call to artists - st. catharines · plywood sheets or like product. the door mural will be painted...

Call to Artists Catherine Street Park Mural Project

Release Date: Thursday July 16, 2015

Submission Deadline: Monday August 17, 2015 at 4 p.m.

The City of St. Catharines invites Niagara based artists and artist-led teams to submit an original design for a new community mural project to be completed as a Culture Days activity at Catherine Street Park. The successful design will be executed by the artist along with community members and will be maintained by the City of St. Catharines for a minimum of five years.

Call to Artists | Catherine Street Park Mural Project

Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................. 3

History of Program .................................................................................................... 3

The Project Setting ................................................................................................... 4

Vision ....................................................................................................................... 4

Site and Technical Information .................................................................................. 5

Eligibility ................................................................................................................... 5

Design Fee ............................................................................................................... 5

Copyright ................................................................................................................. 6

Insurance and W.S.I.B. ............................................................................................. 6

Selection Criteria ....................................................................................................... 6

Artist’s Agreement and Requirements ......................................................................... 7

Timeline ................................................................................................................... 7

Submission Requirements .......................................................................................... 7

Proposal Evaluation ................................................................................................... 8

Accessibility .............................................................................................................. 9

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) ................... 9

APPENDIX A ........................................................................................................... 11

APPENDIX B ........................................................................................................... 12

APPENDIX C - Accessibility Declaration ..................................................................... 15

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Introduction The City of St. Catharines invites artists and artist-led teams (herein referred to as the “Artist”) to submit original proposals for the design and completion of a new community mural project. The project’s main element is a mural to be produced with assistance from the community on boarding and installed on a utility shed in Catherine Street Park. This work will be completed during Culture Days 2015 (September 25 – 27, 2014) to stimulate interest in art creation in the neighbourhood. The second element of the project is an optional mural to be completed on the building’s door; this can be done before or after Culture Days. The term “mural project” is herein used to refer to both mural elements of the project. The building is located next to the Russell Avenue Community Centre parking lot and in close proximity to a splash pad and playground, and the future Harriet Tubman Public School yard.

The City of St. Catharines will oversee all marketing and community communications related to the mural project. The work is transitory (non-permanent) and will be maintained by the City of St. Catharines for a minimum of 5 (five) years.

Project submissions will include concepts for design, descriptions of how the Artist will engage the community in the mural creation for Culture Days, and a detailed project budget for all related costs including artist fees, design revisions as required, materials1, copyright and miscellaneous expenses.

This call is open to all artists residing in Niagara. All submissions will be reviewed by the Catherine Street Park Mural Jury (herein referred to as the “Jury”) comprised of representation from City staff, the Public Art Advisory Committee and the neighbourhood.

History of Program The Russell Avenue Community Centre Mural is an inaugural project in the development of a program that will utilize mural art for the eradication of graffiti and beautification of St. Catharines.

Culture Days, beginning in 2009, is a national movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Culture Days celebrations will take place nation-wide on September 25, 26 & 27, 2015.

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The City of St. Catharines is excited to officially participate in Culture Days for the first time! The City will be driving the community to Culture Days activities in St. Catharines through an umbrella marketing campaign that will promote the overall weekend.

The aim of this call is to stimulate synergies between the opportunities that each of these programs offer.

The Project Setting Russell Avenue Community Centre is located in Catherine Street Park which is bordered by Russell Avenue, Catherine and George Streets, and the Hamdani Textile building near downtown St. Catharines. The Community Centre is an active gathering place for St. Catharines residents and is used extensively for preschool, child, youth and adult recreation programs, as well as assorted older adult programs. The centre is animated throughout the week with dancing, music, cards, arts, crafts, yoga and more. The centre is also used for community meetings, birthday parties, religious services and other social gatherings.

Catherine Street Park is a neighbourhood park that offers a wide variety of recreation activities. During the summer months, children can enjoy cooling off in the splash pad and frolicking in the adjacent playground. The Terry Fox Trail is in close proximity to the park, offering residents connections to the other areas of the neighbourhood. St. Catharines’ downtown leash free dog park is located at the south end of the park.

