Call for Baltimore Artists
Call for Baltimore Artists
Charm City Rabbit Hole is seeking artist proposals for a limited number of spaces in our immersive pop-up art installation to be included at our brand new destination in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, opening in July of 2020. This pop-up will remain open for 6-8 months, and function as a proof of concept for a larger, permanent immersive arts venue.
Our pop-up destination will be located inside a 6,000 square foot gallery, exhibit, and event space all in one. It is a destination for art that is explorable, mesmerizing, and intentionally engaging. We will feature a variety of installations, each crafted by Baltimore artists and writers as a part of a fantastical narrative that conflates fact, fiction, and allegory.
Charm City Rabbit Hole is looking for artists to evoke exploration and excitement with the rooms and narratives we craft, where people can forget their daily trudges and explore a world they can’t reach on their own. We want our guests to walk away with a sense of fulfillment and whimsy attained only by the creations we provide in our space.
Almost everything will be wholly touchable, movable, slidable, explorable, and reactive. Our installations should be intentionally immersive and contain elements of a cohesive allegorical narrative. The more time you spend exploring the details of your environment, the more secrets you discover.
—————————————————
What we’re looking for
Submissions should include the following qualities:
Immersive. In an immersive environment, each of the human senses should be challenged and engaged as guests move through each of the spaces. We seek multimedia art that includes elements of sound, smell, texture, taste, light, video, virtual play and more.
Interactive/Reactive. We are looking for concepts to include prominent design features that allow guests to manually affect or manipulate their environment. These concepts should outline an experience where there is a clear reactivity to the guest's interaction with the artwork. What we seek can include touch sensitive light control, sensory through movement, touching a variety of textures, as well as elements of social engagement through puzzles and games. While this is not a requirement, priority will be given to installations that invite exploration and play where several people may interact with the piece simultaneously.
Educational. While a great deal of our overall flavor is fantastic fiction, being an explorer in a new world provides a perfect opportunity for learning more about science, technology, and math. Having a relatable and factual foundation makes our fictional environment easier to justify to new explorers. An installation that can provide a capacity for learning is an ideal environment for our patrons.
Durable Fabrication. It is important that CCRH’s installations are able to withstand thousands upon thousands of patrons interacting with them. Even though cleaning and maintenance staff will be available, the installations must be prepared for heavy interaction and designed to be easily maintained if needed. Artists should plan for their work to be exhibited for a minimum of six months and it must be able to be operated while unattended. In the event that the art you have to offer cannot fit this prespecification, please submit your art, as there still may be a place for it within the event and space.
Inclusive. This installation should be an experience that welcomes and encourages patrons of all demographics. This space will be open to people of all ages, including children, and any submission will need to be appropriate to all visitors that enter the space. Nudity, violence, suggestive or mature language, mature themes or content will not be approved within this installation. This space will be ADA compliant and will not accept discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status in any of its activities or operations.
Memorable and Shareable. Our aim is to provide an unforgettable experience to the guests that visit this space. We want the installation to have an impactful presence in the minds and memories of our visitors. While social media is important and plays a huge role in the exposure and sharing of the installation, we hope to leave guests personally astonished by the experience we contribute to Baltimore as well.
Narrative. A core goal of the Rabbit Hole project is to create a detailed non-linear storytelling environment that allows visitors and the artists themselves to explore at their own pace and at a scale from universally vast to micron small. The depth and breadth of the story is limited only to the passion for discovery of the person experiencing it. The narrative will weave all of the art together into a cohesive world. Due to the aggressive timeline of the build, some storytelling structures are already being developed to tie together the “wonderland” experience with the retro office aesthetic the guests will enter through. By coming on board early, artists and writers will have a unique opportunity to form the core story lines that may define Rabbit Hole for years to come.
Suggested submissions include, but are not limited to:
• Surreal environment
• Optical Illusions
• Participatory Art
• Light Art Installation
• Puzzles & Mind Game Challenges
• Interactive playscapes
• Murals
• Interactive tech pieces
• 3D art
• UV or textured landscapes
• Furniture
• Ceiling and wall sculpture
• Supporting graphics/ documents/ computer interfaces for the office environment
—————————————————
Dimensions
Whole Room Installations. Artists chosen to create a whole room installation will be given a specific room of our choosing within the exhibition space. Rooms will range anywhere in size from 50 square feet to 1000 square feet. Rooms are rectangular or square in proportion with ceilings no higher than 13 feet. More specifics on room sizes and dimensions will be provided as the process progresses.
Singular Pieces. While some installations will cover an entire room, others will be placed within specific areas throughout to help serve the narrative, compliment an existing installation, serve as a conduit between rooms, or simply stand alone for a thought-provoking break in the experience. The dimensions of these works can range from the smallest elements as part of a greater whole within the exhibition or a large scale piece no bigger than 12 feet in height.
—————————————————
Scope and Budget
You are required to provide a basic budget but we’re not looking to calculate a moon landing, so let’s keep it simple. We’ll be budgeting anywhere from $100 to $10,000 for the design, construction, and testing of art installation pieces that fit our design criteria.
