This public art commission is funded by the TII as part of the N56 Coolboy to Kilmacrennan Road Scheme. As detailed in the Further Information, appended to the end of this brief, Kilmacrennan and its environs have a strong connection with St. Colmcille.
The commissioners request that the central theme of this Art Project is focussed on St. Colmcille, in order to commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of his birth in 2021.
The work might link the various narratives linking St. Colmcille to the area and its environs and his relevance today, both locally and beyond.
Please read full Artists Brief: Public-Art-2020-N56-Coolboy-to-Kilmacrennan-Road-Scheme-Artists-Brief-Final
The brief asks the artist/s to note the following:
- The artwork should be sculptural and permanent in nature. The constituent materials of the artwork will need to be of a robust nature and capable of withstanding the prevalent weather conditions which characterise the site’s exposed location. It should be relatively maintenance free.
- The commissioners would like for there to be some engagement with local National School pupils (Scoil Naomh Choilmcille in Kilmacrennan and Scoil Naomh Fiachra in Illistrin) during the process. The commissioners would like to consider suggestions from the artist on what form this student engagement will take, but examples might include;
- an artist talk or presentation;
- a remote studio visit/tour;
- a student workshop which may or may not have an input into the creative process;
- students attending or being involved in the official opening ceremony; or
- another suitable suggestion from the artist.
- A commitment to Health and Safety policy is essential.
Budget
The total funding from TII for this Public Art Project is €64,000. A portion of this budget will be allocated to advertising, administration of the commission and the selection process. It is anticipated that the total budget the artist will have to manage will be approximately €60,000. The artist will be responsible for meeting all associated costs out of the total allocated budget, including but not limited to artist fees, materials, installation, and any other costs related to the artwork inclusive of VAT. If required, Donegal County Council will assist with preparatory groundworks and / or design and construction of any foundations or plinths that may be required. However, any costs associated with such work must be covered by the allocated project budget.
The Commissioners will employ a Two-Stage Open Competition Process to select a suitable practitioner(s) to deliver the Commission. It is open to all interested professional artists at any stage of their career or experience. Selection will be based on the information supplied and how that establishes the competence of the artists to carry out this commission.
Artists are invited to express their interest in being considered for this project at the first stage of this commission.
Interested practitioners are invited to submit the following to the Commissioners:
- Completed application form
- Curriculum Vitae
- A brief Artist’s Statement, including:
- An outline (1 page) of the initial ideas and concepts of the how the artist proposes to engage with the commission. Drawings may be included but are not a requirement. No designs or detailed proposals are required at Stage 1.
- Images / details of recent relevant works / projects.
- Nominated location for the art installation.
- A sample selection of recently completed Public Art Commissions.
There will be no formal site visit during Stage 1, however, should they wish to do so, all applicants are free to view the site when completing their Stage 1 application; any queries can be directed to Cian Friel, Donegal National Roads Office, T: 074 97 24500 E: cian.friel@dnrdo.ie.
Completed Stage 1 Submissions should be lodged by Email to: cian.friel@dnrdo.ie, or by Post to the below address by 4pm on Monday, July 13, 2020.
Donegal County Council
C/O: Cian Friel
Donegal National Roads Office,
Drumlonaghar,
Donegal Town,
Co. Donegal.
Stage 2
From the completed Stage 1 applications; a shortlist of artists will be selected by panel jury. This panel, whose decision is final, has the right to clarify any issue which may arise in the course of
selection. Those successfully selected for Stage 2 will be invited to submit a more detailed submission. This will involve the provision of a Visual Representation of the proposed Artwork, a Statement by the Artist outlining their Artistic Vision behind the work, a detailed Description of the proposed work including Materials to be used, Maintenance Schedule and a detailed Project Budget and programme. The Visual Representation may be in the form of drawings, a model or maquette, computer generated images or photographs. As part of the evaluation of Stage Two proposals, applicants may be invited to outline their proposals in the form of a presentation to the Selection Board. For Stage Two Submissions, the Commissioners will pay the Artist a premium of €500, upon delivery of their proposal by the date and time suggested.
Selection Panel
The Selection Panel will consist of a senior member of Donegal National Road Design Office, the Arts Officer for Donegal County Council, at least one elected member of the Letterkenny – Milford Municipal District and an independent professional artist; and will be chaired by a senior member of Donegal County Council.
Applicants can make enquiries regarding the commission to Cian Friel by telephone 074 97 24500 or by email cian.friel@dnrdo.ie.