The Role of Listening in Storytelling
Application Deadline: May 16, 2021, 11:59pm MT
Lougheed House is a house of story. A place where we engage individuals and community in meaningful ways to share and honour our diverse experiences. We innovate, interpret, and explore the many dimensions of our past, while fostering dialogue about our future.
As a heritage site, Lougheed House is grappling with issues of whose stories we are telling and who is doing the telling. We are working to create a museum space that is inclusive and representative of our diverse community and history. As we have asked Calgarians to entrust us with their stories, we have been considering the question of what it means to be a listener and a receiver of stories.
Lougheed House is seeking proposals for a temporary public artwork or intervention that embodies the theme of listening.
The artwork could surprise, delight, or even confound the viewer, but should be created and installed in a way that encourages engagement and participation in the work. This could be through a physical reaction, an instruction, an idea, or a suggestion. If the artist wants the viewer to physically engage with the work, health and safety protocols must be considered.
Artists are encouraged to visit the site at 707 13th Ave. SW before submitting their proposal. The artwork or intervention should take place on the Lougheed House grounds, which are bounded by 13th and 14th Avenues SW to the north and south, 6th St. SW to the east, and the parking lots to the west. All work will take place outdoors to comply with current public health guidelines.
The work should be site-specific and should take into consideration the physicality of the site as well as the weather and natural environment. As interventions in a public space, the artworks will be exposed to the elements as well as to the general public. Lougheed House will advise on the installation and display of the artworks to ensure compliance with the site requirements.
Design Requirements
- Artists should be aware that any materials or objects that are used in the work are used onsite at the artist’s risk of damage or theft. The artwork will be placed in a public space with limited security oversight.
- Designs must be robust enough to be on exhibit for the summer months (June 24 to September 6). If natural decay or deterioration is part of the artwork, the timeline must still be considered.
- Artists are to be mindful of the potential waste factor in their design and are encouraged to be as environmentally conscious as possible.
- If a design requires securing to the ground, please know that staking is not permitted so surface weights will be necessary.
- Artworks cannot include an open flame or heat source of any kind.
- All designs will be reviewed to ensure that they adhere to Lougheed House’s Site Safety and Heritage Safety protocols. Modifications to a design may be requested to adhere to these protocols. Artists are encouraged to call or email Caroline Loewen in advance of submitting their proposal if they have any questions about site specific requirements.
This call is open to student artists and professional artists at any stage in their career.
Interested artists are asked to send submissions in writing which include:
- A description of the proposed artwork or intervention.
- An artist’s statement which puts the work in the context of the project as described.
- Digital images if available (no more than five and no larger than 1 MB each).
- The name and contact information of the artist, including a brief CV (no longer than two pages).
Timeline
Application Deadline: May 16, 2021
Notification of Results: May 21, 2021
Installation: June 21, 22 and/or 23, 2021
Exhibition: June 24 – September 6, 2021
Artists will be paid a fee of $2,617. This fee includes an artist’s fee for a solo project ($1,801), a full day of preparation fees ($357), and full day of installation fees ($459) determined according to the CARFAC Minimum Fee Schedule. The full fee is inclusive of travel or material costs.
For more information on the Lougheed House, please go to lougheedhouse.com or visit us at 707 13th Ave. SW, Calgary, Alberta. For questions about the project or your submission, please contact Caroline Loewen by email.
Submissions should be sent by May 16, 2021 by email to Caroline Loewen, Curator, cloewen@lougheedhouse.com.