Answer the following questions as you build out your project plan:
• Is the piece already made, or is your idea something that needs to be built?
• If it is already built, what monthly, quarterly, or annual fee would you consider appropriate for us to lease or purchase it?
• If the piece has yet to be made, has anyone made anything like it, and if not, how sure are you that it can be done?
• Including development and testing, how much is it going to cost you in materials?
• Including development and testing, how much is it going to cost in labor?
• What kind of timeline, tools, and workspace will you require?
• Do you own or have access to the tools and workspace you will require?
• If not, does your budget allow for the appropriate purchase, lease, or membership fees?
• Can your project be completed in less than 4 months?
• If you will be building your piece offsite, what will it cost in transportation to and from the exhibit?
• What kind of maintenance and spare parts are needed to survive a public installation for up to 6 months?
—————————————————
Timeline
Proposals are due by March 6th.
Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received and we are already pulling together elements of our overall design so the sooner you can get your submission in the better. Offsite installations to begin April1st. Onsite installations to begin May 1st with completion dates no later than June 30th. If you have missed the submission date, you may still submit your proposal in the event of artist cancellations or future opportunities.
—————————————————
Proposal guidelines
• Contact information and bio or “about me” summary. First name and last name, your email and phone number. Please include a short description about who you are.
• Artist resume or portfolio. This can be a website, a document, can include social media or whatever is appropriate to showcase your art and abilities.
• Name of project. An outline and summary of your installation.
• Estimated budget. Please provide an estimated budget that includes materials, labor, installation and transportation costs as well as artist fees.
• Visual Documentation. In the form of digital photography, concept sketches or artwork, renderings, videos, etc.
• Dimensional specs
• Interactive Details
• Immersive and interactive details. How will patrons encounter the installation and expect to react to it? What can patrons do with the installation that is stimulating and memorable?
• Technical and fabrication requirements
• Time and labor required for build (workforce hours)
• Materials required. Can you provide an itemized materials list?
• Tools or workshop required
• Are you self sufficient? If not, how can we help to supply you with what you need to complete this build? Do you need additional build staff for your installation?
• Power requirements
• Maintenance Requirements
• What is needed to maintain the operation of the proposed art?
• Does the art require daily cleaning? Nightly reboots? Software updates?
• If mechanical failure arises, are you available for repair?
• Team information. Are you a one-person show? Do you have a team? Specify everyone on your team and their defined roles; include their experience working on similar projects.
—————————————————
Pre-Existing Artwork
Do you have existing pieces that you are interested in leasing to us for a minimum of 6 months? If you feel you have works that fit our concept, please include that in your proposal using our proposal guidelines.
—————————————————
Logistics: What you do & what we do
Selected Artists Will:
• Bring their unique vision and expertise in making their environment
• Work with design team to finalize design specs and agree to meet safety standards
• Establish production timeline with design and build team
• Collaborate with design team during fabrication to ensure the installation’s integrity, durability and safety requirements
• Conduct in process meetings with design team throughout the project for observation and consult on work in progress
• Provide personal equipment and tools needed to complete project
• Transport art from personal workspace to and from CCRH for installation and de-installation
• Be available for inspections
• Be prepared for changes that might arises from inspection reports or safety requirements
• Maintain professionalism
• Stay on schedule
CCRH Design Team Will:
• Provide onsite design and engineering support to ensure installations meet fire and safety codes as well as physical accessibility
• Provide logistics and labor support for installation and de-installation
• Request meetings throughout project for observation and consultation
• Provide in depth scheduling between you, your build team and our in house design staff.
• Will work with each artist/team to ensure that all installations are integrated into the overall exhibit theme and narrative.
—————————————————
FAQ
Q. What story have you worked out? Is there a plotline I should be writing to?
A. We have tons of ideas, but we do not yet have a set narrative only some aesthetic areas and a story telling structure (See Narrative above). We’ll be coordinating to connect each of the plot pieces once we have finalized our design. So give us your best ideas, and we’ll pull it all together as a team.
Q. Who will own the rights to installation pieces that we construct as a part of this process?
A. Since we’re paying for materials, labor, and production management, we’ll own the rights to any concepts that we construct as a part of this pop-up.
Q. Does that also mean that you’ll own the rights to a piece that you lease from me for the duration of the pop-up?
A. If you lease us your art, we will be renting it for an agreed-upon timeframe, which we can negotiate to some degree. Once the lease expires, it’s yours, and we’ll schedule a time for you to come by and pick it up or we can discuss leasing the art for a longer duration or purchase on our needs after the initial pop-up. If you are considering leasing us your art, please also consider the interactive nature of where it will be placed. After thousands of people touch it, it may become damaged, worn, or even broken.
Q. Who has the right to share the work publicly? Are we allowed to take and share photos during the build process?
A. We will provide specific criteria for this as photos during the build process should be used to serve both the artists and the marketing of CCRH.
—————————————————
Submissions
Proposals should be emailed to Derek@charmcityrabbithole.com. Written proposals should be in PDF format. You may include supplemental video or audio but online links are preferred.
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning immediately. Concepts submitted after March 6 will not be included in the review process.