Request
for
Proposals




Columbia
Waterfront
Gardens
Art
Tour





Deadline:
8/14/09



Overview

The
five
community
gardens
of
the
Columbia
St.
Waterfront
neighborhood
of

Brooklyn,
NY
are
issuing
this
Request
for
Proposals
to
artists
interested
in
showing

artwork
during
a
walking
tour
of
the
gardens
and
surrounding
neighborhood
in

September
of
2009.



This
project
will
aim
to
bring
together
gardeners,
artists,
local
organizations,
and

business
owners
with
the
goal
of
uniting
the
five
gardens
of
the
neighborhood,

enhancing
their
visibility
to
the
public,
promoting
green
spaces
and
environmental

issues,
providing
an
opportunity
for
artists
to
gain
exposure,
and
promoting
the

neighborhood
as
a
whole.




The
Gardens

The
Columbia
St.
Waterfront
of
Brooklyn
is
fortunate
to
have
a
high
concentration
of

community
gardens
within
a
very
short
distance
of
each
other.

There
are
five

gardens
within
approximately
eight
square
blocks,
and
this
offers
a
great

opportunity
for
collaborative
events
such
as
walking
tours.



The
five
gardens
are:

The
Human
Compass
Garden

The
Amazing
Garden

The
Summit
Garden

The
Backyard
Garden

Cabrini
Green
Urban
Meadow



Each
garden
offers
a
different
setting
and
layout,
thus
allowing
for
this
event
to

accept
proposals
from
artists
of
a
variety
of
mediums.

Fences
and
gates
at
the

gardens
may
be
ideal
for
the
hanging
of
paintings
and
photos,
while
open
spaces

may
be
ideal
for
sculpture
or
other
multidimensional
pieces.




Further
descriptions
of
the
gardens,
as
well
as
links
to
photographs
of
them,
can
be


found
in
Appendix
A.



A
map
of
the
gardens
can
also
be
found
here:

Google
Map
of
Columbia
St
Waterfront
gardens

(full
URL
in
appendix)



Details
of
the
Event

The
event
will
take
place
over
the
course
of
an
entire
weekend.

During
that

weekend,
the
general
public
will
be
invited
to
walk
through
the
neighborhood
and

stop
at
each
garden
to
view
the
art
and
enjoy
the
spaces.

Local
businesses
will
be

invited
to
offer
specials
on
the
weekend
of
the
event
also,
in
order
to
maximize
draw

to
the
event
and
offer
a
variety
of
things
to
do.

Certain
gardens
may
also
offer

refreshments,
light
food,
or
complimentary
activities
(i.e.
music)
during
the
event
as

well.



The
gardens
are
part
of
Greenthumb,
the
citywide
network
of
community
gardens,

and
therefore
nothing
can
be
offered
for
sale
for
a
profit
on
their
premises.


Therefore,
we
are
unfortunately
unable
to
allow
artists
to
sell
pieces
directly
during

the
event,
but
can
offer
one
or
more
of
the
following
options
in
exchange:



1) Artists
will
be
listed
on
all
promotion
for
the
event,
including
press
releases

to
media
outlets,
blog
and
internet
postings,
and
flyers
distributed

throughout
Brooklyn
and
other
parts
of
NYC.

2) Artists
will
also
be
allowed
to
bring
business
cards,
flyers
or
brochures
for

their
galleries
or
other
upcoming
shows,
and
be
present
at
the
event
to
meet

people
that
are
there
to
view
the
art.

In
most
cases,
artists
will
have
the

opportunity
to
display
these
materials
on
tables
or
other
prominent
areas

within
the
gardens.

3) 
Some
of
the
gardens
may
be
willing
to
work
with
the
selected
artists
to

establish
a
fundraising
arrangement
in
which
the
artists
can
sell
their
art,

recoup
costs
for
what
they
expended
on
the
pieces,
and
donate
the
rest
of
the

sale
price
to
the
garden.

This
option
is
allowed
because
the
gardens
are
able

to
sell
items
on
the
premises
for
fundraising
purposes.



