The San Francisco Arts Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. We affirm the sovereign rights of their community as First Peoples and are committed to supporting the traditional and contemporary evolution of the American Indian community and uplifting contemporary indigenous voices and culture.

The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.

ISSUE DATE: OCTOBER 20, 2022
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
DECEMBER 16, 2022, 11:59 PM
Aerial view of Pier 27 in San Francisco

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The San Francisco Arts Commission invites artists and artist teams residing in the United States to submit qualifications for the Pier 27 Cruise Terminal Project. Proposals for this project may range from a single, large sculpture to a series of smaller sculptures located within the cruise terminal plaza adjacent to the Embarcadero pedestrian entrance near Lombard Street.

The goals for this art opportunity are that the artwork should be positioned to invite visitors, but not impede paths of circulation; be visible from points north and south on the Embarcadero; embrace and highlight its visual connection to the Bay and consider geographic, cultural, and/or historic relationships to the site and surrounding areas; be universally accessible, accommodating, and appropriately scaled to the site; be fabricated with consideration of sustainable materials and constructed as permanent and maintainable within an urban and marine environment.

The budget for artwork is $136,000 inclusive of all artist's fees, as well as associated expenses for design, fabrication, insurance, transportation and consulting during installation. There will be a $50,000 allocation for installation, which will be administered under a separate contract with the City.

Project Description

Built in 2014, the Port of San Francisco’s James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 hosts over 100 cruise ship calls and more than 400,000 passengers every year, and doubles as an indoor/outdoor event center on non-cruise days. The Terminal is located on the northern waterfront of the Embarcadero between Chestnut and Lombard streets, and is accessible by transit, vehicle, and on foot.

Selection Process

Selection Criteria for Artists and Artwork: Artists and artwork will be selected in accordance with the Mission and Goals of the Civic Art Collection and in accordance with the criteria below. Criteria to be used when considering when scoring an artist’s application for a commission and/or acquisition of artwork by either purchase or commission shall include, but not be limited to the following considerations. Per City contracting requirements, artist applicants who are registered as a Local Business Enterprise will be given a rating bonus of 10% relative to other applicants.

Artistic Merit: Artistic Merit may be judged by such measures as originality of concept and artistic vision; the degree to which the work engages the viewer emotionally, intellectually, spiritually; the qualify of craftsmanship or mastery of skills and techniques. Artistic merit may also be credited to artwork that reflects a significant or direct relationship between the artist and distinct racial or cultural communities.

Relevant Skills & Experience: Review Panels and the Commission shall consider the assessed ability of an artist to successfully implement a proposed project, such as the ability to work constructively with other project stakeholders, meet deadlines, willingness to resolve issues as they arise, and generally manage the demands of the project. Cultural competency and/or significant connection between the artist and the project constituency, or experience that may particularly qualify an artist to meet project goals may also be considered.

Meet Project Goals: The proposed artwork (or the assessed ability of an artist to design a proposal) meets the specific goals of the project as defined in the Project Outline and/or RFQ or RFP as approved by the Commission.

The Artwork is Appropriate to the Site: The artwork or proposed artwork is appropriate for its intended display location in terms of scale, media, design or imagery and is judged to be relevant within the context of the surrounding community, and is compatible with the mission and operations of the client department.

Feasibility, maintainability: Proposed objects shall be evaluated relative to their feasibility and evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to: project budget, timeline, and the artist’s experience. Due consideration shall be given to the structural and surface soundness, and to inherent resistance to theft, vandalism and weathering, and to the cost and amount of ongoing maintenance and/or repair anticipated.

Contributes to the Quality of the Civic Art Collection: The artwork is judged to support and improve the city’s collection in terms of artistic qualify and diversity of artists represented. The Arts Commission is committed to acquiring art works that reflect diversity in style, scale, media, and artistic sources as well as diverse cultural communities and perspectives. The Arts Commission also encourages exploratory types of work as well as established art forms.

Public Safety and Accessibility: Artwork shall be evaluated to ensure that it does not present a hazard to public safety and complies Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and with all other applicable building codes.

Duplication: Artists will be asked to warrant, as a condition of their agreement with the City,that the artwork commissioned or purchased is unique and an edition of one, and shall not be duplicated unless it is part of a limited edition or otherwise stated to the contrary in the artist’s contract with the Commission.