By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

The Kansas City Museum has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking three artists interested in having their work displayed at the refurbished Corinthian Hall when it reopens in 2019.

Located at 3218 Gladstone Blvd. in the Historic Northeast, the Kansas City Museum is in the midst of a multi-year restoration and renovation project with the goal of creating a leading-edge museum that will celebrate the past, present and future of Kansas City. The three artists selected for the Corinthian Hall work would each receive a $40,000 budget for their project. The artwork would be commissioned by the KCMO Parks and Recreation department, which operates the Kansas City Museum.

A press release announcing the RFQ suggested that the museum is open to highlighting all forms of visual art.

“New works of visual art may include but are not limited to painting, drawing, mural, photography, textile, ceramic, digital media, and sculpture,” stated the release.

The call for artists is open to anyone living in the United States. The only disqualifying factor would be a relationship to members of the Artist Selection Panel or Municipal Art Commission. The RFQ suggests that candidates with past experience working on public art projects are preferred, though past experience is not required. Qualified candidates must be willing and able to work collaboratively with City staff, Museum staff and the design team, which consists of historians and curators. The ultimate goal will be to “develop concepts that are site-specific and site-responsive, taking into consideration the interpretive, thematic content of the Museum’s exhibitions and architecture.”

Artists are encouraged to visit the Kansas City Museum web site – and particularly the Museum’s Visitor Experience Plan – to learn more about the goals and vision of the Museum moving forward. The Visitor Experience Plan can be found at http://kansascitymuseum.org/overview/visitor-experience-plan/.

“This plan sets a roadmap for the design, development, fabrication, and installation of long-term and rotating exhibitions in Corinthian Hall. The Museum will begin the exhibition design and development process in February 2018, including the development of print and digital content,” the RFQ announcement stated. “The Visitor Experience Plan outlines the core interpretive and thematic stories for Corinthian Hall, and it identifies thematic contemporary art installations as essential to the Museum experience.”

To submit qualifications, artists are asked to provide the following: a professional resume highlighting relevant previous experience; 10 images of previous work that represents the depth and breadth of the artist’s portfolio (including images of private commissions and Public Art projects); and image list identifying title, date, location, materials, size, budget and commissioning entity; a letter of interest outlining qualifications, interest, and ability to complete the project on time and on budget; and the names of at least three professional references.

That information must be sent to Elizabeth.Bowman@kcmo.org with ‘Kansas City Museum’ in the subject line by 4 p.m. central time on Tuesday, February 20. Artist submissions will be reviewed on Friday, March 2. Any questions before submission can also be directed to Elizabeth Bowman at the email address provided above.