Eric Ledesma, Cesar Chavez Drive 2017 Artist in Residence, paints his mural on Mineral St. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Cesar E. Chavez Drive is the heart of Wisconsin’s Latino community. The Farm Project is a partnership between the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI) and the Cesar Chavez Drive Business Improvement District (BID) to seed arts, culture, and small business in the Clarke Square neighborhood. The Farm Project objective is to cultivate Chavez Drive as a destination for both cultural and economic investment.
Chavez Drive is one of the city’s few major arterial streets that is well connected to many different neighborhoods (The Menomonee Valley, Walker Square, Clarke Square, Muskego Way). Historically, it is the epicenter for Latino business and residents to access ethnic food, music and merchandise. Chavez Drive is at the center of the State’s densest zip code 53204 with almost ten thousand residents within a ten-block radius.
The Farm Project has implemented several successful projects, from the installation of a significant public art piece in the shape of a six-foot bronze Cesar E. Chavez Sculpture (at 916 S. Chavez Drive) to the successful planning and implementation of special events such as Ciclovía MKE.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Farm Project is excited to build connections between the Milwaukee arts community and Cesar Chavez Drive, by providing an artist studio space that is open to neighborhood residents and business owners to interact with an artist, and watch the evolution of each piece of work being completed firsthand.
We are seeking an artist-in-residence to work in the Cesar Chavez Drive corridor from August 1 – December 31, 2018. The artist will have time to develop their own arts practice during the program, as well as to collaborate with neighborhood residents on the creation of at least one art piece that will likely be installed along the corridor.
ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS AND TIMELINE
All RFQ submissions will be reviewed by neighborhood stakeholders and up to three artists will be chosen to move forward in the process.
- Finalists will be announced on Thursday, July 26th.
- Finalists must be available on Friday, July 27 between 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm for a presentation of their preliminary proposal. This provides the artist an opportunity to engage with and learn from neighborhood residents prior to submitting their final proposal.
- Each artist will then be asked to submit a proposal (with a timeline) of how they plan to utilize the studio space to create a positive cultural experience along Cesar Chavez Drive. Final proposals must be submitted by July 30, 2018 (5 pm in person, or midnight via e-mail).
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- Proposals will be reviewed by neighborhood stakeholders, and the selected artist will be announced by August 1st, 2018.
- The selected artist will be required to enter into a contract with CSNI to ensure that the project is completed on schedule and within budget.
- The selected artist will set specific, measurable goals for the project (that comply with grant requirements) with neighborhood stakeholders. The project team will meet monthly and for a mid-term and final debriefing to ensure the project was completed per the chosen proposal.
PAYMENT
Any finalists not selected will receive of a stipend of $75 for completion of their proposal. The selected artist will receive a monthly stipend of $2,000 (over five months) as long as all contractual deadlines and deliverables are met. A materials budget will also be available. Payment will come from CSNI and will be made in monthly installments. A stipend for initial supplies/materials is available upon contract execution.
SCOPE OF WORK
The selected artist will be expected to be in residence from August 1 through December 31, 2018; and to:
- Become familiar with the Clarke Square Neighborhood, as well as, Cesar Chavez Drive (and adjacent neighborhoods)
- Commit to a weekly studio schedule and a schedule of neighborhood events that is mutually agreed upon with CSNI
- Design and implement opportunities to share their art making process with neighborhood residents, and business owners
- Create 5-7 new works of art, including at least one public artwork that will likely be installed within the Cesar Chavez Drive corridor
- Grant permission to reproduce visual images of the artwork for promotional purposes.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Submit qualifications in one package, by e-mail (by midnight) or in person (by 5 pm) on July 25th to:
Ian Bautista
Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative 2110 W. Scott St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Or via e-mail: ian@clarkesquare.org
Qualifications package must include:
- Professional resume and contact information
- Examples of previous work: photos, high-quality color printer outputs, or disc file images (please indicate date, location, and owner of each submission)
- At least three (3) references from past projects, with contact informationQuestions about the process or timeline should be shared with Ian Bautista at ian@clarkesquare.org or via phone (414) 647-0548 x 107
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