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Artists' Proposals - 2011 Season
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Proposal Deadline (for all funding and approvals):
Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 4:00 pm
At Eastern State Penitentiary:
Attn: Sean Kelley
Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Avenue,
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Notes:
This is not a deadline for a postmark, but for delivery at the historic site.
There is a 24-hour grace period for all applications. Applications received
after 4 pm on June 16, 2010 will not be reviewed.
Contact:
Sean Kelley, Program Director,
--EMail--,
(215) 236-5111 x13
Important Dates & Times
Orientation:
We recommend that artists begin the proposal process by
attending an art orientation tour. These tours give the
artists a chance to walk through the space, discuss what
makes a successful proposal, ask questions, and observe
visitors interacting with the current artist installations.
There is no need to call in advance. Simply check in at the
historic site ticket office ten minutes prior to the start
of the orientation tour. There is no charge.
All Proposals Due: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 4:00 pm
Artists Notified Via Email By:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Initial Payement (75% of Approved Budget):
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Installation Completed By: Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Removal of Work: To be completed by Friday, December 30, 2011
Choosing a Location in the Penitentiary Complex:
Artists may apply for any area in the penitentiary complex
for the 2011 season, except Cellblock 2 and the audio tour route
(indicated on our site map/ brochure with a red line).
Some installations, such as Linda Brenner’s Ghost Cats have been
sited throughout the penitentiary complex.
Funding and Approval:
Funding:
The historic site will fund a maximum $7,500.00 per project.
This funding includes approval to exhibit during the next exhibition
cycle. All projects that are approved will be installed for one full
tour season (March through November), unless the artist proposal
states otherwise.
Proposal Development:
The historic site no longer accepts Proposal Development applications.
The Review Committee may offer, at their discretion, development funds
for applicants whose applications look promising, but whose ideas
require additional resources to get a better idea of the final direction
the work will take.
Extending an Installation:
Artists whose work is currently installed may request that the Review
Committee extend their installation by one tour season. They are merely
required to submit this request in writing by the same deadline that
applies to new applications. Many artists have kept work on view for
multiple tour seasons through this process.
Notes on Funding:
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Artists wishing to receive an artist fee should
include their compensation in the budget.
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Selection and funding are contingent upon a signed
Letter of Agreement.
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Twenty-five percent (25%) of the total budget will
be withheld until the exhibit has been removed and
the space returned to its condition prior to the
installation.
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Many artists are able to secure additional funding
for their installation at Eastern State. The
historic site can sometimes act as the fiscal agent
for an artist who has received additional funding
from an outside foundation.
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Most funding is provided from Eastern State Penitentiary's Halloween
fundraiser — Terror Behind the Walls. Additional
funding is provided indirectly by foundations
and other funding organizations supporting programming
at Eastern. We may ask artists to recognize these
funders in any printed materials or wall texts
associated with their exhibition.
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The historic site produces press photos, an audio
tour stop, up to two exhibit signs for each artist,
and mails press releases about the installations and
invitations to the opening reception. It is not
necessary to include these expenses in the exhibition
budget.
Eligibility
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Collaborative proposals are permitted; individuals may submit
only one proposal per year (whether alone or as part of a collaboration).
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Artists who have previously exhibited at the site must
wait five years before submitting a proposal for a new
installation.
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Currently enrolled undergraduate students are ineligible
to apply.
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All proposals must be for a site-specific installation.
Exhibition Conditions:
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is a National Historic
Landmark, the highest designation for an historic property under
Federal Law. It is also a ruin, abandoned in 1971, and stands
today as an architectural shell. The building has virtually no
running water, no climate control, and limited electrical service.
These conditions can be destructive to many types of materials.
Most artists working at Eastern State build their work for the
space and incorporate the inevitable deterioration into the piece.
Because of the building's condition, neither Eastern State Penitentiary
Historic Site, Inc. (the organization that administers the historic site)
nor the City of Philadelphia (the owner of the site) can be responsible
for damage to work on site. The historic site carries insurance for
the safety of the public while in the building, and of the artists during
the installation process, but not for the value of the art
installations on display.
Electricity is available in several places. Most locations do not
have electric service and artists may wish to include electrical
installation in these areas of the penitentiary as part of their
proposal and budget. Please contact us about soliciting cost
estimates for this work. Electrical installation must meet strict
guidelines and be completed by the historic site’s electrical
contractor. Extension cords are limited to one 9-foot cord from
the outlet to the unit requiring power.
Because of Eastern State's historic designation, art installations may
not permanently damage or alter the building or artifacts inside the
penitentiary complex in any way without prior written approval. This
approval process includes what might seem to be relatively minor damage,
such as nailing into plaster, taping or painting surfaces, brushing paint
from the walls, or removing debris. Failure to account for this
restriction eliminates many proposals for artist installations. Many
artists have found creative ways to install work that creates an illusion
of permanence, but is reversible. We are happy to share examples of
previous solutions to these challenges.
Installation/Maintenance:
Artists are responsible for the installation and removal of their work.
Artists will have access to the building for planning and installation
once their proposal has been accepted and they have signed a Letter of Agreement.
Tour staff can perform limited maintenance (turning on and off power, sweeping,
monitoring the condition of the work, etc.). Artists should assume, however,
that the staff at the historic site will not be able to monitor the spaces
during all public hours.
What to Send:
General Proposal Guidelines:
Proposals will not be reviewed if they are submitted after the deadline, are
incomplete or do not follow the requirements listed below.
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All pages, including illustrations, must be printed on plain letter
sized paper (8.5" x 11"). No paper heavier than 30 lb. No
glossy paper, cardstock, or vellum.
