REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
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A. INTRODUCTION
Developed through a 2018 Our Town grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART is a creative placemaking collaboration of the County of Maui + Hale Hō‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society + the newly formed Maui Public Art Corps that is working to develop an arts district celebrating the distinctive sense of place, history and culture of Wailuku, Hawai‘i.
A nod to the Wailuku town motto: Small Town, Big Heart, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART pairs professional artists with community consultants to co-create visual, performance and experiential public art installations that align with ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. Through many hands and many voices, these creative interpretations represent a revitalized identity for this small town with the BIGGEST heart.
A nod to the Wailuku town motto: Small Town, Big Heart, SMALL TOWN * BIG ART pairs professional artists with community consultants to co-create visual, performance and experiential public art installations that align with ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. Through many hands and many voices, these creative interpretations represent a revitalized identity for this small town with the BIGGEST heart.
B. OUR PROCESS
Please take some time to explore smalltownbig.org to learn about past projects and the evolution of this program.
There are 3 opportunities for which to apply by August 15, 2022. Details are under section "D".
Project process:
Applications will only be received via Call For Entry and Application Management for the Arts (CaFÉ) and will not be accepted after the marked deadline. Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Please carefully review the proposal requirements below before beginning the online application process, as incomplete applications will not be considered. Our team may select as many artists or artist groups as deemed fit. Multiple applications with varied project budgets may be submitted. You will be notified via the email address listed in your online application whether or not you have been selected to participate in the program. Those selected will engage in a period of project development to determine opportunities for community involvement, identify/ confirm an ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb), and to clearly identify inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. Contracts will be awarded and a collaborative process of project implementation and marketing/ community engagement will initiate. Please note:
There are 3 opportunities for which to apply by August 15, 2022. Details are under section "D".
- Performances & Public Art Inspired by Maui Storytellers
- Kahului Mural
- Lānaʻi Story Animations
Project process:
- Call to artists (4-6 weeks): We work with CaFÉ when a new set of opportunities arises. Established artists share their ideas, samples and references regarding a specific project opportunity, and a community panel makes recommendations on the most promising projects.
- Project development (2-3 weeks): Our team workshops top proposals to determine a fit as well as possible activities for broad engagement, mentors, and opportunities to connect to a sense of place. Artists are invited, contracted and connected to project collaborators.
- Community engagement (2-12 weeks): Together, the artist, program partners and project collaborators gather community input on your project proposal in order to create a revised blueprint. This has included free artist workshops, community consultations, panel discussions, live paint days, field trips and storytelling events — but we are always open to new ideas!
- Proverb identification: Artists work with Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/ Maui Historical Society to connect community input with ‘ōlelo from Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings.
- Present: The final public artwork is shared with an unveiling, performance, and/ or blessing that articulates the intention, acknowledges the many hands and many voices that contributed to the work, and offers a request + opportunity to experience the art collectively.
- Exchange: A project web page is created with process + product images, stories, media coverage, artist statement and, (since the onset of the pandemic), a short documentary that offers varying perspectives of the artwork to help spur a dialogue.
Applications will only be received via Call For Entry and Application Management for the Arts (CaFÉ) and will not be accepted after the marked deadline. Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Please carefully review the proposal requirements below before beginning the online application process, as incomplete applications will not be considered. Our team may select as many artists or artist groups as deemed fit. Multiple applications with varied project budgets may be submitted. You will be notified via the email address listed in your online application whether or not you have been selected to participate in the program. Those selected will engage in a period of project development to determine opportunities for community involvement, identify/ confirm an ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb), and to clearly identify inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. Contracts will be awarded and a collaborative process of project implementation and marketing/ community engagement will initiate. Please note:
- Artists will be required to provide all tools, equipment, technology, knowledge and labor necessary to successfully execute the proposed project. We strongly suggest including a line item in your budget for a project assistant, especially for visiting artists, which we may be able to help identify locally for you.
- For specific projects, such as installations, it is at our discretion to confirm your location or to assign an alternative location.
- Projects are meant to develop and promote the unique history, culture and community of the place where they will be presented. For those applying from outside of Hawaiʻi, we encourage you to base your proposal off of Wailuku (Maui) as a starting point, as we have developed a vast knowledge bank of visual, audio, and written materials at smalltownbig.org.
- All projects will be professionally documented. The County shall retain ownership of the video/ photo documentation and may choose to promote or display the work publicly, at a later date. Artists shall retain ownership of the copyright of the works.
- All professional artists are welcome to apply, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability.
