Artists' Proposals - 2010 Season 

Proposal Deadline (for all funding):

Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 5:00 pm
At Eastern State Penitentiary Administrative Offices:
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 5 pm on June 17, 2009 will not be reviewed.

Contact: 

Sean Kelley, Program Director, --EMail--, (215) 236-5111 x13

Important Dates & Times

Orientation: We strongly 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 viewing 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 to attend.

Artists who cannot attend an orientation can make arrangements with Sean Kelley to discuss the proposal process by phone. Please allow at least two weeks when scheduling a phone discussion.

Winter 2008 Orientation Dates

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Saturday, January 17, 2009, 11 am

Spring 2009 Orientation Dates

Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 2 pm
Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 10:00 am
Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 6:00 pm

All Proposals Due: Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 5:00 pm

See details above

Artists Notified Via Email By: Tuesday, September 15, 2009


Installation Completed By: Monday, March 8, 2010

(for Installation Approval awardees only)

Removal of Work: To be completed by Friday, December 31, 2010

(unless the installation is extended with consent of the Review Committee)

Featured Locations for 2010 Installations

Artists may apply for any area in the penitentiary complex for the 2010 season, except Cellblock 2 and the audio tour route (indicated on our site map/ brochure with a red line). 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. Some installations, such as Linda Brenner’s Ghost Cats have been sited throughout the penitentiary complex.

The review committee is especially interested in reviewing proposals for three locations for the 2010 season:

Visitation Room Garden: This small space was reconfigured and served several functions throughout the prison’s history. Its final use was a garden visible from the inmate visitation room windows in the 1960s. The garden was likely maintained by inmates. The garden space remains visible today from three sides: through the visitation room windows (now a video orientation room) and from above on the east and north. Although the garden can be accessed by a small flight of stairs, code requirements will eliminate or heavily restrict public access to the space itself. The space is near the beginning of the audio tour route.

Greenhouse: Built in 1936, and replacing earlier greenhouses within the penitentiary complex, this small building was restored in 2004. Judith Taylor’s installation, My Glass House (pictured above), will be removed by January 1, 2010, leaving clear glass windows throughout. Visitor access into the space may be possible. There is no running water in the space or nearby.

Cell Block 11, Cell 34: The cellblock was added to the penitentiary complex in 1894. Cell 34 is the last cell in the block, and its distinctive trapezoidal shape and third skylight make it unusually spacious. Visitors are permitted to enter the space. Nicholas Kripal used the cell for his Contemplation / Cultivation (2000-2002, pictured above, top) , and Matt and Jon Stemler’s Juxtaposition is sited there now (pictured above, bottom). Juxtaposition will be removed by January 1, 2010.

Types of Funding and Approval

Eastern State Penitentiary now provides funding on two tracks: Exhibition Approval and Proposal Development. Proposals and deadlines for the two types of funding are nearly identical. Exceptions are noted below.

Exhibition Approval: Maximum $7,500.00 per project, includes approval to exhibit during the proposed exhibition cycle. It is not necessary to have applied for or received Proposal Development. Must be for current exhibition cycle. No artist installations can be approved to exhibit on the property without approval through this process. All projects that are approved are for exhibit during one full tour season (April through November), unless otherwise discussed. Artists whose work is currently on exhibit can apply through a separate process to extend their installation by one tour season.

Proposal Development: Maximum $2,500.00 per project, for development of an Exhibition Approval proposal. Proposal Development cannot be applied to the current exhibition cycle. This funding is designed to develop an idea or body of work that will later be submitted as an Exhibition Approval proposal in a later cycle. It is intended to offset travel costs and artist materials for ambitious projects that may require extensive work to develop. It is not necessary to name which year an Exhibition Approval proposal will be submitted. Receipt of Proposal Development does not guarantee later Exhibition Approval, nor that the work will ever be exhibited.

Notes on Funding:

• Artists wishing to receive an artist fee should include their compensation in the budget.
• Selection and funding are contingent upon a signed letter of agreement.
• 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.
• 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.
• Most funding is provided from our 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.
• 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

• Collaborative proposals are permitted; each artist may only submit just one proposal per year (whether alone or as part of a collaboration), and must choose between the Proposal Development and Exhibition Funding categories.
• Artists who have previously exhibited at the site must wait five years before submitting a proposal for a new installation.
• Currently enrolled undergraduate students are ineligible to apply.
• 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 complex, 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 approval. This approval process must include 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 h appy 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. Our 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 with art work 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.

• All pages, including illustrations, must be printed on plain letter sized paper (8.5" x 11"). No paper heavier than 30 lb.
• All pages must be typed in 10 point font or larger, 1.5 line spaced and have at least one-inch margins.
• The artist’s name must appear on every page.
• 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. We apologize for the inconvenience. All proposals become the property of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. and may be published even if the proposal is not accepted.
• Proposals should not include artist statements or letters of support. Please do not submit any additional materials, as they will not be forwarded to the committee. Cover letters will not be forwarded to the committee.

The Written Proposal

• Please provide twelve (12) copies of the proposal. The proposals should be collated and each packet should be paper clipped together. (Please do not staple the proposals, punch holes in the proposals or place the proposals in binders, folders etc., as it will prohibit them from being bound for the committee).
  
  
• The total proposal should be no longer than 6 pages of text, including resumeacute; / vita, excluding illustrations.

The Support Materials

Artists may submit up to 12 electronic files, total, illustrating previous work to support their proposals. It is only necessary to submit one compact disc containing these electronic files. The disc should be clearly labeled with the artist’s first and last names. The 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 identified and described in Section H of the written proposal (above).

• Images:
  Digital images should be saved as jpgs or PDFs, not larger than 2 MB each. Larger files will not be forwarded to the committee. Slides and photographic prints will not be reviewed.
• Audio or Video (2 min. max, each):
  Artists may include audio or video files in place of one or more of the digital images (above). These samples may be submitted in any standard format (.mov, .wav, Quicktime, Real Audio, mp3, etc.). Individual file sizes may not exceed 2 MB.

Helpful Hints:

• The Project Summary section of the narrative should be as literal as possible. Avoid interpretation of your work, and simply tell us 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.”
  
  
• Be realistic. How much will you be able to accomplish with available funding and installation time?
  
  
• Avoid using proposing materials that will not hold up in Eastern State’s environment.
  
  
• Do not use Eastern State solely as an architectural backdrop. The site has not been preserved to make artwork look good. The work must deepen the experience of visitors who are touring this National Historic Landmark.
  
  
• Be careful not to romanticize the prison, or make assumptions or sweeping generalizations.
  
  
• Although your proposal must be site specific, it is not necessary to incorporate Eastern State’s history into your proposal. Many successful proposals, including Nick Cassway’s Portraits of Inmates in the Death Row Population Sentenced as Juveniles and Ilan Sandler’s Arrest, did not focus on Eastern State’s history at all. They did, however, address subjects central to the subjects we hope our visitors will be contemplating during their visits.
  
  
• 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. It has been, to date, the only installation to directly address the impact of crime.
  
  
• Samples of previous installations are posted on our web site: http://www.easternstate.org/exhibits/gl_installation-history.php
  
  
• 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.