Call for Proposal summary

The Arts + Public Life initiative seeks proposals from experienced local artisans for the design and production of a suite of outdoor furniture to be used at a new public space located in Chicago's Washington Park neighborhood, opening in May 2015. Arts + Public Life initiative works to build creative connections on Chicago’s South Side through artist residencies, arts education, and artist-led projects and events. The new park presents an important opportunity towards Arts + Public Life’s commitment to cultivate and support local artists and artisans.

About the park

In 2014, the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement secured, by donation, a structure formally known as the Summer Pavilion in Millennium Park. The Pavilion was originally an outpost for the exhibition “Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good,” intended for installation at Millennium Park, and was created by MAS Studio. The Pavilion structure will be a main feature of the new public space at 265 East Garfield Boulevard, which is made possible by a combination of support from the University of Chicago, a Heart of the Community grant from Southwest Airlines and Project for Public Spaces, and a Chicago Community Trust grant through the South East Chicago Commission. The public space will encourage free and open activities for the community, including seniors and children, and will support community-based programming such as live theater and music. The public space is slated to be built during the Spring of 2015, and the build-process will include learning opportunities in conjunction with Arts + Public Life’s Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP).

Description of work

The following recommended furniture pieces should be constructed primarily of wood, should function outdoors within the park year round, should be movable within the site itself, and should serve to support the intended uses at the site. The intended use of the furniture is for heavy outdoor use by people attending workshops, programs and events.

Seating

• (12) stools
• (6) lounge chairs
• (4) five-foot backless benches
• (3) eight-foot garden benches with back
• *optional – (24) folding and stacking chairs

Tables

Quantities and sizes shown allow for all tables to come together as one long 45-foot table-surface that could be placed within the Pavilion)

• (2) 12’x3’ tables
• (3) 4’x3’ tables
• (1) 9’x3’ table

Stage

• (4) modular interlocking stage platforms to be used separately or together, with ability to fit within the pavilion (approximately 6.5’ x 7.5’ final dimensions to be discussed with site architect)

Selection Criteria

• Chicago-based craftsperson or business preferred
• Merit of past comparable work from a portfolio of images
• Materials cost and fee
• Description of how amateur craftspeople could assist or otherwise learn from the process of creating the suite of furniture
• Ability to work with Arts + Public Life’s team and the stated schedule for the opening of the new public space

Deadline for completed Proposal

Sunday, January 18, 2015, 11:59 pm

Required to Submit Proposal

• Completed online application (see details below)
• Resume/CV
• Cover letter
• Material cost and fee proposal, detailed by furniture category or by piece, and including costs to move items to site
• Portfolio of 5-15 images of completed work, up to 8 MB per image, including size/length, year completed/produced, and short written description
• List of three references with contact information

Online Submittal

Proposals must be submitted through the UChicago Arts SlideRoom page at uchicago.slideroom.com by the deadline date, Sunday, January 18, 2015, 11:59 pm. To submit a proposal, create a SlideRoom account, click on the “Pavilion Furniture” program, and complete the application. Please note that only proposals submitted through SlideRoom will be considered.

Schedule

• December 15, 2014: Call for proposals announcement    
• January 18, 2015: Proposals due
• Early February, 2015: Review of proposals 
• Late February, 2015: Finalists informed
• Early March, 2015: Finalists’ meetings with Arts + Public Life team; Finalist(s) selected and informed
• May 4, 2015: Week for installation of furniture at public space site
• June, 2015: Public space opening

The selected entity for this work will be set up as a University of Chicago vendor and will be subject to the Consulting Services policies of the University of Chicago. 

The Arts + Public Life initiative may award the Pavilion Furniture work to more than one entity or no entity, in its sole and absolute discretion. Schedule is subject to change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do submitting entities need to show original design that is proposed specifically for the site itself?

For the proposal that is due on January 18, 2015, submitting entities do not need to produce new designs specifically for the site. Submitting entities must show a portfolio of past work that is comparable.

What level of detail is required for the material and fee proposal?

Submitting entities must indicate cost to design and make the furniture for the new public open space. The format for this proposal is open, but should clearly indicate the cost for each piece or category of pieces (ex: all tables as one category; all stools as one category; all benches as one category, etc.). Reviewers must be able to easily identify total cost of the fabricated furniture for the new open space. In the event that more than one designer/fabricator is chosen, the break down by piece or category will be necessary to identify the total cost of the fabricated furniture for the new open space.