Call for Artists

Montana State University (MSU) wishes to commission professional or emerging visual artists or artist teams to produce original art highlighting the following themes: Coming Home/Home Away from Home; Past, Present and Future; Sky and Earth; and Water and Fire. The artist is to create a site-specific art installation that is to be located within the site of the new American Indian Hall at Montana State University, Bozeman.

The following mediums will be considered, but not limited to; paint, tile, glass, metals, wood, lightweight relief, suspended art, digital, etc. However, the American Indian Hall will be a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified building. The aim of LEED is for designers, contractors, building owners, and operators to be environmentally responsible and use resources more efficiently. This certification should be considered when selecting mediums. LEED emphasizes the use of recycled materials, low-VOCs, and sustainable products.

Deadline for applications is May 10, 2019 at 5 p.m. MST.

To see a sample contract, as well as floor plans for the American Indian Hall, please download this request for qualifications as a PDF file. For help with Web accessibility issues, contact Alissa Taysom at [email protected].

Project Background

As Montana’s first land grant institution, Montana State University was founded on a visionary idea – that access to higher education is critical to social and economic development – and that every student, regardless of background or finances, has the right to pursue and attain a college degree. Once at MSU, it is our continued responsibility to provide the resources and support to make sure our students stay and graduate.

Almost fifteen years ago, MSU launched an ambitious fundraising project to support construction of a campus home for our growing number of American Indian students. MSU expects to reach enrollment of over 1,000 American Indian Students in the near term, making our need for the student center critical.

The American Indian Hall will be a campus home for our native students, a place to share meals, as well as to meet with each other and with students from other backgrounds. A gathering space so students, staff, faculty and the public can come together to share the collective wisdom of their history, a place to speak openly and honestly, and a place to practice native traditions and culture. Additional rooms will house tutoring, counseling and mentoring, a kitchen, drum and ceremonial room, space for Elders to provide counsel, and of course, rooms for students to visit, study or work on projects.

American Indian Hall will be open to all students across the University and will host 3 classrooms ensuring that all MSU students have the opportunity to explore this unique building on campus. The new American Indian Hall will provide a dedicated space for interchange that will focus on education and will celebrate the unique diversity at Montana State University.

The people of Montana want to write a new chapter based on trust and understanding among groups with diverse interests and world views. To change the conversation, we must all be a part of it. The art within the American Indian Hall should advance these conversations and allow our native sons and daughters to spread their knowledge within and beyond their tribal 

homelands, into the rest of the world. Our hope is that we can encourage students to pursue their dreams and to create a better future for their communities. We can communicate these goals through art.

Professional and emerging artists who are new to the field of public art are encouraged to apply.

Public Art Design Elements

Artists are able to submit proposals for one or more installations. The maximum budget for each public art design and installation is:

                        Coming Home/Home Away from Home        $20,000

                        Past, Present and Future                                  $25,000

                        Sky and Earth                                                     $20,000

                        Water and Fire                                                   $40,000

These budgets are expected to include cost of materials, installation, transportation, and artist fees.

Coming Home/Home Away From Home

Art that represents cultural elements important to American Indians. It needs to instill a sense of home, family, community, familiarity, comfort, longevity, support and the transfer of knowledge to younger generations.

Past, Present and Future

The work should depict the history of natives, where they are culturally today, and what the possibilities are for the future. Inspiring young minds to think about their cultures in contemporary society and to strive for even greater opportunities. 

Sky and Earth

Represent the importance of these elements of land itself, air quality and their importance to everyday life of American Indian cultures in an outdoor application.

Water and Fire

Represent the importance of life giving water and energy giving fire and their importance to everyday life of American Indian cultures in an interior application. This installation shall be coordinated with the structural and finish elements of the space and will likely require the installation to be fully designed and partially installed during the framing/dry-in phase of the project in the Summer of 2020.

There will be additional opportunities for art in AIH outside of these four themes, which will be pursued through a different selection process.

Selection Process

The American Indian Hall Public Art Subcommittee, representing diverse interests and expertise, will review the qualifications of applicants who respond to this request in the initial application phase. The panel will select semi-finalists based on credentials, prior work experience. and overall capacity to complete this project.

Each semi-finalist will be asked to provide details specific to the art installation(s) they are proposing. These will be submitted prior to an invitation to visit the University. Finalists will be given a stipend to cover the costs of travel and lodging. The Subcommittee will select one winner for each installation theme. Artists may be selected for more than one theme. The selected design must be approved by the Public Art Committee, the University Facilities Planning Board, and the President of the University before a contract will be executed. The artist or team whose design is approved will then enter into an agreement with MSU for fabrication and installation of the art installation.

This RFQ/P shall not commit the Owner to enter into any agreement, to pay any expenses incurred in preparation of any response to this request, or to procure or contract for any supplies, goods, or services.  The Owner reserves the right to accept or reject any and all responses received as a result of this RFQ/P if it is in the Owner’s best interest to do so.

This Procurement is governed by the laws of the State of Montana and venue for all legal proceedings shall be the First Judicial District, City of Helena, Lewis & Clark County.

By offering to perform services under this Procurement, all Proposers agree to be bound by the laws of the State of Montana, and including, but not limited to, applicable wage rates, payments, gross receipts taxes, building codes, equal opportunity employment practices, safety, etc.

The state of Montana makes reasonable accommodations for any known disability that may interfere with an applicant’s ability to compete in the bidding and/or selection process.  In order for the state to make such accommodations, applicants must make known any needed accommodation to the individual project managers or agency contacts listed in the contract documents.  Persons using TDD may call the Montana Relay Service at 1-800-253-4091.

