Canadian Curators
The deadline for this opportunity has passed.
The City of Calgary is seeking a Canadian curator or curatorial team to undertake a curatorial review of the City of Calgary’s Public Art Collection. The selected contractor will review the strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection and provide recommendations on the preparation of a long-term Collection Development Plan which provides a framework for specific tactical plans to address gaps in the collection.
Budget: The anticipated budget is $70K plus GST.
Please include a proposed fee with submission materials.
Deadline: Monday, December 17, 2018, 4:30pm MST
Schedule: December 2018 – June 2019
Opportunity
The City of Calgary seeks a curator or curatorial team undertake a curatorial review of the current artwork holdings in the Public Art Collection and provide recommendations on the preparation of a long-term Collection Development Plan which provides a framework for specific tactical plans to address gaps in the collection.
The Collection Plan is a strategy to clearly articulate collecting priorities for the future growth of the Public Art Collection. This document will enable The City to make consistent and well-informed decisions related to new acquisitions, projects and programs that will enhance the collection.
As part of this work, a survey of the collection is required to review the strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection and identify gaps and opportunities. The curatorial review will provide an understanding of the cultural value of the collection, as well as place it within the larger continuum of Canadian art history and the field of public art. Public art is a rich and varied practice that explores a deeper understanding of place, history, collective memory and the politics of public space. Artworks range from the temporary to permanent and their manifestations include art in public places, site-specific works as well as public interventions.
The completed assessment will provide an objective analysis of the quality, depth and significance of the works in the collection and provide a framework for future direction.
The selected curator or team will conduct a comprehensive curatorial survey of the City of Calgary Public Art Collection and draft a summary report of survey findings and analyses. The survey and report will provide insight into the artistic, cultural, and social value of the individual artworks as well as the entire collection.
The successful candidate will:
- In consultation with Public Art staff, develop a curatorial assessment process, approach and methodology.
- Define terms used in the curatorial assessment.
- Execute a curatorial assessment survey of the entire Public Art Collection based on the criteria developed above.
- Draft a summary report of the survey findings identifying the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the collection.
- Develop recommendations for opportunities to diversify and enhance the collection.
This project is to be completed by June 2019.
Submission Requirements
Any submission not received by the closing date and time will not be considered.
Submissions must contain:
- A current CV with contact information.
- Letter of interest detailing your experience with mixed public art collections and curatorial expertise that is representative of all relevant disciplines.
- Applicable examples of your work in related areas.
- Provide three (3) current references. References should include company name, current contact name including current telephone number, address and e-mail address.
The City reserves the right to contact references without prior notification. References from City of Calgary staff members will not be counted as part of the required references.
Submission Process
Submissions can be sent via email or hard copy.
Digital submissions should be in Word or PDF format and emailed to publicart@calgary.ca with Public Art Curator RFP in the subject line. Complete submission package must be smaller than 10MB.
Hard copy submissions can be delivered to:
Holy Angels Civic Building – RECEPTION
Attn: Public Art Curator RFP
2105 Cliff St. SW
Calgary, AB Canada T2S 2G4
Or mailed to:
Attn: Public Art Curator RFP
Box 2100, Station M, #63
Calgary, AB Canada T2P 2M5
For more information, visit calgary.ca.
