Challenge
The Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wanted to commission a large-scale exterior artwork to contribute to community vitality and attract visitors. The intent of this project was to add a signature installation along the Mississippi riverfront that enhanced the sense of place associated with the area. The artwork needed to be viewable day or night and integrate with the existing landscape and structures.
The art commission is a gift from the Rotary Club to the city in celebration of the Club’s Centennial Anniversary. The project leads are Beau Olinde, Chairman of the Centennial Committee, and Skipper Post, Rotary Club member and a leading architect. Beau and the Centennial Committee needed to find and hire a public artist, architect, or landscape architect who could reliably create and deliver an artwork that would be approved by the Corps of Engineers. But, commissioning art was a new endeavor for the Rotary Club. They knew they didn’t have the network or resources available to reach artists of the desired level of talent and experience in large installations. The budget for this art commission was $340,000.
Solution
Beau and the Centennial Committee decided to take advantage of the CODAworx RFP Toolkit Concierge Service to expand their expertise and extend their reach.
The Rotary Club was assigned their own CODAworx RFP Specialist to handle the RFQ/RFP process from start to finish. The Specialist interviewed key stakeholders and worked closely with them to write the custom Request for Qualifications and create a PDF for mass distribution. CODAworx took the reigns from the very start, making the RFP process easy.
The CODAworx Concierge Service comes with the RFP Blast and the RFP Manage tools, so the commissioning body can view all materials and incoming submissions while CODAworx manages all the details and administration.
Using the RFP Blast, CODAworx sent the Request for Qualifications announcement out quickly in a targeted email to artists, architects, and landscape architects, out of the CODAworx database of over 21,000 potential artists around the world.
After the email was sent, the CODAworx team handled any questions about the RFP or application process. Soon entries were coming in, neatly and beautifully organized by applicant.
Results
The CODAworx Concierge Service enabled the Centennial Committee to target 14,900 highly qualified artists, architects, and landscape architects with a single email. After 30 days the deadline closed with a total of 145 applicants.
The committee selected and interviewed 7 finalists by Skype. Out of these finalists, 3 artist teams were provided an honorarium to develop a detailed proposal. After a final presentation and much excitement, artist Po Shu Wang of Living Lenses was selected for the Rotary Centennial Project’s art commission.
And what an exciting project it will be! The installation will be an interactive sculpture that gives visitors the opportunity to have a duet with the Mississippi River. Po Shu’s sculpture will allow the Mississippi to sing through the artwork with the river’s vital signs (from sensors monitoring flow, salinity, level etc.). Visitors will be able to sing back in voice harmony or with their own vital signs through a touch sensor designed into the artwork. Combined with synchronized lighting, this musical sculpture far exceeded the Centennial Committee’s expectations and is set to be unveiled in 2018 as part of their Centennial Celebration.
From Beau
“We very highly recommend CODAworx. Our experience with Toni Sikes and the staff at CODAworx was nothing short of outstanding. The CODAworx network of artists, and its well-conceived RFQ process, produced a great volume of excellent submissions, resulting in a competitive design competition, and ultimately in the selection of an incredibly exciting design concept by a very talented, experienced artist. We’re happy to recommend CODAworx, without any hesitation.”
– Beau Olinde, Chairman, Centennial Committee, Rotary Club of Baton Rouge