Eligibility/Minimum Requirements

Professional or emerging/student artist or artist team 18 years of age and older residing in the North and South America and any United States Territories, regardless of race, color, national origin (ancestry) sex, sexual preference/orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, marital or parental status, creed, religion or political beliefs, mental or physical disability, genetic information or status as a veteran. 

Artists who are full-time staff, faculty or employees of Montana State University are not eligible to apply for the above specified commission. Artists serving on the American Indian Hall Public Art Subcommittee are not eligible to apply for the above specified commission.

The minimum artist requirements are:

1. Professional artist or student artist who is in their 3^rd year of college or above.

2. This is a regional RFP open to artists over the age of 18 in North and South America and all United States Territories.
3. Ability to travel to Bozeman, Montana to complete the installation(s).

Schedule

The following is the intended timeline for the project. Dates are subject to change. 

Submittal of Qualifications

All applicants due May 10, 2019.

For Individual Applicants:

1. Completed Application Form. If you would prefer to type the form, please include full legal name(s) and other professional name as applicable, mailing address, daytime phone, evening phone, email address, and web site (optional).
2. Signed letter of interest describing how this project relates to your past work and how you would approach the public art for this project.
3. Current CV/Resume highlighting experience with site-specific work, and public art commissions.
4. List of pending work assignments for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
5. Up to 10 digital images or video of previous work. Digital images and video should be submitted as JPGS or MOV files. Submit only “high” (300 dpi or above) quality jpgs (do not use gifs, tiffs or other formats.) Each file must be labeled with a number indicating viewing order, followed by the artist’s last name (ex. 001_Taysom). The numbers must correspond to the accompanying image list.
6. Annotated Image List corresponding to submitted images/video that includes image number, title, medium, dimensions and date of work.
7. List of at least three (3) Professional References. Please include name, address, phone number and email address for each individual.

For Design Teams:

In addition to the above, please include:

• Work Samples should consist of up to 20 digital images or video of previous work. Please include artist’s (or designer’s) names associated with each work on the corresponding image file.
• CV/Resume for each member of the team.

Scoring Criteria:

• Artist has completed at least one installation with a budget >$5,000. 5pts
• Artist has previous work experience in creating culturally focused public art. 5pts
• Artist has demonstrated a clear understanding of the unique characteristics of the project. 5pts
• Artist has the ability to integrate with architects, building and environmental design. 5pts
• Artist has demonstrated knowledge of the American Indian community and a willingness to research the themes of the individual installations. 10pts

Submittal of Proposals

Semi-finalists only due June 28, 2019.

The semi-finalist shall submit the following for consideration by the Selection Committee for each art installation selected:

1. A narrative describing the following:
   1. The philosophy behind the proposed art installation;
   2. Its location within the building or site;
   3. The materials that will be used to create the installation;
   4. The installation’s relative size; and
   5. How it will be installed.
2. Images of the proposed art installation.
3. Budget for the proposed art installation.

Submittal Process

Applicants are required to email all materials (contact info below). If attachments are larger than 10MB, please use DropBox to share a link in your email. It is suggested you request a read receipt when you send the email.

An electronic PDF may be emailed prior to the closing time to [email protected].

ALL QUESTIONS AND CONTACTS REGARDING THIS RFQ/P MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING OR EMAIL NO LATER THAN April 30, 2019, TO:

[email protected]

Campus Planning, Design and Construction

Montana State University

P.O. Box 172760

Bozeman, MT 59718

Application Form

 denotes required fields.

CLAIMS FOR TRADE SECRET AND/OR CONFIDENTIALITY:

Public agencies in Montana are required by Montana law to permit the public to examine documents that are kept or maintained by public agencies, other than those legitimately meeting the provisions of Montana’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Mont. Code Ann. §§ 30-14-401, et seq., and that the State is required to review claims of trade secret confidentiality.

Information separated out under this process will be available for review only by the procurement officer, the evaluator/evaluation committee members, and limited other designees.  Offerors shall pay all of its legal costs and related fees and expenses associated with defending a claim for confidentiality should another party submit a "right to know" (open records) request.

For a claim of confidentiality to be considered by a public agency, all trade secret confidentiality information must be segregated and be accompanied by the Trade Secret Confidentiality Affidavit. This affidavit must be fully completed and submitted to the State along with the RFQ/P, and the following conditions must be met:

1. Confidential information (including any provided in electronic media) to be withheld under a claim of confidentiality must be clearly marked and separated from the rest of the qualifications or proposal;
2. The qualification or proposal may not contain trade secret matter or confidential information related to the cost or price; and,
3. A full explanation of the validity of this trade secret claim attached to the affidavit.

Presentations and Interviews

Presentations and interviews of the finalists selected the week of May 27, 2019 are scheduled for July 15 and 16, 2019, at Montana State University, Bozeman.  Each artist or artist team will be notified of the specific time for their interview.  Interviews are anticipated to be approximately 45 minutes in length and will be treated as a conversational question and answer session between the artist and the Subcommittee representatives. Artists will not be required to create a presentation.  Interview schedule order will be determined by random drawing.

Form of Agreement

The Owner will use a Contracted Services Agreement to contract with the artist.  A sample contract is attached to this RFQ/P and may be subject to modification.  

The Owner reserves the right to negotiate all terms in the final contract, including but not limited to any terms or conditions, which are in the best interests of the Owner considering cost effectiveness and the level of time and effort required for the Project.  Negotiated changes must be (1) within the general scope of work described herein, (2) unlikely to affect the field of competition under this RFQ/P, and (3) unlikely to substantially affect pricing of the proposed art installation in the evaluation process. 

It is the Owner’s right to NOT PROCEED beyond each of the design phase reviews until budget reconciliation has been achieved between the Owner, and Artist. 

The artist agrees to abide by the prevailing wage rates for Building Construction in the State of Montana.