CALL FOR ARTISTS

*Closed to new applications*

San Francisco General Hospital Acute Care Center

Application Deadline: Friday, October 10, 2008, 5:00 pm PST

Artwork Budget: approximately $100,000 and $800,000
Eligibility: Open to practicing artists in the United States
To Apply : www.callforentry.org, you will find a link about this opportunity along with step-by-step instructions on how to register. This user-friendly process was developed specifically for artists by the Western States Arts Federation.

Purpose/Goals:

The San Francisco Arts Commission’s goal for this project is to commission and purchase artwork of the highest aesthetic standards for General Hospital that contributes to the happiness and well-being of patients, visitors and staff Through this RFQ we intend to establish a pre-qualified pool of professional artists for consideration for a variety of public art projects located at San Francisco General Hospital. We encourage artists using a variety of artistic approaches and media to apply.

Schedule:

According to the current building design schedule, the following dates dictate the schedule that our planning and commissioning process must parallel:

• Design Development, Interior Finishes Elements: 7/28/08-1/16/09
• Finalize Design Development: 12/19/08
• Structural Package Development: 1/10/08-12/31/10
• Building Package Development: 1/19/09-1/8/10
• Construction bid period (Structural Package) 29/7/09-10/2/09
• Construction bid period (Building Package): 2/4/11-3/3/11
• Construction: 4/6/11-7/9/14
• Building opening: 12/31/14

Budget:

The construction of the new acute care building at SF General will generate $5.3 million in art enrichment funds. The project offers multiple public art opportunities and the purpose of this RFQ is to establish a pool of qualified artists who will be considered for specific project opportunities. Project budgets are estimated to be between $100,000 and $800,000.

Description:

The project involves building a new building on the west lawn of the existing SFGH campus. The new facility will house 284 patient beds, as well as surgical and other acute care functions. The building is nine stories, with two basement stories and seven stories above ground.

The building design by Fong and Chan Architects features a circular formed building that sets on a three story rectangular base (two stories are sub-grade). Patient rooms are located around the perimeter of floors 2-7, with nursing and other functions located in the interior of the building.

Approach:

The experience of an acute care hospital is one that finds both patients and their families at their most vulnerable and research indicates that beyond the aesthetic and cultural benefits art usually provides, that a carefully thought out art program can be enormously effective in supporting patients, families and hospital staff. Informed by experience and research in the field, we will be looking for artwork that evokes the beauty and serenity of the natural world through the use of materials, form, light and imagery

Summary of Art Opportunities in New Building and Landscape :

Interior:

• Main Entry Lobby (single artist or artist team): Artist(s) could create an integrated visual whole in the two story lobby area. Sites of special opportunity include the 2 story atrium and wall behind the reception desk, terrazzo floor, and a. backlit glass wall. A walkway on the 2 nd floor allows an overhead view of the space, and the railing provides another art opportunity. Estimated budget:
• Glass or tile mosaic on 35′ wall of 2nd Fl. Elevator lobby: An artwork here provides an entry statement to the maternity and pediatric floor.
• Backlit curved glass wall at exit of elevator lobbies on floors 3-7: and exterior court glass walls on floors 3-7: The architectural design provides a number of opportunities for the integrated use of art glass. The potential use of the glass in the light wells that penetrate the six patient floors, as well an interior backlit glass wall at the entrance of the patient floors provides an opportunity for both a unified visual theme, as well as distinctive identity for each floor. Flooring design marking each quadrant on floors 2-7: There is little opportunity to provide artwork in the patient room areas, but the linoleum flooring provides an opportunity to give a visual identity to each nursing quadrant.
• Glass Bridge to existing hospital: This major connector provides an opportunity for glass that could have a visual impact both during the day and at night.
• Purchased artwork for admitting areas, waiting areas, consultation rooms, and other locations:

Exterior:

• Sculpture for center of vehicular turn around at main entry: This is an opportunity to create a signature piece marking the entry of the hospital.
• 7th floor Roof garden sculptures: one or two sculptures would provide focal points to this area.
• Plaza between new and existing building (possibly stairwell windows, sculpture, paving, seating): There are a number of opportunities here, including visually connecting with the entry lobby.
• Potrero St. entry, walkway on south side of building; (entry sculpture, retaining wall outside of surgery waiting room)

Artist Selection Criteria:

Artist’s application will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Artistic merit as evidenced by digital representation of past work.
• Appropriateness of the artist’s medium, style and previous professional experience as they relate to the art goals and opportunities in this project.
• Experience with projects of similar scale and scope, including familiarity with public agencies, the public review process, and experience working with community groups.
• The ability of the artist to successfully complete the proposed artwork within the project timeline for the library branch for which they may have been selected as a finalist.

