Procurement Portal
Homewood Park Public Art Call for Artists
Post Information
- Posted At:
- Mon, Nov 22, 2021 1:30 PM
- Sealed Bid Process:
- Yes (Bids Unsealed / Pricing Unsealed)
- Private Bid:
- No
Overview
Summary
The City of Pittsburgh is soliciting qualifications of artists and artist teams to realize public artworks as part of the design of the new Homewood Park in 2022. The community is looking for artworks that tell the story of the historic Homewood community and its notable people, organizations, and events.
The budget for the entire project is $120,000, which may be distributed among multiple artists or artist teams. Each awarded artist or artist team may allocate up to 20% of their budget as an artist fee. This project is made possible by the City of Pittsburgh’s Percent for Art Program.
This opportunity is open to artists who have successfully completed at least one prior project of significant impact and scale. Artist teams must be led by a participating artist and provide statements of interest from all members of the team. Artists from the Homewood community are strongly encouraged to apply.
Background
In 2015, Homewood Community Sports (HCS), with the help of Heinz Endowments, Operation Better Block, Neighborhood Allies, Bridging the Gap Development, and The Mission Continues began a grassroots level study of field improvements at Willie Stargell Field. The study identified some of the challenges that the site faces with the existing conditions. Currently, the field serves both as a baseball and football field, however, the field is inadequately sized for both sports.
HCS led an extensive community engagement process in order to develop a Master Plan for the existing Stargell Field and expansion of Homewood Park onto the previous Homewood School property along Hamilton Avenue.
Based on the results of the Master Plan, the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Public Works, along with these essential community partners and the landscape architecture firm Studio Zewde, have begun designing the following improvements:
- Site engineering for the development of a regulation-size football field, seating and site-wide ADA accessibility
- Structural engineering for retaining walls surrounding the site
- Design a new pool and bathhouse/locker room within the Park
- Site-wide stormwater management solutions, including storage cisterns or r-tanks on site
- Connection to the Martin Luther King Jr. Busway and renovated pedestrian bridge to Westinghouse Park
- Cultural/performance space with connections to the Afro American Music Institute
- Playground and multi-purpose courts for various youth activities
Please see Appendix A for the site plan and park history information.
The design of the new Homewood Park and Field includes an area known as the “hub.” The hub is an area of the new park intended to support the ways in which the community gathers everyday, offering a range of spaces, facilities, and activities including a plaza, an amphitheater, a playground, and beyond. The artworks will be integrated into the landscape design or architecture on the occupiable surfaces, such as the plaza paving, the amphitheater seating area, the ramps, the steps, and the building facade. As such, the selected artist and the design team will work in close collaboration on a seamless integration of art, landscape, and architecture.
The vision for the artworks is to tell the story of the historic Homewood community and its notable people, organizations, and events integral to the hub. Applicants should have familiarity and a working understanding of the context and cultural history of this community.
How to Apply
Please submit the following:
- A narrative that is no more than 1500 words, including a statement of interest in the project and applicable experience. All artist team members must sign the submitted narrative or provide a separate statement of interest.
- Work samples. Up to 10 images or videos that display relative and representative experience with work similar to the scope of this project. For each work sample please provide the title of the project, location of the project, date when it was completed, the project budget, and list any collaborators if relevant.
- An artist resume or CV.
- The name, title, address, email address and phone numbers for three professional references.