Art Selection Committee Meetings

For each project, the Art Selection Committee shall meet from one (1) to three (3) times, or more, to select artists and/or artwork. Depending on the amount of the project’s art budget, the Art Selection Process may be condensed.

Projects with art allocations under $10,000 may form a committee and utilize the selection process, they may condense the selection process to one meeting or they may save selection process time by purchasing existing artwork with the advice of the ASB Administrator and other design professionals associated with the project. Committees for projects with art allocations of $10,000 to $30,000 may elect to hold their first meeting via conference call.

The meetings of the Art Selection Committee shall be public meetings appropriately noticed by the ASB Administrator in accordance with Florida's "Government in the Sunshine Law" (see section 286.011, Florida Statutes).

Orientation Meeting

At the initial Orientation Meeting, the members of the Local Art Selection Committee shall:

• Hear an overview of the Florida Art in State Buildings Program and its procedures;
• Review recent statewide and national developments in public art;
• Review the new project facility and its construction schedule;
• Discuss potential artwork sites and possible media and themes;
• Determine the deadline for artist entries; and
• Schedule the Image Review Meeting, if possible.

The ASB Administrator shall complete the first page of the Committee Meetings Report within 14 days after the meeting and maintain it for the agency’s records.

Methods of Solicitation

The Committee shall solicit artist entries via Invitation or Open Competition.

Invitational

Based on consultation with the Visual Arts Representative(s), the Committee shall recommend artists to be contacted by the ASB Program Administrator and invited to submit images of their work for the Committee's review.

Open Competition

To solicit artists via Open Competition, the Committee shall disseminate information about the project using various artist mailing lists which may include the Division's public art mailing list. The project may be advertised locally, statewide, regionally, nationally or internationally.

Artist Criteria

Artists shall meet at least two (2) of the following criteria to have their submissions presented to the Art Selection Committee. This ensures that artists have achieved a level of expertise and recognition in their profession. The ASB Administrator shall review all submissions and notify any artists that do not meet the required criteria.

• The artist has completed other public commissions on a similar scale.
• The artist has received awards, grants, or fellowships.
• The artist's works are included in public, private, corporate, or museum collections.
• The artist has participated in exhibitions at major museums or galleries.

Artist Submission Requirements

In addition to meeting the foregoing criteria, each artist shall submit the following.

1. A brief letter of interest describing why his/her artwork is appropriate for the project and how the submitted images relate to the project requirements. Artwork that does not meet the project specifications shall not be considered; for example, when an artist submits images of sculpture when images of paintings were requested. Artists may also briefly describe their history, training, and experience.
2. Current professional resume, with emphasis on public art experience.
3. Ten (10) to 20 digital images of artworks .
4. The Image Identification Sheet, which shall describe the submitted images, and be clearly labeled with the project number, project name, artist name, artist address, artist phone number, and artist email. For each image, the artist shall include a thumbnail of image, image number, title of work, date of work, medium of work, dimensions of work, price of work or amount of commission, and indication of artwork's availability for purchase (if applicable). For images of commissioned work, the artist may include a brief description or explanation.

Artists shall comply with these specific instructions in regard to their submissions. If the Committee receives an incorrect or incomplete submission, the ASB Administrator shall contact the artist and explain the issue. Artists shall be allowed to resubmit correctly, if this can be done in a reasonable time before the Image Review Meeting.

Image Review Meeting

At this meeting, the members of the Arts Selection Committee shall:

• Review the project facility and its construction schedule;
• Conduct a brief "blind review" of all entries;
• Review entries again with discussion (and repeat as necessary);
• Select artwork and/or finalists;
• Record implementation expenses, if applicable;
• Select the finalist review method (Presentations or Proposals). The method selected must be the same for all finalists; and
• Schedule the Finalist Review Meeting, if possible.

Image Review Procedures

Preliminary Blind Review

The Committee shall complete a preliminary blind review of a representative sample of images to get an overall sense of all the submissions. Artists shall remain anonymous and referred to by number only. No discussion shall occur at this point. The Committee may take brief notes.

Second Blind Review

The Committee shall complete a second blind review of the images based solely on demonstrated artistic excellence as determined by each Committee member in consultation with the visual art representative(s). Artists shall remain anonymous. Information regarding medium and scale shall be given. Other information may be discussed. The following elements shall be considered in the determination of artistic excellence and shall serve as a guide for consideration and discussion.

• Use of design: the visual composition of the artist's work.
• Composition: the arrangement of the artistic parts for a unified whole in the artist's work.
• Originality: whether the artist's work is fresh, creative and not copied.
• Craftsmanship: whether the artist's work displays skill, proficiency and expertness in technique.
• Thematic content: whether the artist's work embodies or expands upon ideas, perceptions or points of view.
• Materials: whether the materials are appropriate to concept and to permanence for conservation purposes.

Third Review

The Committee shall discuss those artists who have been identified for further consideration; resumes may be reviewed. After consultation with the Visual Art Representative(s), the Committee shall eliminate those artists that do not meet the criteria for artist submissions, in that they do not possess adequate training or experience for the project.

The Committee shall proceed through as many rounds of review, discussion and elimination as necessary, to decide upon artwork(s) to purchase and/or 1 to 4 finalists from whom to request Proposals or Presentations.