Artist Selection Considerations:

Artistic excellence, innovation and originality as evidenced by representations of past work and other supporting material.

The artist’s work is judged to be appropriate to the goals of the project…

The artist’s professional experience is adequate to meet the demands of the project.

The artist is available to participate in the design, approval and implementation of the project as required.

Assessed ability to meet project deadlines, and to perform work in a timely and professional manner.

Results of reference checks.

Artist Selection Process:

After the application deadline the Arts Commission Public Art staff will screen applicants to establish a qualified candidate pool to be considered for these commissions. These pre-qualified artists will be presented to an Artist Selection Panel consisting of arts professionals and one representative each from the Arts Commission and Airport Commission and in some cases the project architect. It is anticipated that there may be several selection panels for the various opportunities in the hospital.. The panel(s) may select finalists, who will be paid an honorarium to either develop a site proposal, and/or attend an interview. After interviewing the candidates and reviewing proposals (if requested), the Selection Panel will recommend candidate(s) to the Arts Commission for approval.

Application Process:

The Arts Commission has instituted a new system of applying for public art projects through CaFÉ, an online application system for Calls for Entry. Artist will submit their application online through the CaFÉ website, www.callforentry.org. Applications will not be accepted in any other manner. There is no charge to artists for using CaFÉ. If you are a first time user of CaFÉ, please allow adequate time to learn the use of this system. We believe that there are many advantages to this new digital submission system in terms of cost, environmental issues and artist’s access to other competitions which are being advertised through CaFÉ. Artist teams must submit one application and are limited to 10 images.

Required Forms and Contracts:

As part of the City’s contracting process, the artist selected and approved by the Arts Commission shall be asked to enter into contract with the City and County of San Francisco for the entire duration of the project. Artist applicants should review the Arts Commission standard template contract which can be found on the Arts Commission website: http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/documents/pa03-sample-artist-contract/. While some things such as payment schedule and schedule of deliverables may be negotiated, the terms of the contract will not be changed. Depending on the specific scope of the project, prior to the issuance and throughout the duration of the contract, the artist may be required to maintain a San Francisco business tax license, go through the Vendor set-up process, fill out specific documents from the Human Rights Commission and may be required to provide various types of insurance, including Automobile Liability, General Liability, Fine Arts, and other insurance as required by the City.

Policies:

Proposal Board and Maquette Policy:

In the event that artists are asked to develop a proposal board and/or maquette or other design materials for the proposal, the following policy shall apply. The Arts Commission shall:

• At its sole discretion, have the unconditional right to own proposal boards and maquettes or other design materials produced as part of this selection and/or commission process.
• Be given credit upon display and/or reproduction of any maquette or proposal commissioned, whether selected for implementation or not.
• Require that all concepts, proposals and/or maquettes submitted are original and unique.

Equal Benefits Ordinance:

The City and County of San Francisco, in its effort to provide equality of opportunity and equality of benefits, requires that all entities receiving public monies comply with Sections 12B and 12D of the Administrative Code, relative to provision of equal benefits to registered domestic partners and demonstration of good faith efforts to hire minority-owned, women-owned and San Francisco based subcontractors.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

The selected artist(s) will be required to comply with American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements in addition to related federal, state and local codes and will be encouraged to develop artwork(s) sensitive to programmatic as well as physical accessibility issues in cooperation with the Arts Commission and disabled communities.

Environmental Regulation:

Due to the environmental sensitivity of the site and its protection under the regulations of the California Environmental Quality Act, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the selected artist(s) will be required to comply with applicable environmental regulations. The selected artist(s) will be encouraged to develop artwork(s) sensitive to the unique natural resources of the site in cooperation with the Arts Commission and the SFPUC.

Contact us:

For questions, please contact either Ellen Shershow, at 415.252.2594 or ellen.shershow@sfgov.org, or Mary Chou, at 415.252.3215 or mary.chou@sfgov.org.

All information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.