DESCRIPTION: The Public Art Office of the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina seeks qualifications from artists and/or artist teams to collaborate with students, instructors and the administration of Ephesus Elementary School to create an artwork for the school during the fall of 2008.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all artists and artist teams in North Carolina. Artists and teams may specialize in multiple disciplines and media. Artists residing in Orange County and surrounding counties are encouraged to apply. Artists should have experience working in a residency situation and/or the ability to communicate with students or community groups.

PROJECT BUDGET: $3,000 artist honoraria and up to $500.00 for supplies

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: September 30, 2008

Local and regional artists and teams are invited to apply for the fall 2008 Artists@Work residency at Ephesus Road Elementary School in Chapel Hill. The selected artist/team will plan the in-school residency (between 9 – 12 sessions) and lead 4th or 5th grade students (three separate classes of 22-24 students) in the creation of a collaborative artwork. The selected artist/team must provide a practical classroom/workshop experience for students, which engages them in art production. The experience should build teamwork, students’ problem-solving skills, and confidence in their artistic abilities, stimulate creativity, and teach decision-making related to the production of a public work of art. The art instructor and parent volunteers will assist the artist/team with maintaining classroom discipline and project coordination.

The residency will take place in early November. The selected artist/team will propose an artwork that, in theme or materials, addresses literacy, the fun of reading and learning, and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Chapel Hill Public Library and the 100th anniversary of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools. The selected artist/team will participate in a preparatory meeting with Public Arts staff, members of the Public Arts Commission, school staff and parent docents. The selected artist/team will work with the Ephesus art instructor and volunteer parent docents to engage students in this project for approximately 9 – 12 instructional sessions (usually over a two-week period). The selected artist/team is responsible for completing and installing the artwork as proposed. The completed artwork may be temporarily displayed at the Chapel Hill Public Library during its 50th Anniversary celebration and then permanently installed at Ephesus Elementary School. Assistance and some funds will be provided for installation if applicable.

SELECTION PROCESS: An Artist Selection Committee comprised of representatives of Ephesus Elementary School, the Chapel Hill Public Library, the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, and the Town’s Public Arts Office will invite three finalists from the applicant pool to each submit a proposal according to provided specifications. Each finalist will be paid a $250.00 stipend for a proposal presentation. After these proposals are reviewed one artist/team will be selected to lead the fall 2008 Artists@Work program.

HOW TO APPLY: Artists and teams may send a compact disc containing application materials through the post to Jeffrey York (address provided below) or in a .zip file sent to chapelhillarts@gmail.com.

Each application must include:

• Ten (10) Images of Relevant Work
  Each image must be a PC-compatible JPEG file at 72 pixels per inch, as close to but no larger than the following dimensions: 750 pixels wide by 560 pixels tall. Each JPEG file must be named in the following format – lastname_01_title.jpg – where the artist’s last name is followed by underscore, two-digit identification number, underscore, title, file extension. If you wish to show a detail, include it within the required number of images. Please do not present your work as a montage of images (ie., in a PowerPoint file); each image must be a separate JPEG.
• Annotated Image List
• A word file (.doc) listing JPEG images by two-digit identification number, followed by artist, title of work depicted, year completed, media, location, dimensions, and budget.
• Resume
• A word file (.doc) providing resume(s). If you are applying as a team, include all team member resumes within one document.
• Letter of Interest
  A word file (.doc) not to exceed 5,000 characters. This statement will explain the artist’s or team’s interest in the project and past experience. If the Letter of Interest is on behalf of a team, please indicate how the individuals have previously collaborated and the nature of the collaboration. If the artist/team has worked with schools or community groups, please describe the relationships and nature of the projects.

SCHEDULE FOR ARTIST SELECTION (subject to change):

September 30, 2008: Deadline for Electronic Application Materials
October 6, 2008: Artist Recommendation Committee invites Finalists to present Proposals.
October 22, 2008: Finalists’ Proposal Presentations
October 24, 2008: Artist/team Selected
November 2008: Artist/team leads program at Ephesus Elementary
2008/2009: Artwork on display at Chapel Hill Public Library
2009: Artwork permanently installed at Ephesus Elementary School

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: To learn more about the previous Artists@Work programs, please visit http://www.chapelhillarts.org/programs_residence_ov.php. If you have questions or need any additional information please contact the Town of Chapel Hill Public Arts Office: Jeffrey J. York, Chapel Hill Public Arts Administrator, 919-968-2750.