Challenge
Hovde Properties, a real estate developer in Madison, Wisconsin, opened their newest luxury apartment building, “Ovation 309” in Fall 2015. The previous year, Eric Hovde, CEO of Hovde Properties, was trying to decide what else the company could add to Ovation that could place it a cut above all others.
Eric and the Hovde Properties team decided they wanted to commission a unique piece of artwork for the lobby of Ovation. The site-specific art commission would be multidimensional wall art or a 3D sculpture that could be mounted on the load-bearing wall above the lobby fireplace. The dimensions for the art commission were approximately 14’x22’; the selected piece would need to enhance the luxury design of Ovation 309 as well as reflect the unique, urban setting of Madison.
The Hovde Team were determined to find and hire an artist or artist team experienced in creating commissioned artwork. But, commissioning art was a new endeavor for Hovde Properties. They didn’t know the process for commissioning an artist, or have the network or resources available to reach artists of the desired level of talent. The budget for this art commission was $40,000.
Solution
Eric and the Hovde real estate team decided to take advantage of the CODAworx RFP Toolkit Concierge Service to expand their expertise and extend their reach.
The Hovde team 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 led the way from the beginning, making the RFP process easy.
CODAworx sent the Request for Qualifications announcement out quickly in a targeted email to wall artists and sculptors, 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, and advised the Hovde team on the review and artist interview process. Soon entries were coming in, neatly and beautifully organized by applicant. With CODAworx managing the process, the Hovde team was able to focus their full attention on reviewing which artist was the right fit.
Results
The CODAworx RFP Toolkit Concierge Service enabled the Hovde team to target 1,700 highly qualified artists with a single email. After 3 weeks the deadline closed with a total of 151 applicants.
The committee selected and requested design concepts from 12 finalists. All 12 were provided an honorarium for their sketches and ideas. Out of these finalists, 2 artist teams were interviewed via phone and in person. The Hovde team felt that developing a relationship with the artist was key to the success of the project, and they chose both based on concept and person. After a final presentation and much excitement, the real estate developer hires artist team of David Dahlquist and Matt Niebuhr, in collaboration with RDG Dahlquist Art Studio (RDG Planning & Design) for the project.
David Dahlquist is a nationally-recognized public artist. His commissions range from tilework and sculpture to major architectural installations for private, public, and institutional clients. Matt Niebuhr is a talented visual artist and architectural designer. Their wall art installation is an iconic entry feature for Ovation 309 and was completed in May of 2015, on time and on budget. The final artwork is a mixed-media, 3-dimensional mural installation of custom relief ceramic tile, laser-cut metal, and LED lighting. It is based on the geography of Madison, its unique “Isthmus” configuration, and the original plat map of the city surrounded by the lakes.
From Eric
“I’m a big fan of CODAworx. We would never have had access to all the artists. They were invaluable throughout the whole process. I don’t know why you would ever try to do it on your own, it would just be so much more time and you’re not going to have anywhere near the end result.”
– Eric Hovde, CEO, Hovde Properties