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2016 Call for Entries

Artist Designed Bike Racks

SouthSide Arts District Streetscape Improvements

A Public Art Project funded by Northampton County – CIPP Program

Managed by

Administered by

The City of Bethlehem seeks proposals from local artists to design functional, artistically innovative

bicycle racks to be installed in SouthSide Arts District as part of the streetscape improvement initiative.

Artists are asked to submit a line drawing that is graphically strong and feasible for development into a

functional bicycle rack. Up to three design proposals per artist may be submitted, each accompanied by

a cost analysis. Commissioned artists will receive a stipend of $2000, intended to provide recognition

and financial support to purchase materials necessary to successfully complete the project. Artist may

partner with an engineer, welder or builder to facilitate construction of the bicycle rack.

Based on the designs submitted, artists will be chosen by jury to construct eight bicycle racks. The goal is

to complete installation of all eight bicycle racks by spring 2017.

The application form can be found online here: https://fest.formstack.com/forms/2017_ssad_bikerack_proposal

Deadline March 5

Description

The call for entries is for a free form standing artistic bicycle rack (non-traditional bicycle rack) on public

right-of-way property. Each of the bicycle racks will be designed by a local artist chosen via a submission

process. A committee made up of representatives from the City of Bethlehem, the SouthSide

Downtown Manager, The Coalition of Appropriate Transportation and ArtsQuest Visual Arts staff will

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vote on final selection. Artists from or working in Bethlehem are preferred, however all submissions

from Lehigh Valley-based artists will be considered. Each bike rack will be a dynamic piece of public art,

while still maintaining its functionality. Applicants are encouraged to create a design that reflects the

history, culture and future of Southside Bethlehem. While aesthetics are an important consideration,

applicants should be sure that the purpose of the bike rack itself is self-evident, that it is easy to use and

that it addresses the following:

Design Criteria

The artistic bicycle rack should be site specific and blend in aesthetically with downtown streetscape and complement nearby businesses. Artist is required to visit each site prior to construction.

Artistic bicycle rack design materials should be weather resistant, durable, easy to maintain, and should not include sharp edges that could damage bicycles.

The bike frame and front wheel may *both* be conveniently and securely locked to the artistic bicycle rack using a standard U-shaped shackle lock in a manner designed to minimize the risk of bending the frame or wheel.

The artistic bike rack should function for a wide variety of bicycle sizes and fit 6-8 bicycles per rack based on location and dimensions.

All artistic bicycle rack dimensions shall be shown and specified in the proposal.

With a bicycle parked in the rack, the bicycle and rack shall not impede sidewalk traffic flow per ADA and section 3509 (a) of PA Vehicle Code.

All bicycle rack designs must adhere to all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for protrusions in the right of way, including the ability to detect the rack with a white cane. To be detected by a white cane, the protruding or leading edge of the rack shall be 27 inches or less above the sidewalk surface. Between 27 inches and 80 inches above the sidewalk surface, protruding or leading edges may overhang a maximum of 12 inches.

The top of the bicycle rack design should be a minimum of 36 inches tall. Except for the bicycle rack supporting brackets, the shortest section of the bicycle rack must be a minimum of 27 inches tall – enough to be perceived by a pedestrian and avoid tripping hazards.

The space between bicycle rack features must be larger than 9 inches or smaller than 3.5 inches to avoid children trapping their heads.

Any design changes, construction restrictions or prohibitions made or encountered during the building phase must be communicated to the committee for approval.

An artist may be asked to submit another proposal based on the selection of location.

8 Locations

- 3rd & New - 3rd & Pierce - 4th & Broadway - 4th & New - 4th & Vine - Greenway & Taylor - 4th Street & 300 Block (Parham Park next to Touchstone Theater)

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- TBD Location

3rd & New

3rd & Pierce

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4th & Broadway

4th & New

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4th & Vine

Greenway & Taylor

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4th Street & 300 Block (Parham Park next to Touchstone Theater)

Additional 8th Location TBD

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Request for Proposals

The Call for Entries is open to artists of all backgrounds and experience. Several proposals may be made

by each artist/artist group. Each proposal shall include a line drawing that is original and graphically

strong, taking into account the design perimeters for functional bike racks and theme requirements. The

artistic bicycle rack design, materials to be used, fabrication/production concepts, and all associated

costs shall be clearly addressed in the artist(s) submittal.

The application form can be found online here: https://fest.formstack.com/forms/2017_ssad_bikerack_proposal

Deadline March 5

Please include the following information in your submittal:

1.) Several high quality 8.5X11” color copies of drawings (with dimensions) 2.) One-page artist statement/vision about the design and media including:

Project narrative

Proposed installation method and related requirements

Proposed cost breakdown

Proposed time line breakdown

Recent resume and or photos of past projects that include chosen medium Stipend

Artists submitting the winning bicycle rack proposals will be awarded a stipend of $2000 based on the

cost analysis provided with the application. Selected artists will be awarded 50% of the total stipend

upon entering into the artistic bicycle rack contract. The remaining 50% will be awarded upon delivery

of the project, not upon completion.

The City of Bethlehem and ArtsQuest reserve the rights to deny final payments if any unauthorized

changes are made to the originally submitted design.

Timeline:

Call to Artists: January 2, 2017-March 5, 2017

Deadline for Design Submission: March 5, 2017

Final Design Selection: March 15, 2017

Artist Completion Deadline: May 14, 2017

Installation: May 15-June 2

Unveiling Event: June 3 or 4, 2017

Application Delivery

https://fest.formstack.com/forms/2017_ssad_bikerack_proposal

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ArtsQuest- Banana Factory Arts Center 25 West Third Street Bethlehem, PA 18015

The winning proposals will be retained and become the property of the City of Bethlehem. The City of

Bethlehem reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals without penalty. The

final selections if any, will be those proposals that in the opinion of the City of Bethlehem, after review

of all submissions by the Review Committee, best meet the requirements set-forth in Call for Entries and

are in the best interest of the City of Bethlehem. The City of Bethlehem reserves the right to make an

award without further discussion of the proposals submitted.

The artists of the winning proposals should be prepared to enter into contract based on the terms as

presented in the Call for Entries. Additional information may be requested for clarification

Selection of the Artists

All proposals will be reviewed by a jury panel composed of representatives from the City of Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commision, the SouthSide Downtown Manager, The Coalition of Appropriate Transportation and ArtsQuest Visual Arts staff will vote on final selection. Entries will be critiqued on originality, creativity, artistic merit, functionality, relevancy to installation site, public safety, durability in an outdoor setting and associated project costs. All submissions will be reviewed by the City of

Bethlehem for safety risk assessment, mounting instructions, etc. After the jury process is complete, all participating artists will be notified of the jury’s final recommendations and provided with contracts.

Copyright/Moral Rights

Copyright, including any and all designs, shall remain property of the artist. Upon the completion of the

project, finished bicycle racks become the property of the City of Bethlehem. All bicycle racks will

subsequently become part of the City of Bethlehem’s permanent art collection.