February 5, 2010
Washington, DC
The NEA is interested in seeing how the phrase “Art Works” resonates with the American public, and so we announced that we are seeking an image that captures all three of its meanings.
Since we believe that art works for everyone, this is meant as an opportunity to solicit ideas from as broad a public as possible and invite this country’s creative community to engage with their NEA.
We wanted a process that was open to students, designers, artists, companies, private citizens, and pretty much anyone who agrees that “art works.” To achieve that, this solicitation is not structured as a “Request for Qualifications” or in a way that is based solely on resumes, past work, and a track record of similar work.
Instead, this RFP is open to anyone who enrolls in the Central Contractor Registration, and it has a streamlined submission process that essentially involves submitting one image (in both black-and-white and color) and a three-page narrative that explains the thinking behind the proposed image and provides some basic information about the proposer.
The response to date has been overwhelmingly positive, and it has also engendered a lively dialogue about the structure of the RFP itself, in particular around the issue of “work for spec” in the graphic design community (an issue has been well captured and discussed at http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/position-spec-work, among other places).
The NEA is permitted only to respond directly to comments and inquiries on an open RFP through the proscribed process. If you have submitted a comment on this RFP to someone at the Agency other than the relevant contracting officer, please do not take the lack of response as a lack of interest or attention. As always, we welcome a continuing dialogue with the creative community, as well as your ideas, comments, and submissions. We also look forward to announcing the selected image in the near future.
Posted by Art Works at 12:45 pm | Comments (2)
Tags: artists, citizen engagement, design, logo, participation
February 2, 2010
Miami, Florida
Rocco received a warm welcome (pun intended) yesterday as he and NEA Senior Deputy Chair Joan Shigekawa toured Miami, the fifth stop on the national Art Works tour. Focusing on Miami’s thriving design culture, stops included the city’s renowned Design and Architecture Senior High School (DASH), the New World Symphony campus, and several local arts organizations, including the Little Haiti Cultural Center and the De La Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space. The chairman also joined local leaders for a roundtable discussion on Miami’s architecture and design heritage.
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Featuring programs in a range of disciplines, including architecture, industrial design, fine arts, and fashion, DASH ranks in the top 15 of U.S. high schools according to the most recent rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Located in the heart of Miami’s design district, the school was the perfect place for the NEA chair to announce the agency’s release of a Request for Proposals for a new Art Works logo. Photo by Yamila Lomba
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Haitian-born artist Edouard Duval-Carrie acted as tour guide as Rocco visited the Little Haiti Cultural Center with Michael Spring, Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Photo by Yamila Lomba
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New World Symphony President and CEO Howard Herring showed off the construction site for the Symphony’s new campus, designed by Frank Gehry. The New World Symphony is an orchestral academy that prepares gifted graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles worldwide. Photo by Yamila Lomba
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Posted by Art Works at 6:58 pm | Leave a comment
Tags: artists, arts, design, Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami, Miami arts, NEA, New World Symphony Orchestra
January 28, 2010
Washington, DC
Thanks to jazz aficionado and radio producer Molly Murphy, with her encyclopedic knowledge of the art form and easy rapport with jazz musicians, we now have eight extended interviews with the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters on our website. These candid, free-flowing conversations give us a virtual history lesson on how these remarkable men and women revolutionized the music and the ways in which we listen to it.
To read the interviews, go to the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters profiles, then click on any of the Masters and you’ll see the link to the interview with the bio.
Enjoy – and let us know what you think.
Posted by admin at 5:24 pm | Comment (1)
Tags: artists, interviews, jazz, NEA, NEA Jazz Masters