Art for Purchase Opportunity – 1st & 2nd Floor Corridors

If you would prefer these materials in another language, please contact the RACC project team for translation services.

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In partnership with City of Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) invites artists living in Oregon and southern Washington to submit portable scale original two-dimensional artworks for direct purchase into the Public Art Collection at the soon-to-be renovated and expanded Mt Scott Community Center. Our preference is to spend a maximum of $2000 per artwork. The budget available for these purchases comes from the City of Portland’s Percent for Art Program and ranges approximately from $75,000 – $85,000. Submissions are due by Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:59pm PDT.

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Important Dates   

• Early November 2024 – Call launches 
• December 4, 2024 – Submissions due 
• December 2024 – February 2025 – Panel review and selection of artworks  
• March  – June 2025 – Purchase, documentation and framing of artworks 
• July – August 2025 – Installation of artworks in center   
• Fall 2025 – Center reopening  

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Art Opportunity

This project is seeking artists to submit original 2-D portable scale artworks for direct purchase. These artworks will be installed on the northeast walls of the 1st and 2nd floor corridors of the community center. On the 1st floor, there are two walls whose dimensions are 41’4”W x 8’2”H and 12’6” x 8’2”H that will be along the preschool classroom and teen center. On the 2nd floor, there are three walls whose dimensions are 25’7”W x 9’8”H; 14’9”W x 9’8”H; and 13’W x 9’8”H that will be along the multipurpose rooms. These floors will be highly visible due to the public use of the space and proximity to the center’s entrances, lobby space, and reception desk.

The types of original artwork that qualify for this opportunity are paintings, photographs, drawings, textiles, collage, Bas relief, mosaic, glass, ceramic, metal, prints, and other original media intended to be hung on a wall with a 4” depth maximum. We encourage artists to please specify clearly if the submitted artwork is part of a series of works, and if the series needs to be purchased together as a whole, or if individual works in the series can be purchased. (NOTE: Artworks with electrical components are not eligible for purchase at this time.)

Two-dimensional artworks that fit the following dimensions will be prioritized: 30”W X 40”H X 4”D or smaller.

As for framing, please submit unframed artworks, unless the framing is an integral part of the artwork (please state that in the “Conceptual information” field in the application for that submitted piece). RACC reserves the right to reframe purchased artwork if a submitted frame does not meet the collection standards. Consider the potential for your submission to be framed behind acrylic.

 

Renderings of the northeast 1st floor (top image) and 2nd floor (bottom image) corridors. (Images provided by FFA Architecture and Interiors)

About the Mt Scott Community Center Renovation Project  

Located in the Foster-Powell and Mt Scott-Arleta neighborhoods, the community center is at the corner of SE 72nd Ave and SE Harold St near the bustling SE Foster Rd and SE 82nd Ave thoroughfares. The center was originally constructed in 1927 as a wood-frame bathhouse for the pre-existing outdoor pool. Over the ensuing years, a concrete building with a gymnasium and lower-level roller-skating rink were built. In 2000, an indoor aquatic center was added to the facility and the outdoor pool was filled and turned into a parking lot. Due to the unreinforced masonry aspects of the building additions built prior to the 1960s, the center is currently undergoing renovations that includes imperative seismic retrofitting as well as bringing more light to the interior spaces, improving ADA accessibility that includes an elevator to all 2nd floor amenities and classrooms, and expanding recreational programming consisting of adding classrooms, meeting spaces, and a huge, new event hall. The center is expected to be reopened in summer 2025.  

As the only community center that serves the entire Southeast area west of 82nd Ave, the location’s offerings include exercise and fitness classes, pre-school programs, day camps, art and music classes, teen activities, private parties, community gatherings, and rental/party spaces. 

Artwork Goals and Qualities 

Elements the artworks should consider are the building’s design which is informed by nature through the use of wood and earth tones in the interior and the addition of more windows to allow natural light into the center. It’s also important to note that the main lobby and the 1st and 2nd floor corridors are the central points of connection within the building with its inclusion of the lobby waiting area and reception desk. The artworks should be bright, warm and inviting as well as reflect inter-generational and cross-cultural connections.  

