Introduction:
Proposals were invited from artists or arts groups working in the medium of visual art, mural art, exterior wall painting, design, collaborative or community engaged practice; to consider the development of an outdoor artistic intervention – painting the wall of the Carlow Exchange.
This wall was the canvas upon which an artist was invited to paint. The commissioned work has a dual role – to bring colour and wonder to the exchange visitors while also communicating a message of “Exchange” which is the primary focus of the space.
This project aims to:
• Encourage the renewal and revitalisation of the town by brightening up key areas
• Build strong relations through engagement with the community and business stakeholders of the town
• Further drive the current momentum towards a positive image of Carlow Town as a vibrant place to live, visit and work.
The artworks will be located on the inside brick wall at The Exchange, on Potato Market in Carlow Town Centre.
The entire length of the wall will be available for painting, and although it is a covered space, it is open to the elements and should be considered an ‘open space’ which is subject to wind and rain. The Exchange is used every Saturday by the Carlow Farmers Market from 7am until 3pm, but outside of those times the space will be available unless booked by another group.
Times for painting should be arranged with Carlow County Council’s Local Enterprise Office, and if a group is booked into the Exchange, all materials and equipment must be removed to facilitate that group, as The Exchange is hired as an empty space.
Artist commission of between €4,000 and €10,000, depending on the artist’s experience and the scale and complexity of the artwork
All practical arrangements to facilitate the installation of the artwork, including licences, plant hire, road closures, will be arranged by Carlow County Council’s Local Enterprise Office (LEO)
While it is anticipated that the work will be on display for a period of at least twelve months, Carlow County Council reserves the right to remove the artwork at any time.
What is expected of the artist:
The selected artist will be expected to work closely with the LEO to refine final concept, the scale of the work, production schedule and timelines.
Artists will be responsible for providing their own materials for the installation of the piece and will be required to provide evidence of holding Public Liability Insurance in the sum of €6.5 million, indemnifying Carlow County Council, in advance of the commencement of any work. Where an artist plans to engage others to execute the work, evidence of Employer’s Liability Insurance in the sum of €13 million will be required.
Artists will be asked to engage in social media or PR activities to support the project, although requests for anonymity will be respected. The artist will be expected to sign a contract (as outlined in the appendix of this document)
Selection Process
The commission will be selected by way of an open selection process, and the project will be curated on the basis of creating an artwork of note for the town. An individual may make multiple submissions with different suggested art works.
Submissions will be adjudicated on by Evaluation Committee using the following criteria:
- Suitability of outline proposal (30/100)
- Quality of previous work (30/100)
- Previous experience in delivering projects on time and within budget (20/100)
- Value for money (20/100)
The Evaluation Committee will make their recommendation to the Carlow County Council Public Art Working Group for approval.
Submission of Proposals
Applicants may submit multiple proposals. Collaborations are welcome.
Please send proposals to enterprise@carlowcoco.ie by 5pm 12th August 2023. Applicants are requested to provide:
• a brief resumé outlining experience to date
• an outline of the proposed artwork including an explanation of subject matter
• examples of previous work - please supply direct links to any pages/sites you wish the panel to view
• please provide your fee for the artwork of between €4,000 and €10,000 excluding VAT @ 13.5%
• two letters of reference or details of two referees.
Carlow County Council is committed to a policy of equal opportunity. The principles of inclusivity and diversity are fundamental to the Carlow County Council and applications are welcome from all.
Freedom of Information
The provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 apply to Carlow County Council. Applicants should state if any of the information supplied by them is confidential or sensitive and should not be disclosed in response to a request for information under the aforementioned Act. Applicants should state why they consider the information to be confidential or commercially sensitive.
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ONLINE ON https://submit.link/1SY
Privacy Statement
All information provided for this application will be held for a period of one year from the date of submission for the purpose of documenting the selection process and ensuring transparency of the selection process and will remain in the sole ownership of Carlow County Council. Information supplied in the application will be used only for the purpose of the application itself and will only be used by Carlow County Council for the purposes of administering and managing this particular commission, including the selection process. You may withdraw your consent to the retention of the information relating to your application at any point by sending an email to enterprise@carlowcoco.ie .
The Council’s privacy statement can be accessed at Privacy | Carlow.ie .
Carlow County Council reserves the right not to commission work if none of the proposals received are deemed to be suitable. In this instance, Carlow County Council reserves the right to pursue a different procurement process.
Click here for Application Pack
