Do you have a creative public art idea to make Hamline Park better, more beautiful, more hip, and more interactive? We have a project for you!
The Midway Public Art Working Group and St. Paul Parks and Recreation are teaming up to find an individual or group of artists to complete the transformation of Hamline Park alongside the new play area going in this summer. Any and all applicants who live, work, or go to school in the Hamline Midway neighborhood are encouraged to apply. The deadline is Sunday, September 12, 2021 and final interviews will be done in the following weeks. We look forward to hearing all of your great ideas!
Hamline Park Playground Public Art Request for Proposals
The Grant: The Midway Public Art Working Group is partnering with the City of St. Paul in seeking a person or group of people to create a permanent piece of public art at Hamline Park. The grant for labor and materials is made possible by the City’s 2009 Public Art Ordinance (PDF), which calls for 1% of capital improvement projects to be used for public art, which amounts to $3,700, but we are hoping to secure additional funding to provide up to $7,200 for the project. The project will be part of the new Hamline Park play area being installed this summer; the selected artist will have up to a year to design and install their project. We are seeking proposals for any permanent public art project that can live anywhere on the Hamline Park grounds at Thomas and Snelling Avenues. We encourage you to think outside the box and check out the City’s Public Art Ideas List (PDF), as well as other projects with similar budgets, including murals and benches. We also encourage you to stop by the park to see how the new playground being constructed fits into your vision.
Values: The Public Art Ordinance recognizes that artists play an important role in creating and shaping the history, identity, and sense of belonging in a neighborhood. The Midway Public Art Working Group’s commitment to varied and diverse forms of cultural and artistic expression reinforces a further commitment to honoring the diverse identities and values shaping our community. We strongly encourage proposals from those often underrepresented in the arts, and particularly encourage emerging artists, persons of color, and Indigenous people to apply.
Proposal Requirements: Please submit a link to your portfolio (can be a website, a shared folder, a social media account) or at least 3 samples of your work (even work that is not directly related to public art) and address the following questions:
- What is your public art vision for this Hamline Park project? The idea does not require a design at this stage of the process, but can include one if you like.
- What support, if any, would you need from other artists, neighbors, students, professors, or others to complete this project? The Midway Public Art Working group may help to provide a liaison to the artist, as needed, to help the applicant design and carry out the project.
- What is your connection to the Hamline Midway neighborhood?
Submissions can be in the email text itself or in a document or video attached to an email, in any language, and should be no more than 500 words or 5 minutes if done by video. All proposals and questions should be submitted to MidwayPublicArtGroup@gmail.com by Sunday, September 12, 2021.
Eligibility Requirements: Artists must live, work, or go to school in the Hamline Midway neighborhood. They must demonstrate a history of creating high-quality original art. They must demonstrate an ability to complete the project in a timely manner. If selected the artist will provide a budget to the City, including a conservator review and engineer-reviewed drawings (if art includes a structural installation). City will clarify what items are required with notification of selection.
Selection Panel: A group consisting of 5-7 people, including neighborhood residents, Midway Public Art Working Group members, and Parks and Recreation staff will narrow down the initial pool of applicants to 2-4 people for a final interview prior to selecting a grantee. Artists will be judged based on their eligibility, the feasibility of the project, their resume and/or biography, and their creativity and vision.
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