork, certain selected artists will receive a contract for their commission in the appropriate amount which must be sufficient for all remaining elements of the project including fabrication, shipping, and installation. Those artists will be required to execute this contract with the Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc. (SCHC).
Neither the Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc. (SCHC) or JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies are under any obligation to award a commission for artwork based on the proposals submitted. Beyond formal notifications, neither the SCHC nor JHRolling Arts, Education, Leadership Strategies will enter into any correspondence regarding their decision.

If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact Dr. James Haywood Rolling, Jr. at (315) 443-4779 or email jrolling@syr.edu.