Call for Public Art – COVID-19 Memorial

Mosaic and Mural Art Installation

Deadline for Submissions: March 15, 2024

Applicants have been contacted and interviews scheduled. 

BACKGROUND AND OPPORTUNITY

The Davis Cemetery District is installing a permanent COVID-19 memorial at the Davis Cemetery at 820 Pole Line Road. This memorial will feature a walking path, seating/reflection space, informational signage, and privacy landscaping. Visitors will walk along a path where they will walk through four to five archways, each designed to represent stages of the pandemic. The path will end at a reflection wall where visitors can reflect on the meaning of the memorial. As visitors leave the memorial, signage will be placed along the path describing the strength and resiliency our community has gained through the pandemic and will focus on looking forward, while remembering the past.

OPPORTUNITY

The district will commission an artist or group of artists to design and install mosaic art on each pre-installed pillar and mural art on each archway. The public art will visually enhance the COVID-19 memorial and will serve as the memorial’s primary visual focal point.

Within the safety constraints of the project and aesthetics of the cemetery, the artists will be able to explore their own artistic vision in partnership with the COVID-19 memorial subcommittee which consists of two district board members, listed below. Questions regarding this opportunity should be directed to: Stephen Souza at sasouza@sbcglobal.net

BACKGROUND

The District’s Board of Trustees envisioned the Davis Cemetery Districts COVID-19 Memorial and appointed Trustees Heidy Kellison and Stephen Sousa to lead this project. The district’s vision is for the memorial to represent the following:

REMEMBRANCE HONOR & ACKNOWLEDGE RESILIENCY & STRENGTH
This memorial will provide a space for community members to remember those we lost and how the pandemic has impacted them personally. A space to honor our first responders, essential workers, small businesses, caregivers, families, and friends while acknowledging those who have been disproportionately impacted.  Recognizing our community’s ability to withstand adversity and recover from the pandemic. 

SCOPE

The selected artist and/or team will collaborate closely with Trustees Kellison and Souza as well as Jessica Smithers from the Davis Cemetery District. Ideally, we would like to include community member participation to assist the artist(s) during the installation process.

 

 

ELEMENT ONE – PILLARS

The memorial will consist of 5 archways for a total of 10 pillars. Each 16” x 16” x 8’ pillar will be 42.56 sq. ft of surface area or 85.12 sq ft per archway for mosaic art. The pillars will be set in a 2’ x 2’ x 2’ concrete foundation, vertical reinforced by rebar. The pillars will be constructed with concrete blocks – see example. The installation and construction will be handled by the cemetery and will not be the responsibility of the artist.

 

 

 

ELEMENT TWO – ARCHWAYS

The memorial will consist of 5 wooden archways. Once the concrete pillars have been erected, each archway will be constructed. Each wooden arch is 4’ x 12’ x 9’4” for a total of 18.8 sq ft of mural art. Example archway to the right.

 

 

BUDGET

The district will cover the cost of materials and basic tools needed for the mosaic and mural art. This opportunity includes a budget of $4,000 for materials and $12,000 for artists’ stipends. The costs associated with the pre-installed archways are not part of this budget.

ESTIMATED TIMELINE

February 29, 2024 – Artist call announcement

March 15, 2024 – Application submission deadline

March 29, 2024 – Finalist interviews with committee and notifications of selected artists and/or teams

April 2024 – Artist develops design in collaboration sub-committee / Final design review and approval

May 2024 – Projected installation period

End of May 2024 – Completion

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Interested artists should submit the following application materials to Jessica Smithers at jess@daviscemetery.org

  • Artist Resume: Artistic accomplishments, awards, commissions, exhibitions, etc.
  • Portfolio Images: Examples of mosaic and/or mural art preferred. Minimum 3, Maximum 5.
  • Letter of Intent: A brief letter explaining your interest in this project and qualifications that make you well suited for this job.
  • Professional References: Contact information. References should be able to speak to your ability to complete this specific project. Minimum 1.

REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

Artists and/or teams will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Artist experience with mosaic and/or mural installations in a public setting;
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with sub committees in a design-team context;
  • Demonstrated experience collaborating with local communities on design development;
  • Familiarity with public agencies, and/or previous collaboration with local government;
  • Preference given to local (yolo county) artists; and
  • Demonstrated ability to undertake and successfully execute the work in accordance with the construction schedule, in a professional manner and within the project budget.