RFQ: Sanctuary Farm Placemaking Project

Introduction

Mural Arts Philadelphia is seeking an artist / artist team to help conceive, design and implement placemaking projects for the Sanctuary Farm community garden at the corner of North 22nd Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, in the Sharswood neighborhood of North Central Philadelphia. The placemaking projects should be functional or decorative features, such as seating, planting structures, a farmstand, a gathering space, a placemaking sculpture, fencing, or a similar intervention. Examples are illustrated in an attachment to this RFQ. 

Artists / artist teams must have the skills to lead community engagement, and to design, fabricate and install their projects. Mural Arts and Sanctuary Farm will provide technical assistance and facilitate approvals. Artist / artist teams will be paid a fee of $5,000 for the community engagement, concept design and schematic design phases of the project. Mural Arts can provide a minimum budget of $25,000 for design and installation of the artwork, to include all artist fees, materials, equipment, fabrication and installation.

The project will begin upon the selection of the artist / team, with installation expected to be completed in September, 2025. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2025. Artists who applied last year to be on the Sharswood artist roster need only submit a letter of interest; please contact us if you want to be sure you are on that list. 

Please note the ongoing schedule of community events in Sharswood, posted at this web page. We are also hosting three information sessions for artists applying for projects in Sharswood.

Tuesday, February 11 from 6-7pm
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/cxx-ahqj-hmw

Tuesday, February 18 from 6-7pm
Video call link: meet.google.com/ftp-mjpf-aqs

Wednesday, February 19 from 2-3pm
Video call link: meet.google.com/djc-mbeg-sea

Background

About the Project

Mural Arts is partnering with the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to invest in new public art projects in Sharswood, a neighborhood in North Central Philadelphia. These art projects are part of the area’s ongoing transformation occurring through the improvement of distressed public housing and the addition of new residences, shopping, community spaces and other resources. 

Mural Arts is working with PHA as part of the Sharswood Blumberg Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan. Mural Arts is also receiving funding from \ PHFA’s Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE).

Mural Arts, working with the community, has identified opportunities for murals and placemaking projects that reflect the community’s vision for improvements they would like to see. Projects are being considered for places that are anchors of community life -- public buildings, community parks and open spaces, as well as the Ridge Avenue commercial corridor. Themes will include the neighborhood's history, issues important to the community now, and people’s visions for the future.

About Sanctuary Farm

Sanctuary Farm Phila is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and urban farm in north Philadelphia offering fresh, organically grown produce and programs aimed at improving the health of the community and its residents.

Sanctuary Farm Phila seeks to address the health inequities resulting from systemic racial oppression and economic injustice by converting abandoned and neglected areas in our community into spaces that promote safety, hospitality, nutrition, and growth.

Sanctuary Farm was envisioned in early 2016 by founder, Andrea Vettori. As the clinical director for Mary Howard Health Center for the Homeless, Andrea has had extensive experience with people facing homelessness and housing insecurity. As an avid gardener and beekeeper, Andrea has also experienced the healing potential of working directly with the earth through plants. With the help of neighbors, volunteers, and other non-profit partnerships, Sanctuary Farm "broke ground" on empty lot in North Philadelphia in May 2017.

Since it opened it 2017, Sanctuary Farm has planted, grown, and harvested over 17,300 pounds of fresh produce. The produce has been distributed to over 700 families in the community, free of charge. Sanctuary Farm believes strongly in the transformative power of nature to provide opportunities for neighbors to work together to create a space of beauty, safety, and healing for those in need.

Sanctuary Farm operates its main farm on N. 24th Street and W. Berks Street. It also operates satellite spaces and a farmstand at N. 22nd Street and W. Cecil B. Moore Avenue, where this project is located. That site is owned by Project Home.

Learn more at: https://www.sanctuaryfarmphila.org/

About Mural Arts Philadelphia

Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For 40 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts engages communities in nearly 100 public art projects each year through core programs such as Art Education, Community Murals, Porch Light and Restorative Justice, and maintains its growing collection through a restoration initiative. Mural Arts has collaborated with an increasing range of community, civic, cultural and development organizations to realize projects that have expanded the city’s public art portfolio in new and exciting ways.

About the Sharswood-Blumberg Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan

Sharswood is a Choice Neighborhood, a designation and program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD Choice helps communities revitalize neighborhoods by leveraging public and private dollars to improve distressed public and/or assisted housing, catalyze critical improvements in the neighborhood and help residents with educational, workforce, and health programming.

For nearly a decade, the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has been managing the transformation of the 60s-era Norman Blumberg Apartments into new housing developments that are integrated more closely into the economic and urban design fabric of the city. The transformation also includes civic investments — such as new community facilities, retail spaces and open spaces, and health, educational and job readiness programs. 

