Aug 1: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

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Date: March 29, 2024 — August 01, 2011
Categories: Opportunities

Call Summary
Project: The Healthy Art Program: An Energy Smart Exhibition. Seeking up to five working artists in Santa Clara County who will partake in an Eco-Studio Makeover and be part of an art exhibition in San Jose’s City Hall. Artists will receive an energy audit that will provide an assessment and some modifications to their studios, an index of green materials as applied to their practice, $1000 artist fee and energy education opportunities. Application deadline is August 1, 2011 at 5:00 PM PST. Sponsoring organizations include The Art Inspector, ZER01: The Art and Technology Network, City of San Jose and Silicon Valley Energy Watch.

Project Description
The Healthy Art Program: An Energy Smart Exhibition
Have you ever wondered what the environmental impact is of your art making process? Have you ever considered how the materials you work with impact your health or the environment? Perhaps you believe your studio already is low-impact and you want to share your experience with other artists?

The Art Inspector is looking for up to five artists in different disciplines (painting, ceramics, digital art, casting, etc.) who will be challenged to lower their environmental impact. The Art Inspector is a third party artist/curator who has created The Healthy Art Program to assess the energy consumption, material use and environmental impact of art as well as educate artists on how they can lower their carbon footprint.

What’s in it for the artist?
Participating artists will receive the following:
1. An Eco-Studio Makeover by the Art Inspector, including a before and after energy assessment;
2. Free workshops and educational opportunities;
3. Some energy efficient replacements for the studio;
4. Materials intake, a set of replacement materials that will be used by the selected artists to create an art work to be exhibited in San Jose City Hall;
5. A $1000 artist participation fee; and
6. Publication about the artists and artworks created in a national report.

Artist commitment
Artists are required to allow for The Art Inspector, or contracted agent, to conduct a full energy assessment of the artists existing working studio. Assessments will include, but not be limited to measuring energy usage from outlets, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) readings, occupancy sensors, material intake, etc. The assessment evaluations will be taken at the beginning of the process, before recommended alterations, and towards the end for a final assessment of success: the reduction of environmental impact.

Participating artists will be expected to temporarily surrender art-making materials deemed unhealthy by the Art Inspector and adopt provided green materials that will be specified with the intent of being equivalent or close to equivalent to the ones being surrendered. The artist will then use the provided green materials for the creation of the artwork intended for exhibition at City Hall. The purpose of using the green materials is to allow artists to experiment with a low-impact materials and reach beyond their outside of the comfort zones of environmentally-hazardous materials.

Artists will also be required to Blog/Vlog on a weekly basis about their experience changing their art-making habits.  Artists will be encouraged to use social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube etc. to make their experience publicly accessible. Artists will also be required to attend at least one Healthy Art Workshop open to the public and are encouraged to attend multiple educational programs.

Artists must allow the Art Inspector access to photograph and film the artists in their studios for documentation purposes.

Project Goals

To use the process of energy assessments and environmental education to:
1. Raise artists’ awareness of the energy and environmental impact of their art practices;

2. Provide artists with a perspective on art studios energy use and art practices;

3. Introduce artists to eco-materials, energy efficient tools, energy star rebates and methods to reduce their carbon footprints;

4. Educate the public about the environmental impact of art, workshops for the community; and

5. Create a trend of low-impact art using Blogs/Vlogs and social media.

Exhibition Description
Each of the artists will design an artwork for display in an exhibition case of approximately 4’ x 3’ x 5’ located in San Jose City Hall lobby. The exhibition will be installed early in 2012 and be on display for up to one year. The exhibition will kick of “Green” week in San Jose.

Artist Eligibility
1. Artist must live or work in Santa Clara County.

2. Artist must operate the majority of their practice from a single studio location.

3. Artist must currently work in the studio a minimum of 25 hours per week.

4. Must be willing to accept the Artist Commitment as stated above.

This call is open to all types of artists as long as they are committed to the process and are working enough studio hours (as defined above) that allow Art Inspector’s data to create the energy assessment.

Application Submittal Requirements
Please send the following by one website link, one pdf or one zip file. Please do not send several attached .jpgs, emails or pdfs.

The list of materials artists should send by mail or online with their applications.

Application Requirements/Contact

1. Files should be labeled lastname_image.jpg
2. Up to five, embedded in pdf, website, or pdf.
3. Image description list
4. Videos please send Youtube or Vimeo link
5. CV/Resume up to 2 pages
6. Bio 250 words or less
7. Statement of why you would like to participate in this project and where your art fits into the environment. Up to 500 words
8. Include how many hours you work in your studio, where you studio is located, if it is shared with others, is it a room in your house or a stand-alone building, what is the main material you work in.

Send application to Danielle Siembieda Danielle.siembieda@gmail.com, questions please email or call 619.757.477

Deadline
August 1, 2011 5pm PST
Artist selection will be made within two weeks of deadline.

Sponsors
Art Inspector
The Art Inspector is both an artwork and a social practice founded by Danielle Siembieda in 2009. It is a third party certification agent that examines the environmental impact of art process and practice. Art Inspector works with interested agents such as curators, artists, collectors, and others in order to pre-qualify artists who practice with an environmental conscious. The Art Inspector uses the Healthy Art Program to education artists and the public on green materials and ways to lower the carbon footprint of art.

Silicon Valley Energy Watch-Community Energy Champions Grant Program
In an effort to build the capacity of community based non-profit organizations and local governments in Santa Clara County, the City of San Jose and Silicon Valley Energy Watch awarded 18 projects with grants between $10,000 and $25,000. Each project uses innovative methods to build awareness, interest, and knowledge of energy efficiency in targeted communities within Santa Clara County. These projects also combine energy efficiency with other environmental programs, laying the foundation for sustainable communities. The Art Inspector with fiscal sponsor ZER01: The Art and Technology Network is a recipient of this grant and is funding this project.

City of San Jose Public Art Program
The City of San Jose Public Art Program in the Office of Cultural affairs sponsors the exhibition space. The City of San José Public Art Program seeks to build community identity by initiating artworks and exhibitions that enliven our community. Through active engagement between the artists and project stakeholders, public art strives to reflect the City’s ethnic diversity, historic richness, and envision its present and future. The Office of Cultural Affairs manages the San José Public Art Program, which operates in accordance with Title 22 of the Municipal Code. Funds to support the Public Art Program are provided by municipal ordinance specifying that 1% of City capital improvement project budgets, 2% of San Jose Redevelopment Agency projects, and 1% of certain eligible private development project budgets be set aside for the commission, purchase, and installation of artworks.

ZER01: The Art and Technology Network
ZER01 is the fiscal sponsor of the Art Inspector. ZER01 is transforming San Jose/Silicon Valley into a global epicenter for the intersection of art, technology, and digital culture. ZER01 is the producer of the 01SJ Biennial – a multi-disciplinary, multi-venue event of visual and performing arts, the moving image, public art, and interactive digital media.