Orange County Convention Center Commissioning $400,000 Piece of Art

The Orange County Public Art Review Board (OCPARB) seeks artists or artist team(s) to create artwork appropriate for the world class Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), the Center of Hospitality, in Orlando, Florida. The OCCC values nature, water and ecology, and our community has grown from a center of citrus and tourism to a center of innovation and technology as well.

Project Description: The OCCC is spending over $40 million to renovate the north end of its West Building. The artwork proposed for the renovated space should complement the venue, enhance the guest experience and create an impact. Likely places for placement of substantial public art are in the large, high-ceilinged entrance hall using the three-stories of cubic space – suspended or in the center of the floor, depending on egress. The art should be visible from a distance in this vast space. Sculpture, suspended art and kinetic art, are all possibilities. The exterior space outside the entryway near the construction project would also be a possible location for artwork.

Background: Orange County, Florida is a destination for travelers from across the world. It is the first location in the United States to welcome 60 million visitors in one year. The area is becoming a cultural capital in ways that go far beyond the theme parks that have brought tens of thousands of skilled artists and creative thinkers to consider Central Florida their home The County is a rapidly growing metropolitan area of over one million residents containing the City of Orlando and a dozen other municipalities. A National Endowment for the Arts analysis of census data indicates that there are more “entertainers and performers” per capita than in any other major U.S. metropolitan area. Celebrating more than 30 years of success, the Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention center in the United States. Each year the OCCC hosts approximately 200 events. Almost 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $2.1 billion to our area’s economy each year. For more information about the OCCC, refer to http://www.occc.net

Site: Photos of the space under construction and schematics are included below. Also, for a better understanding of the space being renovated and the materials and colors being incorporated, refer to the West Halls E&F Construction Video: http://www.occc.net/CIP/videoGalleries.asp. Additional information can be found at http://www.occc.net/CIP/ .Construction for this project is scheduled to be completed by August 2015.

Budget: $391,000 has been approved for commission of artwork. The selected artists or team(s) will be awarded a comprehensive contract (s) , that will be all inclusive from concept through final set up and installation, which includes artwork design, fabrication, materials, installation, insurance, travel, public presentations, meetings with Orange County staff as necessary, identification plaque, if applicable, and all related incidental expenses.

Artwork: The Public Artist Selection Panel seeks one or more artists to create site-specific work that will be appropriate and will be sustainable under the given conditions.

Eligibility: This opportunity is open to professional artists working in any media. Student artists may apply if they can secure an experienced public artist to serve as a mentor to oversee their work.

Selection Process: A selection panel consisting of the arts professionals, project designer and convention center representative, will review artists’ qualifications. Several artists will be selected to provide proposals and will be paid a stipend of $3,000 each. Final artist(s) selection will take place after review of the proposals. The Arts & Cultural Affairs Director serves as the non-voting Chair of the Selection panel.

Selection Criteria: Artists will be evaluated on artistic excellence as evidenced by submitted materials; professional experience; compatibility with the architectural design, Convention Center environment and values, and aesthetic impact.

Submittal Requirements:
• 9 copies of a professional resume (teams must submit resumes for each member).
• 9 copies of a letter of interest (typed, two page maximum, no less than 12 point font) outlining interest in this project and a preliminary statement of approach. Indicate whether you’d like to be considered for more than one of the projects.
• Up to 12 digital images of previous projects. Submit in jpeg format, up to 200 dpi, 800X600 pixels. Files will be uploaded to County’s FTP site: ftp://www.ocfl.net/divisions/ArtsCultural/. Instructions for uploading can be found on the last four pages of this document. Any questions can be sent to michael.osowski@ocfl.net. Name files with artist name and number per image list (e.g.: smith_1.jpg, smith_2.jpg). Please ensure that all files are electronically scanned by current virus scanning software. Files with detected viruses will not be considered. Do not send videos, DVDs, print-outs, photographs or original art.
• 9 copies of an annotated list of images indicating title, dimensions (H x W X D), materials, date of work, location of each work, and brief description of the artwork if necessary.
• Experience with similar public art project budget size not required but helpful.

The Public Artist Selection Panel and Orange County reserves the right to reject any or all applications, proposals, applicants, or projects, and to modify or terminate the application process or the selection process for any reason and without prior notice.

Submittal Delivery: Submittals may be mailed or hand delivered but must arrive by the deadline. Postmarks are not acceptable. Send materials to: Orange County Public Art Program Arts & Cultural Affairs P.O. Box 1393 Orlando, FL 32802 OR Deliver materials to: Orange County Public Art Program Arts & Cultural Affairs 450 E South Street, Suite 345 Orlando, FL 32801 Timeline Release of Call to Artists: February 20, 2015 Submittals Due: Monday, April 3, 5 pm. Panel Review: April Selected Finalists Notified: April Final Proposals Due: Monday, June 30, 2015, 5 pm. Artwork installation: To be negotiated with artist – preferably before December 31, 2015; exact dates to be determined based on event activity. For further information contact Arts & Cultural Affairs Director Terry Olson, Terry.Olson@ocfl.net, 407-836-5540.