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Request for Proposals
Call For Entries
The Larchmere Merchants Association (LMA) and Larchmere Community Association (LCA), in partnership with the
Shaker Square Area Development Corporation (SHAD), is issuing this Request for Proposals from qualified artists to
create a new, site-specific work of art for installation on a highly visible building wall at 12201 Larchmere Blvd.
There are two primary purposes to this project:
• To complete a public art project on Larchmere, further enhancing the community and celebrating its vitality.
• To build community and leadership among both residents and merchants, with a focus on youth involvement.
LMA and SHAD have worked diligently to make physical improvements to Larchmere in recent years. In 2009, new
planters were installed in front of the Life Skills building as well as Community Housing Solutions, a non-profit located
across the street. Other recent efforts have included the Knitscape project and the hanging of banners and brackets for
flower baskets on the street. Future projects include installation of gateway signage and a new streetscape plan.
Eligibility
This competition is open to all Cleveland area artists, designers, architects, students, and alumni of Cleveland area
universities above the age of 18. Submissions from individuals or teams are welcome. The artist selected will be asked to
include interested community members and neighborhood youth in envisioning and making the mural. In your response to
this request for proposals, please outline how you would include residents and neighborhood youth in the project.
Location
The Larchmere-Shaker Square neighborhood is located on Cleveland’s east side, near University Circle and Shaker
Heights. The project site is on an historic commercial street with a concentration of distinctive, locally-owned businesses.
Known for its antiques, the street also offers home décor services, restaurants and cafes, boutiques and gift shops, a
prominent bookstore, and well-frequented salons and barbershops. The architectural fabric is eclectic and contains a
number of unique properties. Many of the buildings feature traditional, ground-level retail with walk-up apartments and 2-3
stories in height.
The site for the mural belongs to White Hat Management, the entity that owns Life Skills Inc., an alternative high school.
The wall is approximately 80 feet wide x 20 feet high in dimensions. The mural does not need to cover the entire wall but
should be visible. We have developed a partnership with Life Skills to facilitate this project. The Life Skills building was
historically used as convenience retail. It was built decades ago to house an A & P grocery store and had larger windows
facing the parking lot.
Artists should consider the size and dimensions of the wall in your response to this RFP. Also, please note that while our
initial budget will allow for one mural, we intend to raise funds to expand this project in the future, adding murals that could
be installed on the Life Skills building or on other sites in the community.
Requirements
Proposals will be accepted on firm cardboard or similar material only. The overall dimensions of the submission should be
not more than 24 inches by 36 inches and not less than 11 inches by 17 inches. Submissions should contain as much
information as necessary to clearly convey the concept and may include, but are not limited to, drawings, renderings,
ideas for working with the community, and other text.
Submissions should include a brief written statement (one page or less in length) outlining the project concept and how
the artists proposes to work with youth and community residents throughout the mural-making process. On the back side
of the submission, the following information should be included – artist’s or team’s name, daytime phone number, e-mail
address and mailing address. Submissions will NOT be returned. IMPORTANT: Any information about the artist on the
front of the submission will immediately disqualify the submission.
All submissions must be received by 5 p.m., March 15th, 2010 at SHAD, 11811 Shaker Boulevard, Suite 206, Cleveland
OH 44120. Late submissions and postmarks will NOT be accepted. Hand deliveries are acceptable. The Mural Project
Committee intends to select an artist by April, and would like the project to be complete by September 2010.
Downloads
Competition Deadline
03/15/2010
Budget
The total project budget for the building wall is $9,000. This budget must include all artist fees, fabrication, installation,
permits, insurance, materials, supplies, and all other associated costs.
Awards
Three cash awards will be made: a first prize of $500 and two runner-up prizes of $250. The project sponsors reserve the
right to implement designs not associated with this competition. All entries will be judged by an independent panel of
neighborhood stakeholders and art or design professionals. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the project site and
to contact SHAD PRIOR TO SUBMITTING YOUR RESPONSE in order to better understand the neighborhood and the
project’s context.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be judged on the following criteria:
• Creativity and boldness—Is the artwork innovative? Does it demonstrate a creative approach to the project’s needs? Is
the artist/team willing to take aesthetic risks?
• Expression of project theme – Does the project express the community’s vitality and the connections it helps to foster?
• Feasibility of design and cost of construction—Is the proposal able to be built within the allotted project budget?
• Durability and maintenance needs—Is the proposal able to withstand the extremes in Cleveland’s weather? Are the
materials appropriate for the site and their use?