Please
note
that
no
funding
will
be
available
to
assist
artists
in
purchasing
materials.



Finally,
individual
gardens
will
work
with
the
selected
artists
to
allow
access

beforehand
for
setup
of
art,
as
well
as
a
schedule
for
when
the
art
should
be

removed.

Some
gardens
may
only
want
it
for
the
weekend,
while
others
may
be

willing
to
show
it
for
longer
periods
of
time.



Criteria
for
selection
of
artists

A
panel
of
garden
members
and
other
local
stakeholders
will
be
assembled
to

choose
the
artists
for
this
event
based
on
proposals
submitted
in
response
to
this

RFP.

Selections
will
be
based
on
the
following:



‐ Aesthetic
of
the
proposed
art
and
how
well
it
matches
the
aesthetic
of
the

garden
that
it
is
to
be
placed
in

‐

 Experience
working
with
outdoor
installations
and
durable
materials

‐ Ability
to
work
well
and
communicate
effectively
with
other
artists,
garden

members,
community
members,
and
other
stakeholders

‐ Proven
track
record
of
creativity,
professionalism,
and
work
on
other

successful
projects

‐ Knowledge
or
awareness
of
issues
relating
to
the
environment,
open/public

spaces,
parks,
and
communities

 ‐ Preference
will
be
given
to
artists
who
either
live
or
work
in
Brooklyn,

especially
those
in
the
immediate
project
area
(Columbia
St.
Waterfront,
Red

Hook,
Carroll
Gardens)







What
to
include
in
proposals:



1) Contact
information,
including
name,
address,
phone
number,
email
address,

and
website
or
blog

2) Sketches
and/or
pictures
of
the
art
that
is
proposed
to
be
included
in
this

event

3) A
short
description
of
the
art
as
well
as
the
concept
or
ideas
behind
it

(maximum
of
one
page)

4) Professional
resume,
including
description
of
past
art
show,
gallery,
studio,

or
other
public
art
display
experiences

5) Any
relevant
photographs
of
past
art
projects
and
shows

6) Short
description
of
past
experiences
working
with
teams
or
on
other

collaborative
projects

7) List
of
top
2
garden
choices
and
preference
for
fence
space,
ground
space,
or

other.

8) Any
letters
of
reference,
articles,
reviews,
or
write‐ups
that
strengthen
your

profile,
particularly
in
reference
to
the
selection
criteria
listed
above.

This
is

not
required,
but
will
strengthen
your
application.





Submission



Please
submit
all
proposal
documents
via
email
to
Urbanmeadow@gmail.com.

If

you’d
prefer
to
mail
hard
copies,
please
email
the
above
email
address
and
request

to
do
so.

































APPENDIX
A



Below
are
individual
descriptions
of
the
gardens
and
possible
spaces
for
art



The
map
of
the
gardens
can
be
found
at:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105529820668
263080352.00046452570d2e87c68cf&ll=40.683925,‐
74.003724&spn=0.003783,0.009645&z=17





Amazing
Garden



Located
on
the
Corner
of
Carroll
St.
and
Columbia
St.



Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/CBarker1/AmazingGarden



The
Amazing
Garden
is
centrally
located
among
the
Columbia
St.
gardens
and

primarily
contains
plots
for
individual
gardeners.




Possible
locations
for
art
in
this
garden
are
on
either
the
front
or
side
fence
areas,

either
inside
or
outside
of
the
garden.




