Release date: Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Deadline: Thursday, April 3, 2008
Eligibility: Open to professional artists/designers based in Massachusetts. Art/design students
may also apply for this project.

Budget: Total, all-inclusive bike rack budget including design, fabrication and installation is
$7,500.

Background: Mission Hill Main Streets (MHMS) invites qualifications for the design,
fabrication and installation of a multiple-unit bicycle rack. Funding for one bike rack is currently available, but a replicable design for potential fabrication of additional racks is desired. A youth component will be integrated in the development of the
project. The location of the bicycle rack will be selected in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston prior to proposal development. Funding has been provided by the Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund of the City of Boston. The UrbanArts Institute at Massachusetts College of Art and Design is administering the competition, design and implementation.

Brief Overview: Mission Hill Main Streets - http://www.missionhillmainstreets.org - is a local, grassroots effort of businesses, organizations, institutions, and residents. Our diversity is our strength. MHMS strives to promote, preserve, and revitalize Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. We work together to retain and expand area businesses, improve business facades and the streetscape, and promote the business district. Our goal is to ensure that Mission Hill will continue to be an enjoyable community in which to live, work, visit, dine, and shop.

Review Criteria
Key considerations:
• Reference the character, history, fabric of the local community
• Environmentally friendly design which may include use of recycled or salvaged materials
• Durability
• Easy maintenance

How to Apply: Interested artists/designers should contact the UrbanArts Institute at
Massachusetts College of Art and Design. If you are an artist already represented in the
UrbanArts Artist Registry, simply send an email including 3 references (see #4 below) to let us know that you would like to be considered for this project. Images need to be submitted in digital format. If you are uncertain about the format of your materials on file at UrbanArts please send an email to christina.lanzl@massart.edu
Mission Hill Bike Rack RFQ

:: due April 3, 2008 :: 2

If you are NEW to the UrbanArts' registry, we invite you to submit your materials for
consideration. Please send:
1. Resume with current contact information.

2. Up to 16 clearly labeled digital images of relevant past work. 35 mm slides will not be
accepted. Artists may send information formatted as follows:
CD ROM with JPEGs. Acceptable digital images must be:
• Formatted to read in Adobe Photoshop
• Maximum pixel dimensions per image approximately 600Hx800W
• Image resolution – up to 200 pixels per inch (ppi)
• Maximum file size per image – 1MB
• Name each image: lastnamefirstnameimagenumber.jpg
• Include a 1-page, 8 ½ x 11” thumbnail printout of images with corresponding image numbers

3. A corresponding, numbered, annotated image list with title, media, dimensions, location,
brief description and date of the work, project budget, and project partners, if applicable.
4. Three references of relevant past projects with contact information, including email and
telephone number(s).

5. Optional: Additional support material, including press clippings or other relevant information
on past projects.

No faxes or emailed entries will be accepted. Materials will not be returned. Submissions will become part of the UrbanArts Institute's Artist Registry for consideration in future projects.

Participants are solely responsible for the timely arrival of their entries. Participants, by virtue of entering the competition, agree to save harmless the organizers, sponsors and anyone else
involved with the competition for any delay, damage or loss, real or perceived.

PROJECT TIMELINE

CONTACT
Christina Lanzl, Project Manager, UrbanArts
617.879.7973
christina.lanzl@massart.edu
http://www.urbanartsinstitute.org/index2.html - Call to Artists is posted at Opportunities

SEND MATERIALS TO
ATTN: Bike Rack
UrbanArts Institute
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
621 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115-5801
Mission Hill Bike Rack RFQ
:: due April 3, 2008 ::

Mission Hill Bike Rack

FACTSHEET The Racks of Art project is intended to create beacons asserting community character while increasing bike parking to support and encourage bicycle use. Site-specific design will be the result of a collaborative effort between the artist/designer and members of the Mission Hill community, including youth. Bike racks will be structurally sound, positive in their message, and be able to accommodate several bikes. The goals of the project are to

• Increase bike parking so that cyclists are not forced to lock their bikes to sign poles, trees or fences. With additional bike racks, people will be more likely to ride bikes, knowing that they will have secure places to lock their bikes.
  
• Enliven the streetscape with functional public art. Showcase art on the street for people
  to enjoy for free without going to a gallery or museum.
  
• Stimulate the local economy by enhancing the appearance of business districts and
  cultural centers, creating additional incentive for people to frequent the area. Local artists
  will design and fabricate the bike racks.
  
• Promote physical activity as a result of the desire to use the artful bike racks.
  
• Alleviate environmental problems by encouraging the use of bicycles as a means of
  transportation rather than relying upon fossil fuel-consuming vehicles.
  
• Develop a model for communities to add public art / bike parking to enhance the character of their business districts and cultural centers.
  
  These unique bike racks will be destinations in close proximity to where people work, learn, shop, eat, and drink. Racks of Art will encourage people to make their commute via bicycle; thereby saving fuel, alleviating traffic, and helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle. Proposed locations for bike racks are also close to bike paths/routes, which will allow people to visit these works of art safely. Once the bike racks are in place, we plan to create road maps showing locations of artful bike racks for residents and visitors to explore the city and see some public art of the highest quality.
  
  Racks of Art will be a cultural product that reflects the spirit of the vibrant Mission Hill
  community. The project also serves as a vehicle to provide visibility to local artists’ creative
  talent.