- Click for frequently asked questions
C. EVALUATION
The selected artists will be contracted to co-develop an innovative project with our team that engages a diverse public audience. Themes must address the distinct sense of place, history and/ or culture of a Maui County neighborhood or place. County of Maui reserves the right to reject any and all applications, to waive any irregularities in the applications received and to accept the applications that are in the best interest of the County. Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation panel with selection criteria aimed at quality, style, experience in creating communal or public art, significance to place and a proven track record of successful collaboration work. All applications must be submitted by their marked deadline. Multiple applications with varied project budgets may be submitted.
Proposal requirements: Applications will only be received via CaFÉ and will not be accepted after the marked deadline. Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Please carefully review the application requirements before beginning the online application process, as incomplete applications will not be considered.
Proposal requirements: Applications will only be received via CaFÉ and will not be accepted after the marked deadline. Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Please carefully review the application requirements before beginning the online application process, as incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Choose the Category that you are applying for (Performances & Public Art Inspired by Maui Storytellers, Kahului Mural, or Lānaʻi Story Animations)
- Artist/s Bio (as it would appear on our website)
- Artist/s Résumé (Submit a one to two page current résumé that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé for the team, with no more than one page per team member. Please highlight experience in creating communal or public art and two references).
- Statement of Interest (Please submit a statement briefly outlining your interest in the SMALL TOWN * BIG ART public art project, your design approach and your experience working on projects of this kind. Please also include information on your experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders).
- Project Description (You may select a proverb from ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui as a theme for your project, or, one will be selected with you during the project development stage. Please note: each project must undergo a period of collaborative project development. Please include examples or opportunities for broad community engagement that specifically pertain to your proposed project).
- Project Budget (Include all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: insurance, tools, materials, rentals, installation, any building or site modification required, travel, and any other costs). Each project’s budget request may vary, depending on the project’s specific needs. The request must be in increments of $100. Multiple project budgets may be submitted as "OPTION A" "OPTION B" etc.
- Work samples
- Notes (optional)
D. OPPORTUNITIES:
OPPORTUNITY CATEGORY #1
Project: Performances & Public Art Inspired by Maui Storytellers
Description: Select a "Talk Story" recording below and bring it to life through an animated short, spoken word, musical performance, dance, work of short theater or other artistic medium. To create an efficient juror selection process, applicants are asked to base their proposals off of the excerpts below, yet upon invitation to join ST*BA may select any part of the full recording for the final project.
Application Deadline: AUGUST 15, 2022 | CLOSES 7:59 PM HST | APPLICATION HERE
Budget Cap: $5,000 per story-inspired artwork
Project Start Date: Fall 2022
Project: Performances & Public Art Inspired by Maui Storytellers
Description: Select a "Talk Story" recording below and bring it to life through an animated short, spoken word, musical performance, dance, work of short theater or other artistic medium. To create an efficient juror selection process, applicants are asked to base their proposals off of the excerpts below, yet upon invitation to join ST*BA may select any part of the full recording for the final project.
Application Deadline: AUGUST 15, 2022 | CLOSES 7:59 PM HST | APPLICATION HERE
Budget Cap: $5,000 per story-inspired artwork
Project Start Date: Fall 2022
Visit our "Talk Story" project page to learn more about these conversations. |
OPPORTUNITY CATEGORY #2
Project: Kahului Mural Description: Space is 40 x 40 (1600 SQ FT); artist may utilize a balance of positive and negative space. Though not required, applicants are encouraged to select the following story as a starting point: Excerpt | Full Recording Application Deadline: AUGUST 15, 2022 | CLOSES 7:59 PM HST | APPLICATION HERE Budget Cap: $10,000 for story-inspired artwork Project Start Date: Fall 2022 |
OPPORTUNITY CATEGORY #3
Project: Lānaʻi Story Animations
Description: Referring to THIS project page as a reference, artists will bring one or more of these specific Talk Story recordings to life:
Budget Cap: $5,000 per story-inspired artwork
Project Start Date: Fall 2022
Project: Lānaʻi Story Animations
Description: Referring to THIS project page as a reference, artists will bring one or more of these specific Talk Story recordings to life:
- Soon Yai Amaral, Elder kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi + Diane Preza, Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi (Excerpt | Full Recording)
- Dean Del Rosario, Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi + Shelly Preza, Executive Director, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center (Excerpt | Full Recording)
- Anthony Pacheco and his father Henry Eskaran, Jr., Kamaʻāina of Lānaʻi (Excerpt | Full Recording)
Budget Cap: $5,000 per story-inspired artwork
Project Start Date: Fall 2022