CALL TO ARTISTS under the viaduct

CALL TO ARTISTS
under the viaduct

This art festival is to celebrate the opening of our new waterfront park and spur local economic revitalization in Manhattanville. The Riverside Drive Viaduct, built in 1900 by the US City of New York, was constructed to connect an important system of drives in Upper Manhattan by creating a high-level boulevard extension of Riverside Drive over the barrier of Manhattan Valley to the former Boulevard Lafayette in Washington Heights. The elevated steel highway of the viaduct extends above Twelfth Avenue from 124th Street (now Tiemann Place) to 135th Street and is shouldered by masonry approaches. The viaduct proper was made of open hearth medium steel, comprising twenty-six spans, or bays, whose hypnotic repetition is much appreciated from underneath at street level.

LOCATION (S) OF ARTWORK: West Harlem Piers, Waterfront & Economic Development Committee of Manhattan Community Board 9, is seeking proposals from artists, for an arts festival on 12th Avenue, that embrace strong visual appeal and sensitivity to West Harlem that will attract more residents to our West Harlem Piers area along 12th Avenue from 124th Street to 135th Street.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applicants must submit a written description of a performance or art work including: medium, dimensions (LxHxW and weight), installation method and anchoring procedure. A resume and artist statement The location of specific site(s) for the installation and the reasoning leading to the specific site(s) choice or general description of the type of environment for which the installation is designed. Applicants can submit up to (10) prints of the artist's previous works, videos, cd or cassette tape. If providing slides, please label and enclose them in a slide sheet. Any other materials, such as prints color copies, tapes or brochures, must fit within a 9x12 self-addresses enveloped with the appropriate amount of postage to be returned. The Community Board strongly welcomes proposals from West Harlem artists and artists who are registered with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and Dun & Bradstreet as an individual artist. All artwork must be freestanding along the sidewalk & not on the viaduct.

DO'S AND DON'TS: DO visit our sites and observe the activities that take place there. DON'T submit proposals for commissioned works.

ARTIST'S RESPONSIBILITIES: Bringing artwork to the site and for removal. An installation and de-installation plan needs to be provided prior to final selection and approval of work; any maintenance to the artwork during the exhibition period; any repair to the installation site if necessary; the artist must sign a waiver exempting Manhattan Community Board 9 from any damage to the artwork during exhibition.

ARTIST WALK: Applicants can attend an artist walks to ask questions and learn more about this process. Walks are scheduled Saturday, March 1st and 8th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Walks will begin from the Community Board office at 16 Old Broadway.

SUBMISSION: Mail proposal(s) to:
Under the Viaduct
C/o Manhattan Community Board 9,

Att. West Harlem Piers Committee
16 Old Broadway New York, N.Y. 10027

Questions: Please contact West Harlem Piers Committee at nycwestharlem@aol.com. Please include a phone number for quicker response.

LENGTH OF TIME: Weekend exhibition in mid-May

DEADLINE: March 15, 2008 at 5 p.m.

Disclaimer: Manhattan Community Board 9 cannot be responsible for any presentation materials that are lost, stolen, or damaged while in our possession or in transit.