Adjacent to the park is the site of the former Alexandra Public School. A new school is currently being constructed closer to the park to replace Alexander PS and other downtown schools. This new school, scheduled to open in September, will be named Harriet Tubman Public School for the historic freedom fighter. A portion of the Catherine Street Park will be incorporated into the new school’s grounds. The park is currently partially incorporated into the construction site. There is currently an initiative underway in the community to create a sculptural representation of Harriet Tubman on or near the school grounds.

Vision The City of St. Catharines, through its Public Art Advisory Committee and Public Art Policy “strives to create vibrant public spaces that reflect the diversity of our community and engage its residents and visitors with quality works of public art.”

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The Catherine Street Park Mural should be a colourful, vibrant reflection of this active park’s characteristics and the elements that make it unique. Designs should complement this playful gathering place in St. Catharines that is enjoyed by a variety of community members, including users of the Russell Avenue Community Centre and children in the nearby schoolyard. The relationship of the mural to the rest of the structure and surrounding features should be considered in the design concept.

Site and Technical Information The Catherine Street Park utility shed is a stone-stucco covered building located between the facility’s parking lot and the splash pad. The community mural will be installed on the wall facing the sports fields of Harriet Tubman Public School. The optional mural will be on the door that faces the parking lot and entrance to the community centre.

The community mural will be created on two 4’ x 8’ sheets of waterproof crezon plywood sheets or like product. The door mural will be painted directly onto the surface of a 30.69 sq.ft. (7’ 1”H x 4’ 4”W) external door made of metal; the mural will cover it as well as its frame. Please note that the door contains three external items (locks and stoppers) that will remain, and should be factored into the design. See Appendix A for site location and Appendix B for photographs.

Material used for the mural project should be a waterbased paint that can endure external conditions and annual maintenance (washing). A possible sponsorship source for paint is being explored by City staff. The City of St. Catharines requires the use of materials that will not pose a risk to the safety of the public, staff or the artist. City of St. Catharines staff will have final approval of all materials and installation methods.

Eligibility Participation is open to all artists, 18 years and older, who reside in Niagara, Canada. The artist must be able to facilitate community engagement in the mural’s creation over the course of the Culture Days weekend.

Design Fee Artists are asked to submit a detailed budget as part of the proposal. The proposed budget should cover all related costs including artist fees, design revisions as required,

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materials, copyright and miscellaneous expenses. A payment schedule will be produced in consultation with the selected artist.

Copyright The artist may retain the right to be identified as the creator of the artwork. The City shall have the right to exhibit the artwork in perpetuity or as long as it so chooses. The City of St. Catharines will not alter the artwork for purposes of maintenance, conservation, etc. without prior consultation with the artist, as feasible. The City of St. Catharines reserves the right to paint over the artwork if necessary and will make every effort to notify the artist in advance. The City shall have the right to reproduce an image or images of the Artwork for non-profit use, public relations and documentation purposes.

Insurance and W.S.I.B. The selected artist is required to provide to the City a General Liability Insurance Certificate, adding the City of St. Catharines as additionally insured up to $2 million and a current WSIB Clearance Certificate or letter of exemption from the Workplace Safety Insurance Board before any work begins.

Selection Criteria All artistic styles are encouraged. All completed proposals will be reviewed by the Catherine Street Park Jury using the following criteria:

The design will: • be a colourful, vibrant reflection of the park’s characteristics and unique

elements • complement this playful gathering place • creatively utilize the two mural sites as a cohesive project • relate to the rest of the structure and surrounding features • suit the site and its users, and be suitable for all ages • demonstrate skill, imagination and creativity • not interfere with the operation and serviceability of the building • be in compliance with the City’s sign bylaws and property standards

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The artist or team will provide: • a creative, fun experience for the public • evidence that s/he can successfully execute the project within the existing

budget and timeframe

Submissions that include socially unacceptable elements (text and/or images) will not be considered. Any design that could be construed as advertising or political or religious doctrine will not be considered.

Artist’s Agreement and Requirements If successful, the artist will agree to:

• provide insurance information prior to contract confirmation, • sign a Letter of Agreement (contract) with the City of St. Catharines, • complete the mural in compliance with this call’s specifications, • facilitate community participation as part of Culture Days 2015, • obtain all required materials (City staff will assist in sourcing), • if required, apply protective graffiti-repellant coating (will be provided by City).

