Twin Ports: TEMPORARY/PUBLIC

The Duluth-Superior Arts District Development Committee invites artists to apply for the TWIN PORTS: TEMPORARY/PUBLIC or “TPTP” exhibition.

The committee is seeking artists’ transformation of vacant spaces in two Twin Ports neighborhoods. Proposals for both visual art and site-specific performance pieces will be accepted.

Please consider vacant lots, sidewalks, streetscape, building facades and windows as your canvas. These temporary projects should stop viewers in their tracks!

Specific Guidelines:

1. The event or piece will be installed in either the Hillside/Downtown neighborhoods in Duluth, or Superior’s North End.
2. Your concept should honor the unique attributes of each neighborhood. What interests you about Hillside/Downtown or North End? What found materials can be located there? What seems important to recognize about this community’s heritage? What do you think the future holds for this place? How does your own aesthetic respond to the place?
3. Projects will be temporary installations or performances. Ideally, the project should be installed in one day, January 9, 2010, enjoyed by residents and visitors for the duration of the exhibit, then documented and removed on January 23, 2010.
4. We encourage artists to create works that are participatory in nature or have significant elements that allow for broad public participation. Participation could involve neighbors, kids, fellow artists, or other community members in the creation of the piece, or it could be interactive for viewers
5. Works submitted must be of a scale and material suitable for public outdoor display. Additionally, the works must be securely anchored and made of materials that can withstand winter weather.
6. We encourage the use of recycled or found objects or other natural materials, particularly materials that can be found in the local area.
7. The committee will also consider works made of natural materials intended to decompose, so long as the decomposition process will not create an eyesore.
8. The committee will work on the artists’ behalf to secure the appropriate permissions to install artwork in the vacant spaces.
9. Finalists will receive a liability waiver recognizing the inherent risk of exhibiting art in a public setting and seeking permission to use images for promotional purposes.
10. Please consider that neighborhood residents and visitors include families and children. Work should be appropriate and safe for interaction for residents of all ages.

Deadline for entries: November 9, 2009

Acceptance e-mails sent: November 16, 2009

Installation date and launch party: January 9, 2010

Exhibition: January 9-23, 2010

Site cleanup: January 23, 2010

Eligibility: Open to all artists, educators, and community residents interested in creating temporary artwork of a scale and material suitable for outdoor display. At least one artist on each proposal should be from Duluth or Superior. Artists should be able to install the work in one day January 9, 2010 and remove the work on January 23, 2010.

Compensation: Our goal is to raise funds from local sponsors and offer each artist $500 each.

How do I apply?

Send a concept paper of no more than 500 words to tptemppublic@gmail.com by November 9, 2009. The concept paper should provide an overview of your project, identify the site required (vacant lot, sidewalk, side of building, etc.), and discuss how the project will address the above criteria. Please submit a scanned sketch or digitally created visual outline of your concept. You may also wish to submit images of your previous work. We will accept a maximum of three .jpgs per project. Provide your contact information, including e-mail address, Web site address (if you have one) and your desired location in either North End or Hillside/Downtown.

Jurors: All submissions will be shared via Facebook with our followers in Duluth and Superior to gather input about the ideas presented.  You can follow along by ‘friending’ TwinportsJulie on Facebook. A team of local artists and neighborhood residents will review each concept and select a project that best fits the criteria. Acceptance notifications will be e-mailed by November 16, 2009.

About Us: The Duluth and Superior Arts District Development Committee is a group of local residents, business owners, and community leaders working to build creative neighborhoods in the community. This “creative cluster” pilot program focuses on the Hillside/Downtown neighborhood in Duluth and Superior’s North End.

The vision of the Duluth and Superior Arts District Development Committee is to build on assets already in place and create zones where artists and other creative people can work, live, and market their work. Arts-based neighborhood revitalization projects are most successful in communities where artists and residents work together to implement new ideas. To encourage these important links, the committee has designed a public art project to engage artists and community residents in collaborative work.

This project evolved from a breakout group that met at the ART WORKS! conference in March 2008. Our funding comes from a planning grant from the ART WORKS! Moving Forward program and the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, Duluth Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and Superior Business Improvement District.