RFP issued for public art in Bay View — stipend up to $150,000

A  monumental sculpture that incorporates solar, wind, and even “people power” is envisioned for the heart of Bay View. Thewinner of a design competition will find their work installed at the reconfigured intersection of Howell, Kinnickinnic, and Lincoln avenues in 2012. The artwork is to relate to or perhaps be part of the Milwaukee County Transit System bus shelter located in the triangle.

“We have the opportunity to do something special there,” said 14th District Alderman Tony Zielinski about the intersection that is heavily trafficked by vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians. He added that he wants “mood lighting” to be incorporated in the project, to “highlight the eclectic ambiance” of the project and site.

The Bay View Art Stop Design Competition Committee is directing the project; Zielinski assembled its members and is procuring funding.

The map above shows the configuration of the Howell, Kinnickinnic, and Lincoln avenues intersection after the completion of DWP’s redesign project currently underway. Previously vehicles and bikes negotiated two triangular islands in this intersection. The newer, simplified intersection will house a new bus shelter and the proposed “monumental sculpture.”

A request for proposal for the project was issued Sept. 27. It states that up to $150,000 may be awarded to the design winner. Zielinski said he’s raised $5,000 in private funding and $5,000 from the city’s Office of Environmental Sustainability. The Bay View BID committed to donating money and maintaining the project after it’s installed. Milwaukee County’s Parks, Energy, and Environment Committee voted to recommend allocating $50,000 from the Public Art Fund “to be used for part of the initial costs of constructing a private artistic bus shelter on the triangle…” The Milwaukee Arts Board, Zielinski said, will contribute $15,000 and may request that one of their members be seated on the project committee. Milwaukee Forge, of Bay View, has offered to donate steel.

Zielinski is also eyeing a bequest to DPW by David John Dombrowski, who left his entire estate to the department. Dombrowski, who died in May at age 63, was employed by DPW for 36 years working in the forestry and sanitation divisions. He retired in 2002. Dombrowski lived in the 2200 block of S. Ninth Street, in Zielinski’s district. The alderman said that the money should be spent in Dombrowski’s district.

DPW   Director  of  Operations Preston Cole said the estate is valued at about $240,000 and that the Common Council, along with DPW, will seek to use the bequest for the highest and best use, which he said could be funding the “exciting project that Alderman Zielinski wants to create in Bay View.”

Selection Committee Members
Members are Ken and Kerry Yandell, owners of BYO Studio Lounge (Kerry Yandell is also an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning aka SARUP)
Marina Dimitrijevic, Milwaukee County supervisor
Eric Ponto, Bay View resident and adjunct SARUP professor
Jason Wedesky, Actaea Works owner and president of the Kinnickinnic Avenue Business Improvement District (BID #44)
Bill Locher, MCTS
Mike Loughran, Department of Public Works
Tom Mallmann
Amy Heart, Milwaukee Shines solar program manager
Tony Zielinski

The RFP submission deadline is 4pm, Jan 6, 2012. To download the RFP, site map, project description, and site photos see:
bayviewcompass.com/monumental. For more information contact Alderman Zielinski, (414) 286-3769 or tzieli@milwaukee.gov.

And here is the text of that RFP:

Bay View Art Stop: a design competition! 

Neighborhood Background Information 

The Bay View neighborhood has always cultivated a sense of independence and self sufficiency within Milwaukee. Originally a quiet Native American settlement prior to the first immigrant village, its industrial importance was established when the first train depot in the area opened in 1855 followed by the the first steel mill, Milwaukee Iron Co., which opened in1868. New industry brought new jobs and created a thriving community of steel workers who settled into the area which has come to be known as Bay View. The neighborhood remained established by a robust industrious work ethic and identity for the next several decades.

More recently however, Bay View has experienced a creative resurgence as its independent nature has shifted the business focus from industry to Arts and Entertainment. South Kinnickinnic Avenue, the primary commercial corridor, is home to many new businesses and entrepreneurs who have recognized the amenities of this diverse and well-scaled neighborhood located on Milwaukee’s south side along the shores of Lake Michigan. Many new retail businesses, restaurants, cafe’s, and entertainment venues have filled empty storefronts, once again creating a viable neighborhood in which residents, businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs have been able to thrive. The Bay View area has since become a destination as residents shift to supporting their local economy.

Project Scope: 

The Bay View Art Stop Design Competition Committee is commissioning a work of public art to enhance the intersection marking the epicenter of the Bay View Arts and Entertainment District. The Committee is seeking Design Proposals for a work of public art in the form of a monumental sculpture located in the residual traffic island created by the intersection of South Kinnickinnic Avenue, East Lincoln Avenue, and South Howell Avenue. The art project is envisioned as being highly visible to both automobile and pedestrian traffic, and to act as an iconic landmark representing the unique character of the neighborhood. The embodiment of this project will engage the community thru a visual, spatial, and sensory experience while defining an entry/arrival point to the district.