Artwork/Finalist Selection

After the images have been reviewed, the Committee shall decide to:

• Purchase existing works of art; or
• Select up to 4 finalists for Presentations or site-specific Proposals; or
• Purchase existing work and select finalists.

Purchase of Existing Pieces

For each piece selected for purchase, the artist shall supply:

• A complete description including title, dimensions, medium and method of construction, and year completed; and
• Publication quality, high-resolution image(s) of the selected work(s). Sculptural work shall be documented with overall views, detail views, and in-context views.

Finalist Review Methods

The Committee shall select one (1) of the two (2) following methods to review finalists. All finalists shall be reviewed using the same method, either Presentation or Proposal.

Artist Presentations

This method allows the Committee to take a closer look at the background, previous works, and artwork style of each finalist, i.e., the Committee reviews/selects the artist rather than the artwork. Finalist Presentations may be scheduled within two (2) to six (6) weeks of the Image Review Meeting, at the convenience of the Committee and the finalists. The Committee shall work with the selected artist(s) to develop a proposal and then choose the actual artwork for the site.

Site-specific Proposals

With this method each finalist shall present what he/she proposes to do with the site. This method reviews/selects the proposed artwork, rather the artist. Finalists shall be provided with sufficient information about the facility and its design, materials and construction to assist with the creation of their proposals. All finalists shall be given the same information and encouraged to confer with the Committee in the development of their proposals. Proposals shall be presented to the Committee no less than eight (8) weeks after the Image Review Meeting. During and after the Finalist Review Meeting, the Committee shall work with the selected artist(s) to finalize and implement the chosen artworks.

Submission Requirements for Finalists

All finalists shall submit the following items to be presented to the Committee in the Finalist Review Meeting:

• A signed Artist's Declaration Form;
• An invoice for the presentation or proposal fee in the amount determined by the Committee; and
• A current professional resume that includes a complete description and price of the last three (3) works commissioned or purchased from the artist for comparison by the Committee.

For Artist Presentations, the artist shall include:

• A written history of public art projects with which he/she has been involved;
• Details on project budgets, commission circumstances, construction timelines, visual documentation of the finished work, and references for three (3) of the projects; and
• A written statement describing how the artist's general style of work would relate to the current project.

For Site-Specific Proposals, the artist shall include:

• Model, scale drawing or digital depiction of the proposed artwork(s);
• Written description of the work, its thematic content and its intended relationship to the facility;
• Dimensions, medium, and method of construction;
• Anticipated time required to complete and install the work; and
• Detailed budget which shall provide for publication quality photo-documentation of completed works, including high resolution digital images of the entire work plus relevant detail views. Sculptural work should be documented with overall views, detail views, and in-context views.

The Art Selection Committee may also supply additional instructions for the finalists, such as specifications for media, dimensions or themes.

Implementation Expenses

A portion of the project’s art allocation may be set aside for implementation expenses related to the acquisition of artwork. Examples of allowable expenditures include but are not limited to: advertising the project, publicity documents, educational materials, fees for artist presentations or the commissioning of site-specific proposals, signage, selection process administration, and any installation costs that are not the responsibility of the artist. The amount set aside for implementation expenses may be no more than 20% of the project’s art allocation and, of this amount, no more than 15% of the project’s art allocation may be used for selection process administration. This may include contracting with an outside source to administer the selection process. Implementation Expenses shall be reported on the Committee Meetings Report.

Finalist Review Meeting

At this meeting, the Committee shall:

• Review representative images, resumes, and references for each finalist;
• Review a proposal or presentation from each finalist; and
• Make final artist or artwork(s) selections.

Before the Proposals or the Presentations, the Committee shall review representative images of the finalists' artwork and their resumes. Each finalist shall be given the same amount of time to present his/her Proposal for artwork or to make a Presentation of their qualifications. This time shall include a question and answer period for the Committee. If a finalist presenting a proposal is unable to attend the meeting in person, the ASB Administrator may present his/her proposal; however, the finalist must be available to answer Committee questions (by phone, facsimile, email, etc.). After all Presentations or Proposals, the Committee shall attempt to reach a consensus decision through a thorough discussion of the artist(s) and/or artworks.

If a consensus cannot be reached, a vote shall be taken, with the majority carrying the decision. Each voting Committee position shall have one vote and all Committee members must be present in order to vote. Voting members who are unable to attend should send a qualified substitute, if possible.

Finalist Review Guide

The Presentations or Proposals shall be reviewed, considered, and discussed by the Committee, based on the following criteria:

• Has the artist completed other public commissions on a similar scale and, if so, were they part of a government program?
• Did the references supplied by the artist substantiate that he/she is qualified and appropriate for the project?
• Have all the required materials been submitted?
• Has the artist addressed any specific Committee concerns, such as specifications for media or dimensions?
• Does the proposed artwork relate to the site?
• If the work is site-specific, does it provide for collaboration between the artist and the architect to promote the integration of the artwork and the site?

After the artwork is selected, the ASB Administrator shall complete the Selection Detail Form, which provides the artist's name, address, telephone, and email, as well as a complete description of the selected artwork(s) and purchase price and/or commission amount.

The User Agency Representative may veto any selection made by the Committee. All Committee selections shall be approved by the signature of the User Agency Representative and the Project Director on the Committee Meetings Report. If no artists are selected, the art selection process shall start over from the beginning.