The Clackamas County Arts Alliance and Clackamas County Courthouse Arts Committee invite artists living in Oregon and Clackamas County specifically to submit a proposal for site-specific interior printed mural or photography artwork mounted on acoustic panels on the first and second floors at the new Clackamas County Courthouse.
One artist/artist team will be selected to submit final artwork for the acoustic sound panels on the first and second floors of the new building. The budget available for the commission comes from funds raised for this project and is $5,000. Submissions are due by Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm PDT.
Important Dates
April 5, 2024 – Call to Artists
May 1, 2024 – Applications due
May 2024 – Panel review and artist selection (including interviews if needed)
June 2024 – Design Phase
Art Opportunity
This project is seeking an artist/artist team to create art for lobby feature walls on levels 1 and 2 of the new Courthouse in Clackamas County. These walls are one of the first large-scale features visitors encounter upon arriving through the building’s main entrance and adjacent to the Courthouse’s reception area. The artwork will mainly be focused on levels 1 and 2 due to the high visibility of those areas from within the building and outside the building.
The use of mediums such as digital mural prints or photography artwork printed on acoustic panels will be considered. We expect the artist(s) to produce the media(s) for their work through conversations with the project team, taking other design considerations for the space into account. Artists are encouraged to use existing work or compositions of existing work because of the short timeline and to meet the final deadline.
The Level 1 wall is approximately 38’W x 8’H and the Level 2 wall is approximately 54’W x 8’H. The artwork image quality should be at least 300 dpi. All artwork submitted should consider these dimensions. See the attached design documents for more information.
About the Courthouse Project
Located on the Red Soils Campus at Kaen Road in Oregon City, the new Clackamas County Courthouse joins two other County Buildings, Development Services and Public Services. Construction of a much-needed replacement county courthouse will open in 2025.
By having the new Courthouse at the Red Soils Campus, courthouse users will now only be steps away from departments such as Social Services; Behavioral Health; Public Health; Juvenile; Veterans Services; and the Family Justice Center. This means that people don’t have to drive all over town to access the various functions of county government, and proximity will improve efficiency and collaboration between these different public service agencies.
The interior design vision emerged from the simultaneous consideration of interior wayfinding, operational clarity, user wellness, and trauma-informed design. The new courthouse design is defined by an abundance of daylight with uninterrupted views providing a powerful connection to the outdoors to support the principles of trauma-informed design by engaging people’s natural affiliation with nature and views.
Artwork Goals and Qualities
Elements the artwork should consider are the building’s design which is informed by nature through the use of wood and earth tones in the interior and the addition of more windows to allow natural light into the building. It’s also important to note that the main lobby is the central point of connection within the building with its inclusion of the lobby waiting area and reception area.
Another main goal for the artwork is to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity and richness of the resources and cultures that utilize the building and that are found throughout the County. To appeal to these diverse groups of users in this significant location, the artwork should use trauma-informed colors and design elements. This project aligns with Clackamas County’s commitment to featuring art in public buildings. The guiding principles of the County’s public art policy include:
· Contributing to and enhancing community identity and pride
· Providing the highest quality artwork available
· Promoting excellence, and demonstrating diversity and variety of media
· Preserving, encouraging, and promoting awareness and understanding of the arts by residents and visitors
· Increasing public exhibition opportunities for artists who live or work in Clackamas County
· Encouraging public participation and interaction with public spaces, kindling awareness of how surroundings impact experience
· Enriching the public environment for both residents and visitors by incorporating access to arts throughout the County
Budget
The selected artist/artist team will receive $5,000 for this opportunity to create the site-specific interior artwork. This fee is inclusive of all project expenses including artist fees, design development, and communication/coordination with the design team, construction team, and third-party contractors who may help to fabricate and install the artwork.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to artists at least 18 years of age, based in Oregon and Clackamas County specifically. If applying as a team, at least one member must meet the residence eligibility requirement. Those with significant current or past connections with Clackamas County are referred.
Clackamas Arts Alliance and the Arts Committee are committed to reflecting the cultural richness of our County by promoting opportunities for emerging and historically underrepresented artists. Artists/artist teams representing communities of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
The selected artist/artist team must be able to create, complete, and deliver their artwork by June 3, 2024.
Selection Process
The selection process will be entirely virtual by the Art Selection Committee. Participating members include representatives from the Arts Alliance, Community Representatives, Grande Ronde Tribal Member, Judges, County Commissioners, and County Staff.
This committee will review artists’ submissions and choose a finalist. If more than one finalist is chosen, they will be invited to interview with the committee.
Overall, the purpose of the interview will be to allow the artist(s) and the committee to meet each other and engage in a mutually beneficial and informative conversation. It’s an opportunity for the artist(s) to better understand the context of the project and the intentions the selection panel has for the final art piece. Both parties will be given the chance to ask questions and determine the best alignment and artist selection for the project. After the interviews are completed, the committee will choose a final artist/artist team and present the award.
Criteria for selecting finalists are (1) quality of work as demonstrated in submitted images; (2) ability and interest in creating site-specific artwork; (3) how artwork fits one or more of the general goals described above, specifically the medium suggested trauma-informed design elements; (4) ability for the artist to meet the specific deadline needed to complete the project.
(Note: the selection committee reserves the right to select an artist who does not directly apply to this call, if appropriate. Likewise, the committee maintains the option to make no selection from submitted applications and to reopen the selection process or propose other methods of selection if no applicant is accepted.)
How to Apply
All application materials must be submitted through the CCAA Submittable application system. This application system can be reached by the Arts Alliance website and the opportunities tab. Applicants will need to create an account. If you are applying as a team, please assign one person to apply and be the point of contact on behalf of the team.
Submissions are due Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm PDT.
Application Materials
- Artist bio/resume. Upload a PDF of no more than two pages that outlines your creative activities and artistic accomplishments. If applying as a team, submit one PDF that includes a bio/resume for all team members no more than 6 pages.
- Statement of interest. Based on the information given, please address the following:
- Your interest in this project
- Written Statement: 3000 characters or less
- Describe your capacity and/or experience to complete the scope of work by June 3, 2024
- If you are applying as a team, describe your roles on the team and how you anticipate working together.
- Your interest in this project
- Up to 3 samples of the proposed artwork. These samples are the primary way your work will be judged. Provide up to two images for each work sample. For each image, please provide a title, artist name, media, and dimensions of artwork. Conceptual information is desirable but not required.
Please note that after you click “Submit,” your application is final, and no further edits can be made.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us throughout the process.
Clackamas County Arts Alliance
PO Box 2181
Oregon City, OR 97045
PHONE 503-655-0525