Another main goal for the artworks are to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity and richness of cultures that utilize the building. Many of the communities living in the area surrounding the center are BIPOC, households with children, and people living in poverty/low-income. To appeal to these diverse groups of users in this significant location, the artworks should be meaningful and dynamic, possessing the following qualities:  

• align with center’s programming and be relevant to center’s users 
• create art that connects to contemporary and/or traditional art-making practices 
• welcome and entice all folks to utilize the space and its services 
• reflect and compliment the natural and organic elements of the site’s design   
• stimulate and engage the senses   
  

Examples of communities that frequent the center, live in the nearby neighborhoods and attend the local schools include Black/African American, Indigenous Peoples, Somali and other East African immigrants, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin speakers), Vietnamese, Slavic and Eastern European, Latino/a/e (not just Spanish language speakers), youth and elders, LGBTQIA2S+, people living with disabilities, and people experiencing housing insecurity. More information from the community engagement process so far, including demographics, will be shared with the artist/artist team to ensure authentic understanding and representation. 

Eligibility 

This opportunity is open to artists based in Oregon and southwest Washington. Those with significant current or past connections, or those with interest and ability to create meaningful connections, to Southeast Portland, the Foster-Powell and Mt Scott-Arleta neighborhoods and other surrounding neighborhoods, and communities served by the center are preferred.  

PP&R and RACC are committed to reflecting the cultural richness of our city by promoting opportunities for emerging and historically underrepresented artists. Artists/artist teams representing communities of color are strongly encouraged to apply. RACC is committed to engaging new communities of artists and expanding the range of artistic and cultural expression represented in the City’s public art collection. 

Selection Process 

A selection panel composed of City of Portland representatives, project team members, local artists, and community members will review and select artists’ submissions. The selection panel will conduct an initial review of all the artworks, then narrow it down to a smaller pool of artworks that will be considered for purchase through an in-person presentation and review. Final selections will be made thereafter. 

How to Apply  

All application materials must be submitted through the RACC Opportunity Portal, an online application system. Applicants will need to create an account, or log into their existing account at https://racc.org/apply. (If you are first-time user, learn how to create an account here). If you are applying as a team, please assign one person to apply and be the point of contact on behalf of the team. Submissions due Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:59pm PDT 

Application Materials 

• Statement of interest. Based on the information given, please address the following:  
  • a brief description about your overall artistic practice; 
  • your interest in this project by addressing how you see your submitted work connects to this project’s mission and values;
  • There are two options in submitting these responses: 
    • Written Statement: 3000 characters or less
    • Oral Statement: Upload a video/voice recording no longer than 2 minutes 

• Up to 6 past work samples. You can submit up to 6 artworks and provide up to two images per artwork. Images should be jpegs no larger than 5 megabytes each. For each artwork, provide the title, media, dimensions, year completed, and purchase price. Conceptual information is optional.  
  • (Note: If you are submitting a series that consists of more than six images, please include images that best represent the series and provide additional information regarding the series in the conceptual information field.)  
  • Please only submit original prints and artworks, and not reproductions of artworks.  
  • You have the option to upload a video file of the artwork instead of a jpeg.
    

Once you have started your application, you can save after each step and sign out. Your application will be saved as a draft that you can continue to work on, as needed. Please note that after you click “Submit,” your application is final and no further edits can be made.  

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us throughout the process.   

Information Sessions for Artists 

1. A Q&A info session about the opportunity was recorded Thursday, November 14th at 1pm on Instagram Live. Follow @regionalarts on Instagram to stay informed of this and other upcoming opportunities.  
2. You can find a longer recorded info session about the opportunity here.  

*Attendance is encouraged but not required to apply for this opportunity. 

Questions 

We are here to support and assist you! If you have questions about the overall opportunity, please email project managers, Salvador Mayoral IV, at smayoral@racc.org or Mario Mesquita, mmesquita@racc.org.  

If you have questions about the RACC Opportunity Portal, please email specialist, Nicky Cook, ncook@racc.org.   

If you would like to be considered for this opportunity and don’t have a computer or online access, please feel free to contact RACC for support. Also, if you prefer these materials in another language you can contact the RACC project team for translation services.  

We strongly encourage you to submit your application with enough time for any questions to be answered prior to when submissions are due as inquiries received towards the end of that period may not be responded to. We appreciate your understanding and consideration of our capacity.  

If you would prefer these materials in another language, please contact the RACC project team for translation services.

• Servicio de interpretación disponible
• Предоставляются услуги переводчика
• Có dịch vụ thông
• 提供口译服务