Read more here: https://www.sharswoodblumberg.com/

Goals

The overall goals for placemaking projects in Sharswood, and for the process that leads up to projects, are to:

• Explore and make visible the neighborhood’s stories – past, present, future – in collaboration with community and project stakeholders.
• Enhance existing public and community spaces through the addition of design elements that meet the needs of the space and add visual features linked to the neighborhood’s stories.
• Embrace the creative talents of community members in the creation and production of work.
• Support the efforts of the Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in implementing the Blumberg–Sharswood Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan and to promote affordable housing choices in North Philadelphia.

The specific goals for the Sanctuary Farm placemaking project are to:

• Support Sanctuary Farm’s mission of addressing the health inequities resulting from systemic racial oppression and economic injustice by converting abandoned and neglected areas in our community into spaces that promote safety, hospitality, nutrition, and growth\
• Add functional features that support the current uses of the garden
• Enhance the garden as a welcoming community gathering space and anchor
• Improve the garden’s visibility as a place of community activity, care and significance
• Create opportunities for engaging with / learning about organic, sustainable food practices

Artist/Team Scope of Work

Artists will be expected to provide the following services:

• Conduct research as necessary to understand the site and the project, and other considerations as necessary to inform the artistic approach
• Participate in ongoing community and stakeholder engagement activities, organized by the artist, Sanctuary Farm, and/or Mural Arts
• Create proposals for the types of artworks or placemaking interventions that would meet the goals above, and present proposals to stakeholders
• Present proposals to Mural Arts and to stakeholders, including Sanctuary Farm (site user), Project Home (site owner) community members and PHA
• Based on community feedback and technical evaluation, develop schematic designs, to include information about:
  • Specific site location 
  • Measured designs
  • Proposed schedule and budget
  • Means of construction / fabrication /installation, and 
  • Necessary subcontractors / permissions / approvals
• Present schematic designs to Mural Arts and to stakeholders, including community members, Sanctuary Farm, PHA and Mural Arts Design Review committee 
• Collaborate with Mural Arts production team and site manager on final design and approvals.
• Collaborate with Mural Arts production team and site manager on the installation / production of the artwork / activation / installation, with roles and responsibilities determined based on the nature of the project.
• Fulfill artist responsibilities within contracted budget and schedule

Budget

Artist / artist teams will be paid a fee of $5,000 for the community engagement, concept design and schematic design phases of the project (tasks 1-6 above).

Mural Arts can provide a minimum budget of $25,000 for final design and installation of the artwork, to include all artist fees, materials, equipment, fabrication and installation (tasks 7-8 above).

Artist / Team Qualifications

We are seeking artists the following skills and experience:

A variety of skill sets that may come into play:

• Woodwork, metalwork
• Ceramic, tile and/or mosaic
• Fabric, printmaking 
• Concrete formwork
• Graphic design, photography, filmmaking
• Storytelling, spoken word, poetry
• Engaging community members in conversations that inform / inspire placemaking interventions
• Preparing placemaking proposals and presenting to various stakeholders
• Planning the installation of the artwork, including identification of materials and supplies, budgets and fabricators
• Installation of artworks

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to artists based in the Philadelphia area who have the experience and qualifications described above. Both established and emerging artists are encouraged to apply. Artists with ties to Sharswood are especially encouraged to apply. Artists must be citizens of the U.S. or have U.S. work authorization.

Selection Process

Artists will be selected as follows:

• Interested applicants must submit an RFQ package, including a letter of interest that addresses the review criteria below.

Artists who have already applied to the Sharswood artist registry only need to submit current contact information and a letter of interest, confirming their interest and availability. 

A selection committee will review all of the applications and rank them according to the criteria below. The committee includes: 

• Philip Asbury, Director of Community Murals
• Todd Bressi, Mural Arts Curatorial Consultant 
• Sahiti Bonam, Mural Arts Project Manager (facilitator)
• Three stakeholder representatives (Sanctuary Farm, community leadership, PHA)

Top ranking candidates will be contacted for interviews. 

The top candidate will be notified of their selection, and all other all applicants will be notified about the selection decision

Review Criteria

Artists will be considered based on the following criteria. Artists should address these criteria in their letters of interest:

• Experience, technical skills and capacity to work on a project of this scale and nature
• Experience working on projects that require collaboration on creative and technical aspects of the project
• Alignment of artistic interests and practice working within a community-engaged process and working at this particular site
• Feasibility of the artist’s proposed general approach to the project
• Specific affinity with Sharswood or general understanding / experience of communities with similar histories and circumstances in Philadelphia