NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, in partnership with The Arts Council New Orleans, is searching for artists and design teams to create permanent art installations.
The installations will be features on the 7.5-acre pedestrian park that will run along the length of Convention Center Boulevard, from Poydras to Henderson Streets. The park will span the length of the Center along Convention Center Boulevard, creating a safer, more enjoyable, and more diverse experience for both visitors and residents.
“Through this series of commissions, our goal is to bring New Orleans’ world-class reputation as a center of art and culture to the front steps of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,” Arts Council Executive Director Alphonse Smith said. “We commend the Convention Center for recognizing the essential role that art has in elevating public space and enhancing the visitor experience.”
Chosen artists and teams will be tasked with creating medium to large-scale artworks that will be installed at three locations along Convention Center Boulevard. Applicants are encouraged to consider the following themes:
• Creativity: Inspire creativity and curiosity, and utilize innovative and visionary methods that activate the site and considers the current architecture.
• Sense of Place: Help shape a sense of place and identity for the park that celebrates the history, geography, and culture of the area.
• Connectivity: Enhance the park’s role as a hub of connectivity for pedestrian circulation.
• Light: Create durable luminary artwork that activates the site for night-time use.
• Interactivity: Create opportunities for pedestrians to interact with the installation.
A total of $425,000 will be awarded among a minimum of the three commissions. The amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the project, including, but not limited to artist fees, materials and equipment, insurance, permitting, fabrication and installation, and travel and lodging. Artists who are invited to participate in Phase II of the Call will be required to submit an itemized budget as part of the proposal submission.
The call is open to professional artists or teams working in conjunction with professional artists. Submissions must include a brief letter of interest, a resume, work samples with a description list, a preliminary proposal that demonstrates your concept for the project, and three professional references. Qualified parties should go HERE review all criteria and to download the RFQ details. The deadline for submissions is March 18, 2020.
The project timeline is as follows:
Artist Selection Phase I: Call for Qualifications
• Call for Qualifications: published February 12, 2020
• Submission Deadline: March 18, 2020 11:59 pm CST
• Selection Committee Review March 23 – March 26, 2020
• Finalists Notification March 30 2020
Artist Selection Phase II: Concept Proposal
• Site Visit(s) April 2020
• Concept Proposal Submission Deadline May 22, 2020
• Final Interviews & Presentations May 27 and 28, 2020
Announcement of Winner: June 1, 2020
Artwork Installation and Celebration: December 2020
Timeline may be subject to change.
The Pedestrian Park Project is one part of a $557 million five-year modernization plan that will transform the guest experience including reimagined meeting rooms, restrooms and public spaces. Negotiations are underway to develop a 1,200 room headquarters hotel connected to the Center. The hotel will be surrounded with a 39-acre mixed-use project on an adjacent tract owned by the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority.
This project includes the newly opened Transportation Center connected to the Center via a covered walkway as well as outdoor entertainment spaces, seating areas, public art and water features. The pedestrian park will be completed by December 2020. For a list of major construction milestones, visit http://advantagenola.com/major-milestones/.