Project/Site Description: 

The convergence of South Kinnickinnic (KK) , East Lincoln, and South Howell Avenues creates a highly trafficked, yet residual, triangular traffic island. A six point intersection hosts Some of Bay View’s most recognizable businesses lining this area including Cafe LuLu, Cafe Centraal, Riviera Maya, Boulevard Theater, Stone Creek Coffee Roasters, Guanajuatos Restaurant, Babes Ice Cream and the soon to be constructed Alterra Cafe and Restaurant. A high volume of vehicular, pedestrian, and public transportation traffic patterns circumscribes the edges of the island. The intersection also marks a major transfer point for various Milwaukee County bus transit routes.

Project Details 

The KK-Lincoln-Howell intersection is a major thoroughfare and has heavy vehicular traffic.

The committee is seeking projects that will have a strong visual and spatial impact on visitors moving thru the district. Proposals that fully exploit the high density and visibility of the site, as well as engage the senses thru the incorporation of light, movement, sound, texture and scale are encouraged. The artwork can be an interactive piece for pedestrian/bicycle traffic.

The new work must integrate a sheltered area for Milwaukee County Transit users.

100 percent renewable energy sources, in terms of solar and wind (and even people) should be incorporated into lighting and kinetic strategies.

Artists and Designers must use durable materials capable of withstanding climate, pedestrian, and vehicular patterns associated with this location.

The artwork can be fabricated off-site; however, the site is suitable for on-site fabrication.

Milwaukee Iron Company, located in Bay View, has generously donated steel sections including 4×4 bar steel and 3-inch round steel sections, up to 22 feet in length, to be used in the construction of this project.

Budget: Award up to $150,000 

Artists and Design Teams must provide cost estimates to include design fee, materials and fabrication costs, installation, and maintenance schedule.

Schedule *: 

October 1st 2011 RFP issued

January 6th 2012 Submission Deadline

January 13th 2012 Finalist Selection

February 3rd 2012 Finalist Interview

February 6th 2012 Contract Award

August 2012 Installation Complete

* Dates are subject to change. To ensure fairness to all, there are no extensions or waivers of deadlines. Applicants will be notified by letter as to the status of their application. The Bay View Art Stop Competition Committee reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information or proposals from any or all participating artists. reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals, when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. In addition, Bay View Art Stop Competition Committee may solicit proposals from artists not responding to this call and reserves the right to select an artist outside of the pool of artists responding to this call.

Artist Selection Process & Criteria: 

The selection committee will select up to 3 finalists based on their applications; professional qualifications; ability to work within a budget and meet deadlines; and successful completion of other public art projects.

Each finalist will be interviewed individually before selecting one artist (or artist team). Each finalist will receive a $1,000 honorariums for their original design developed specifically for the site.

Budget: Award up to $150,000 

Deadline: 4pm Friday January 6 2012

Eligibility: Local and National Artists and Designers currently living in the United States of America.

The commissioned Artist/Design Team will be selected based on previous experience with the design of exterior sculpture projects. Applicants are also expected to have the technical capabilities to design, fabricate, and install such projects, including providing maintenance instructions. The finished project must require little to no regular maintenance. Final artwork should complement the characteristics and neighborhood identity of the site.

The Artist/Design Team will coordinate with the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, WE Energies, Milwaukee County Transit System, and shall be expected to collaborate closely with site engineers, designers, and any necessary party for the successful installation of the project.

NOTE: commissioned artists are permitted to work with outside contractors to fabricate the actual work of art.

Submission Requirements: 

 

Letter of intent explaining your interest, process, method of design and fabrication relative to this project.

 

Resume and Portfolio of related work. 20 images maximum with identification, location, brief description and project budget.

 

List of 3 professional references

 

3-dimensional conceptual drawings depicting installation on site

 

digital or hard copy format acceptable

 

cost estimate ( to include design fees, materials, fabrication, and installation )

 

maintenance schedule

 

***Selected Finalists would develop concepts and provide additional drawings/models for interviews***

 

3-dimensional conceptual drawings depicting installation on site

 

digital or hard copy format acceptable

 

1/4” scaled conceptual site model

 

cost estimate

 

maintenance schedule

 

For more information contact : Bay View Art Stop: Design Competition Committee

Kerry Yandell – Committee Chairperson

email:info@byostudio.com

Alderman Tony Zielinski

tzieli@milwaukee.gov

City Hall, Room 205,

200 E. Wells St.

Milwaukee, WI 53202

(414) 286-3769

Copyright 2013 by Bay View Compass. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.