Timeline Call Release: Thursday July 16, 2015 Submission Deadline: Monday August 17, 2015 Jury Review: August 15 - 26, 2014 Notification of selected artist: Monday August 31, 2014 Public Engagement Activity: September 25 – 27, 2015 Artwork Completion: October 25, 2015

Submission Requirements Please do not bind or staple applications, or use plastic cover sheets. Artists will provide:

• Preliminary two-dimensional colour drawing or rendering of the proposed design. Please DO NOT submit original works of art. Submission material will NOT be returned.

• A written statement of up to 300 words about the proposed artwork including how it responds to the project vision and surrounding area.

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• A brief description of your plan for execution of all elements, including how you will engage the community in painting and/or participating in creating the mural for Culture Days.

• Detailed budget including artist fees, materials, and other related expenses. • Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume • Examples (Maximum of 5) of previous artwork which best illustrates a body of

artwork that relates to the proposal, provided on CD, saved as .JPGs • Two work references (name, organization, phone # and email address), at least

one of which will be able to speak to your ability to manage a project schedule and work with community members

Materials will not be returned unless accompanied by an appropriately sized stamped self-addressed envelope.

Proposal Evaluation The Call to Artists is intended to provide a framework for the Jury to evaluate each proposal and determine which submission most closely addresses the City’s needs. All Artists are encouraged to provide any additional information or innovative approaches not specifically outlined in the context of this proposal.

Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of information provided by the Artist at the time of the submission. Artists are advised that only complete submissions will be reviewed and evaluated.

Proposals will be evaluated by a Jury comprised of representatives from City staff, the Public Art Advisory Committee and the neighbourhood. The Jury will review proposals against the established criteria and reach consensus on the final rating results.

If necessary, Artists may be requested to provide additional clarification to the original proposal submitted, through written response or in person.

The Jury reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submissions and shall not be bound to accept any of them, and reserves the right at any time to cancel the project or the Call to Artists.

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Accessibility The City is committed to the accessibility principles of preventing and removing barriers in accessing goods and services for people with disabilities and is bound by the Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 as may be amended from time to time.

Regulations enacted under the Act apply to every designated public sector organization and other third parties that provide goods and services to the members of the public.

The Artist, and all sub-contractors hired by the Artist in the completion of its work, will meet or exceed compliance with all applicable regulations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 as may be amended from time to time.

It is the Artist’s responsibility to ensure they are fully aware of, and meet all requirements under the Act. A “Declaration of Accessibility Compliance” form attached with the submitted proposal will be required, see Appendix C.

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) In accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the information collected in response to the Call to Artists is collected under the authority of the City’s Procurement Policy and the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, c.25, as amended. The information collected will be used solely for the purpose of evaluating the submissions for supplying external auditing services. All proposals submitted become the property of the City. Because of MFIPPA, respondents are reminded to identify in their proposal material any specific scientific, technical, commercial, proprietary, or similar confidential information, the disclosure of which could cause them injury. Complete proposals are not to be identified as confidential. The City reserves the right to discuss any and all proposals, to request additional information from proponents and to accept or reject any and all proposals. Questions about the collection of information should be directed to the City Clerk.

For more information please contact:

Jennifer Tupling Culture Coordinator 905-688-5601 ext 5244 [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]


All applications should be emailed or delivered no later than Monday August 17, 2015 at 4:00pm to:

Email submissions can be sent to [email protected]

Re: Catherine Street Park Mural Project c/o City of St. Catharines - Cultural Services Office PO Box 3012, 50 Church Street St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2

Learn more about St. Catharines Culture by following us on Facebook and Twitter at StCathCulture.

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mailto:[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/StCathCulture

https://twitter.com/StCathCulture


APPENDIX A Map of Catherine Street Park Mural location

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APPENDIX B Images of Catherine Street Park Mural site

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Door Details

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APPENDIX C - Accessibility Declaration

Declaration of Accessibility Compliance Company Name: Print name: Title: Dated:

I/ we acknowledge that as a Contractor/Consultant of the City of St. Catharines we are bound to comply with all accessibility Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 as amended from time to time. I/we declare that I/we have read, understand and will meet or exceed all enacted accessibility Standards as amended from time to time. I/we further declare that I/we will undertake to ensure all sub-contractors hired by us in completion of our work will also comply with the above Standards. Authorized Signature: Dated:

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call to artists - st. catharines · plywood sheets or like product. the door mural will be painted...

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