Art in the Neighbourhood
‘Art in the Neighbourhood’:
Placemaking in the West Shore
Call for Proposals – Due Date April 11, 2023
What’s it About?
The West Shore Arts Council (WSAC) is initiating a project to support local arts in creating installations that West Shore residents can ‘make their own’.
In the past year, WSAC reached out to their community to contribute 6 by 6 inch paintings that became tiles in a larger mural. This finished mural is now on display on 1310 Lakepoint Way. Since the interest in this project was tremendous, we would like to continue this ‘community art’ concept into the future.
In this project, we invite West Shore artists and fine arts organizations to submit a proposal for a project that will engage the West Shore communities in place-making activities, to create art that will be exhibited in a public space.
Proposal Due Date: April 11, 2023
The Framework
- The call is open to residents of the West Shore: Highlands, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin and View Royal, and East Sooke. Artists who are to be engaged also must be based in West Shore communities, and the proposed location of the project must be somewhere in the West Shore.
- Proposals need to encourage active community participation; and specify the intended community demographic for the project (inter-generational, inter-cultural, youth, etc).
- Projects should be thematically relevant and contribute positively in some way to the particular West Shore community and/or landscape chosen for the installation. A wide range of relevance is possible, but the concept should be explained.
- Total budget up to $7,500 for any one project. Each budget item must be explained, including a breakdown of hours/tasks for any salaries.
- Projects need to be launched in some way to help promote the project and actively invite public engagement. This could be linked to an existing local festival or other public event, or a project could develop its own launch idea.
- Any permission(s) or permit(s) required for the project, and cost implications of these permissions, should be listed in the proposal. Acquiring them is not a requirement for the proposal, but the proposal should explain what permits/permissions are needed.
- Ideally, any installation will be temporary and will be removed by the end of 2023. Minimum duration is one month.
What to include in the Proposal
- Name(s), address(es) and contact information of proposal authors.
- Detailed description of concept (with photos if possible), explaining the objectives, necessary activities and materials, specific ways that the public will be engaged, and justifying how the project contributes positively to the community.
- A timeline of the project activities.
- Specific location(s) in the West Shore where the project activity plans to be implemented or installed, with justification for this choice.
- If the proposal includes an installation, include a specific plan for its removal.
- List of personnel that the project plans to involve to achieve its objectives. This list must include the names and brief bios (max 100 words each) of the key artist(s) that the project plans to engage.
- Public event(s) that the project proposes to connect with, and a brief explanation of how the project plans to be linked with this event. If there is no planned connection with a public event, show how the project will be launched in other ways that promote active public engagement.
- List of necessary permission(s) and permit(s), if applicable.
- Please indicate if you carry your own insurance.
- Budget and brief justification for specific budget items.
Criteria for Judgment
- Public engagement
- Feasibility
- Artistic merit
- Innovation
- Thematic relevance and positive contribution to the community and to the intended demographic chosen as the project focus.
Submit proposals to wsac.events@gmail.com by 12 midnight on or before April 11, 2023.
Successful proposals will be notified by the end of April. Start date could be anytime after May 8, 2023.
If you have any questions, please send them to wsac.events@gmail.com
