COVID ART MEMORIAL CALL REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

Sections

The City of Bloomington’s Public Health Division in partnership with the Creative Placemaking Commission invite experienced public artists to submit qualifications for the design, creation, and installation/assembly of a unique, moveable small-scale sculpture or mural. This artwork is meant to serve as a memorial to those lost to COVID 19, and as a reflection on this time in history and the resiliency of the city’s residents and employees over the course of the pandemic.

Community engagement integrated throughout the process should allow for Bloomington’s community to shape how their parts of this story will continue to be told, and foster community healing. Engagement efforts should support the development of artwork that appeals to, represents, and reflects the diversity of Bloomington. Additionally, this artwork is meant to be welcoming to people of all ages, cultures, races, and backgrounds. This artwork should be something that can be easily transported to various sites and reassembled by staff for temporary display indoors if it is a painting or indoors and outdoors if it is a sculpture.

Request Type

Request for qualifications

Deadline for Questions

May 15th, 2023

Deadline for RFQ – Qualification Proposals

May 22nd, 2023, 11:00 PM CST (apply online via CaFE™)

Please do not submit a project proposal or design at this time.

See RFQ for additional timeline and rubrics

See the sample service agreement for an example of a services contract with the City of Bloomington

QUESTIONS?

It is the responsibility of the applicant to inquire about any portion of the RFQ that is not fully understood or susceptible to more than one (1) interpretation. Written inquiries are required. Oral communications will not be accepted, except to confirm delivery of proposal or written correspondence.

All inquiries, questions, or clarifications must be submitted not later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the due date of this RFQ. Those inquiries, questions, or clarifications submitted after this date will not be answered. All inquiries will be responded to within three (3) business days. Please do not ask other City personnel questions, as information gathered from other sources may not reflect the correct position or interest and could result in disqualification.

A Questions and Answers addendum (FAQ) related to this RFQ will be updated as questions come in is shown below. Please check the addendum to see if your question has already been asked. Any other questions regarding this Request for Qualifications may be directed to the contact below prior to May 15, 2023.

Please direct questions to: Addie Engebretson, Public Health Corps Project Coordinator: aengebretson@BloomingtonMN.gov

All questions concerning the RFQ must reference the page number, section heading, and paragraph. Questions may be submitted via email. Please place “COVID 19 Memorial Artwork RFQ Question” in the subject line

FAQ

Do I need to have a proposal ready when I apply?

Applicants are currently only being asked to provide qualifications. Once three applicants have been selected, they will have at least a month to create their proposal!

I’m an artist from out of the state of Minnesota, can I still be involved?

Provided that the lead artist (who is applying on CaFE and will be the contractor with the city) is a Minnesota resident, their team can consist of people from outside of Minnesota.

What is meant by a “moveable” mural or sculpture?

The main reason Bloomington is asking for a moveable mural or sculpture is that we are not looking for murals in the traditional sense that cannot be moved from where they are first installed. Artwork that can be removed from where it is hung is the minimum degree of mobility, and if any of the three finalists have mural designs that are more mobile, provided the artwork remains within the dimensions of 8x8, that would also be allowed.

I’ve never used CaFE before. Where can I get help with getting started?

Café has a video watch through and tutorial page to help you through the process. If the beginning part where you need to upload your work samples is giving you trouble, they have additional help regarding uploading to My Portfolio.

I’ve already submitted my application but I realized I forgot something! What do I do?

If you realize you’ve made an error in your application after you’ve already fully submitted it, provided it is still before the deadline, email aengebretson@BloomingtonMN.gov about it, and Addie Engebretson will change your status from “received” to “incomplete”, which should let you go back in and make the changes you need. You must then resubmit before the deadline of May 22.