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All pages must be typed in 10 point font or larger, 1.5 line spaced and
have at least one-inch margins.
- Pages must be numbered. The artist’s full name must appear on every page.
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Nothing will be returned to the artist. All proposals, compact discs,
illustrations etc. will be either kept by the historic site or destroyed at
the end of the review process. All proposals become the property of Eastern
State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. and may be published even if the
proposal is not accepted.
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Please do not submit any additional materials, as they will not be
forwarded to the committee. Proposals should not include artist statements
or letters of support. Cover letters will not be forwarded to the committee.
The Written Proposal
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Please provide twelve (12) copies of the Written Proposal. The proposals
should be collated and each proposal should be bound with a paper clip.
Please do not staple, punch holes in, or place the Written Proposals in binders,
folders etc., as this will prohibit them from being bound for the committee.
| Part A: |
Illustration(s) of Proposed work
Proposals must contain a minimum of one sketch or printed computer
illustration of the proposed installation. Proposals may contain a
maximum of five illustrations of the proposed installation.
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| Part B: |
Contact Information:
Include full name, address, telephone number and email address.
(Artists communications take place via email).
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| Part C: |
Installation Title and Location:
- Title of the proposed installation.
- Location of Proposed Work (if flexible, write "Any Location.").
Artists applying for a specific area should identify this area by its historical
name (i.e. "Cellblock 7") and not by a map symbol (i.e. "A2")
as these may change from year to year.
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| Part D: |
A Physical Project Description (50 words maximum):
A physical description of the proposed work, naming materials and placement, in as clear
and direct language as possible. See the "Helpful Hints" section for an example.
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| Part E: |
Narrative (1-3 pages total):
- Detailed Project Description, including a literal explanation of the project
(materials involved, installation techniques, amount of space required, etc.).
- "Why Eastern State Penitentiary?"
- List of the types of maintenance the piece will require.
- Did you attend an artist orientation? If so, what date?
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| Part F: |
Requested Funding/Budget
Detail how the funds will be spent. $7,500.00 maximum.
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| Part G: |
Previous Work: Titles and Descriptions of Electronic Files:
Proposals may be accompanied by a maximum of 12 electronic files illustrating
the artist's previous work (see below). Section G of the Written Proposal should
include the title of each electronic file uploaded, with a maximum of 20
words of explanation per file.
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| Part H: |
Resume/Vita/Previous Exhibitions List:
Maximum 3 pages per artist.
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Previous Work: Electronic Support Materials
Artists may upload up to 12 electronic files, total, illustrating previous work.
These files may be photographs, audio files (4 minutes maximum length, per
file) or video (4 minutes maximum length, per file). Collaborative teams
must still limit themselves to 12 electronic files, regardless of format or content.
Electronic file names should include the artist’s last name and the
sequence number (i.e. "Cardiff_1.jpg," "Cardiff_2.jpg"). These electronic
files should be listed and described in Section G of the written proposal (above).
A website will be available to upload electronic files beginning May 15,
2010. A link to the website will be posted here:
http://easternstate.org/exhibits/guidelines/upload
Helpful Hints:
- Follow the guidelines in this application. While we consider ourselves
flexible in many ways, the Review Committee views the inability to follow
these guidelines as a bad indicator of an artist’s commitment or attention to detail.
- The Physical Project Summary (Section D) of the narrative should be as literal as possible.
Avoid interpretation of your work, and simply tell the Review Committee what you plan to install.
Example: "My project consists of thirty-nine white plaster castings of cats posed
in various natural positions. Castings will be dispersed throughout the prison
(primarily outdoors) located in areas they can be seen by the public on self guided tours."
- Avoid proposing materials that will not hold up in Eastern State's environment
- Be careful not to romanticize the prison, or make assumptions or sweeping
generalizations. The prison’s history is complicated, and broad, simple statements
often reduce much of its meaning.
- Do not suggest Eastern State solely as an architectural backdrop.
Artist installations must deepen the experience of visitors who are
touring this National Historic Landmark, addressing some aspect of the building's significance.
- Some
of our best proposals did address Eastern State’s history,
including Linda Brenner’s Ghost
Cats
and Nick Kripal’s Contemplation/Cultivation.
If you are going to include historical information about Eastern
State’s history, please make sure you are accurate. Artists
should be sensitive to the history of the space and only include
historical information in the proposal if it is relevant to the
work. Our staff is available to consult on historical accuracy. An
extensive history of Eastern State Penitentiary, including detailed
narratives and information on specific inmates, can be downloaded
and searched electronically from our website:
http://www.easternstate.org/history/571page.php
- Overt political content can be good.
- When
possible, the committee likes to see multiple viewpoints expressed
among the artists who exhibit their work at Eastern State. Every
year the committee reviews dozens of proposals for work that will
express empathy for the men and women who served time at Eastern
State. The committee has accepted many of these proposals, generally
resulting in successful installations. These include Michael
Grothusen's midway
of another day,
Dayton Castleman's The
End of the Tunnel,
and Judith Taylor's My
Glass House.
The committee rarely sees proposals, however, that explore the
impact of violence on families and society in general, or the
perspective of victims of crime. One such installation, Ilan
Sandler's Arrest
(2000 to 2003) is widely considered among the most successful
installations at Eastern State. Sharyn O'Mara's 2010
installation will also directly address the impact of crime.
We welcome more such proposals.
- Samples of previous successful proposals are also posted on our web site:
http://www.easternstate.org/exhibits/gl_sample-proposals.php
Although some guidelines have changed since these proposals were
written, the tone and directness of the proposals (and their
underlying vision of a successful work) remain exemplary.
- Be realistic. How much will you be able to accomplish with available funding and installation time?
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