Backyard
Garden



Located
on
the
corner
of
Hamilton
and
Van
Brunt



Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/CBarker1/BackyardGarden



Possible
spaces
within
the
garden
include:



1
‐
Labyrinth
‐
grassy
with
bricks
in
maze
pattern,
approx.
24
ft
x
22
ft
‐
very

prominent,
the
centerpiece
of
the
garden



2
‐
East
cul
de
sac
‐
uneven
stone
surface,
approx.
8
ft
x
11
ft
‐
very
visible
from
both

the
street
and
within
the
garden



3
‐
West
cul
de
sac
‐
uneven
stone
surface,
approx.
11
ft
x
5
ft
‐
nice
tucked
away

area



4
‐
Sunken
circle
‐
brick
surface,
approx.
9
ft
x
8
ft.,
18
inces
below
ground
level
with

step
‐
great
for
artpiece
small
enough
to
walk
around
or
view
from
above



5
‐
Corner
area
‐
brick
surface,
approx.
5
ft
x
8
ft
with
wooden
bench,
either
inside
or

outside
fence
(but
not
both)
‐
very
prominent
and
visible
from
the
street
‐
good
for

an
eye
catcher



6
‐
Berm/wild
oval/tunnel
‐
sloped
area
with
violets
and
other
vegetation
‐
top
of

berm
is
prominent
from
the
entrance
to
the
garden;
back
of
berm
&
wild
oval
good

for
sculptures
placed
throughout
(violets
are
10
inches
tall);
tunnel
is
30
inches
in

diameter



7
‐
Outside
fence
areas
‐
3
+
areas;
each
section
is
10
ft
wide



8
‐
Inside
fence
area
‐
to
the
left
and
right
of
the
entrance
to
the
garden;
‐
very

prominent
areas
good
for
small
pieces





Human
Compass
Garden



Located
on
the
corner
of
Sackett
St.
and
Columbia
St.



Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/CBarker1/HumanCompassGarden



The
Human
Compass
Garden
is
approximately
100
ft
by
30
ft
in
dimension
with
a

wrought
Iron
fence
enclosing
the
garden.
Reclaimed
red
bricks
define
the
shape
of

the
hilly
beds
on
the
outer
edge
of
the
space.
These
beds,
filled
with
more
than
two

dozen
trees
and
countless
shade
plants,
encircle
a
sheltered
green
refuge.

The
space

is
suitable
for
sculpture
inside
the
garden,
and
for
two
dimensional
artwork
that
can

be
hung
on
the
outside
of
the
fence
for
the
one
day
walking
tour,
and
removed
at
the

end
of
the
day
for
security
and
safety
from
the
elements.






Summit
Garden



Located
on
the
corner
of
Summit
St.
and
Columbia
St.



Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/CBarker1/SummitGarden



Possible
spaces
within
the
garden
include:



­
A
nook
for
a
piece
that
is
3'
x
3'



‐Various
open
parts
of
the
gate.
One
section
of
the
gate
is
about
10'
tall
and
about
6.5

feet
wide
and
high
(usable
height
space
is
only
about
3
ft
in
some
spaces
because
of

the
plants
at
the
foot
of
the
fence).
‐‐
There
is
a
possibility
to
use
more
than
one

section.




‐
A
5
ft
tall
structure



‐

The
Pear
tree.
Something
could
be
done
here
‐‐
but
no
nails
or
anything
can
go
in

the
tree.
The
canopy
space
is
about
6ft



‐
A
3.5
‘
wide
wall
could
potentially
be
used
(has
to
be
cleared
with
landlord
first)



‐
A
pergola
that
measures
about
11x
8
x
8.



‐
Finally
there
could
be
some
potential
in
the
compost
area
–
about
10’
in
length





Urban
Meadow



Located
on
the
corner
of
President
St.
and
Van
Brunt



Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/CBarker1/UrbanMeadow



The
Urban
Meadow
consists
of
an
open
grassy
space,
a
field
of
wildflowers,
and
a

dogwood
tree
grove.

Of
the
five
gardens
in
the
neighborhood,
it
offers
the
largest

wide‐open
space,
and
was
designed
to
be
simple,
aesthetically
pleasing,

environmentally
friendly,
and
to
serve
as
an
escape
from
its
urban
surroundings.





Potential
locations
for
art
within
the
Meadow
include
the
wildflower
field,
the
front

fence,
the
side
fence,
and
among
the
dogwood
trees
(although
nothing
should
be

nailed
or
hung
from
them,
as
they
are
young
and
fragile
trees).


The
wildflower

space
is
large
enough
that
several
complementary
pieces
could
fit
there.