REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Temporary Artworks Sponsored by the Public Utilities Commission

Eligibility:Open to artists residing in the San FranciscoBay Area
NoDeadline:Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis through June 2007

The San Francisco Arts Commission is seeking visual artists to create a series of temporary public art installations on selected sites either on or adjacent to properties under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Public art can be a catalyst for enhancing our understanding of and delight in our surroundings. A limited number of artists will be paid an honorarium to develop proposals that:

  • broadly demonstrate the unique ecology of the Bay Area, and/or issues dealing with sustainability and the environment
  • showcase natural elements and/or elements obtained from the site
  • investigate the infrastructure and urban systems that sustain the city such as water and power

The Arts Commission and the Public Utilities Commission will decide which projects shall be implemented from among the proposals submitted. These temporary projects will be commissioned with public art funds generated by eligible capital improvement projects of the Public Utilities Commission Water System Improvement Program.

Our objective is that this series of projects will seed thought and lay the framework for future permanent public artworks to be commissioned for the Public Utilities Commission. Projects of an interactive nature that will engage visitors, particularly youth, are especially encouraged. The PUC facilities that may be available for temporary visual artworks include: water temples, reservoirs, open spaces, office buildings, pump stations and distribution facilities, and other possible sites to be determined. Project budgets may range from $10,000 to $25,000.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is a department of the City and County of San Francisco that provides water, wastewater, and municipal power services to San Francisco in addition to additional customers within three Bay Area counties. The SFPUC system provides four distinct services: Regional Water, Local Water, Wastewater (wastewater collection, treatment and disposal), and Power. In November 2002, San Francisco voters approved legislation to finance the largest renovation of a water delivery system in the history of San Francisco. The legislation authorizes the SFPUC to rebuild the infrastructure for the Hetch Hetchy Water System, which provides high-quality drinking water from the Sierra Nevada to over 2.4 million customers in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda counties.

Please submit the following application materials if you are interested in being considered for these upcoming project opportunities. Please do not submit a proposal at this time. Upon review of artists’ materials, the Arts Commission shall invite a small number of individual artists to develop a proposal for which the artist shall be paid an honorarium.

Application Materials

  1. Application Form
  2. Documentation of relevant past work:

Artists may submit either slides or digital imagery. If submitting slides, please include up to 10 slides, which must be contained in a plastic slide sheet. Each slide must be numbered and include the artist's name.
Digital imagery guidelines:
a. PC compatible CD with 10 images
b. Each image should be no larger than 1500 X 1500 pixels, 300 dpi and 2 MB
c. JPEG ONLY
d. Each JPEG must be titled with the artist’s name and a number that corresponds to the annotated slide list. For example- JenJones 001, JenJones 002
e. CD ROM’s must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name
f. CD ROM’s containing VIDEO submission must be included on the annotated image list, and must indicate the clip or clips you would like the panel to view

g. Include a thumbnail index of all images printed in color on one page

3.Two copies of an annotated image list for the documentation of previous work, providing a brief description including dimensions, materials, date of work, and cost.

  1. Six individually stapled packets each containing ONE copy of the following:
    a. Resume not to exceed four pages
    b. Copies of relevant reviews, essays, etc., three pages Maximum. (For Artist Teams, three pages maximum per artist)
    ** Use 8 1/2" by 11" sheets of plain paper only. Please do not bind materials, and do not submit any of these materials in plastic sleeves, binders, notebooks, or folders. Please do not submit a specific proposal at this time**
  2. A self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of slides or CD.

Please submit the application materials to:

The San Francisco Arts Commission

Attn: PUC Temporary Projects

25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 240

San Francisco, CA94102

Selection Criteria

■Artistic excellence, innovation and originality as evidenced by representation of past work in slides/digital images and other supporting material;

■Appropriateness of the applicant’s medium, style, and general approach as they relate to the project goals and the context of a natural setting;

■Experience with, or ability to procure the services of other professionals to assist with the requirements of working in the public sector, the public review process, and/or collaboration with city agencies and environmental groups;

■Assessed ability to meet project deadlines, and to perform work in a timely and professional manner and;

■Results of reference checks

Kindly contact the Public Art Program Associate at 415-252-2594 should you have any questions regarding this request.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The following information applies to selected artists and is a requirement for entering into an agreement with the Arts Commission for any project.

Equal Benefits Ordinance

The City and County of San Francisco, in its effort to provide equality of opportunity and equality of benefits, requires that all entities receiving public monies comply with Sections 12B and 12D of the Administrative Code, relative to provision of equal benefits to registered domestic partners and demonstration of good faith efforts to hire minority-owned, women-owned and San Francisco based subcontractors.

Americans with Disabilities Act

The selected artist(s) will be required to comply with American with Disabilities Act requirements in addition to related federal, state and local codes and will be encouraged to develop artwork(s) sensitive to programmatic as well as physical accessibility issues in cooperation with the Arts Commission and disabled communities.

Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO)

(This requirement pertains to artists who have over 20 employees, or artists who may have their artwork fabricated by a company with over 20 employees.) The selected artist(s) will be required to agree to comply fully with and be bound by the provisions of the Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO), as set forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12P. Generally, this Ordinance requires contractors to provide employees covered by the Ordinance who do work funded under the contract with hourly gross compensation and paid and unpaid time off that meet certain minimum requirements. Currently, the hourly gross compensation is $9.00 an hour. For the contractual requirements of the MCO, see paragraph 42 of the Ordinance. Note that the gross hourly compensation for covered employees increases to $10.00 for For-Profit entities on January 1, 2002 and increases 2.5% annually thereafter for 3 years. For Nonprofit entities and public entities, this increase is required only if the City makes the finding required by Section 12P.3(a)(ii) of the San Francisco Administrative Code.

Additional information regarding the MCO is available on the web at

Required Forms

The artist selected and approved by the Arts Commission shall be required to enter into contract with the City and County of San Francisco for the entire duration of the project. Depending on the specific scope of the project, prior to the issuance and throughout the duration of the contract, the artist shall be required to maintain a San Francisco business tax license, and may need to obtain various types of insurance, including Automobile Liability insurance, General Liability insurance, Fine Arts insurance, and other insurance, as required by the City.

All information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract and these provisions are subject to change.

Please place this application form at the front of submitted application materials
SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION PUBLIC ART PROGRAMTEMPORARY PROJECTS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Artist’s Name ______Date ______

Address______

City/State______Zip Code ______

E-mail Address ______

Telephone______Telephone #2 ______

Fax ______

Names and Email or telephone numbers of additional team members, if applicable:

Name ______

Email or Phone ______

□Project Application Form (Please place the application form at the front of submitted application materials)

□10 labeled slides in a plastic slide sheet or one CD containing 10 jpegs. Artist teams should submit 10 slides or 10 jpegs per artist.

□Slide description list (two copies)

□Six stapled packets containing: Resume (Four pages maximum, six copies) and copies of relevant reviews, essays, etc. (Three pages maximum)

□Self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of materials

How did you learn about this project opportunity?

Artweek ______Friend______Email _____ US Mail ______Public Meeting_____

SFAC Public Art Web Site (

SF City Web Site______Other Web Site ______Other (Please describe)

Voluntary information for statistical purposes only:

Gender: ______

Self Identification:

______African-American ______LGBT

______American Indian______Latino/Chicano

______Asian/Pacific Islander______Racial Other

______Caucasian

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Temporary Artworks Sponsored by the Public Utilities Commission RFQ