Western States Center for Cultural Exchange

Study Group Art Commission Statement

Western States Center for Cultural Exchange

Western States Center for Cultural Exchange is a not-for-profit organization that works to promote the peaceful and prosperous exchange of fellowship, customs, historical data and cultural understanding through various arts and education programs. Western States Center for Cultural Exchange does this through collaboration of diverse communities and artists throughout the Western United States as well as throughout the world. The Western States Center for Cultural Exchange is sponsoring a new Christian and Jewish Interfaith Cultural and Historical Center (the Center), which will be built in Los Angeles, California. The Center has established a search committee to commission a suitable selection of art to adorn the entrance of the new facility. As the Center is still in architectural design, the selection committees as well as the artists are afforded some flexibility in the design.

The Art Commission Selection Committee is pleased to announce that it is holding an open Request for Proposal to facilitate the submittal of theme appropriate art piece, including canvas, mural and sculpture. The selected piece will be on permanent display in the lobby at the Christian and Jewish Interfaith Cultural and Historical Center and will prominently display the names and credentials of the selected artists. As the lobby of the Center is an integral part of the overall message of our cross-cultural enlightenment, the selected artwork will also be an integral part of that message.

Requirements

As noted earlier, the Center is still in architectural design and the entrance way has not yet completed its design review. The design of any submitted art piece must represent the shared heritage, developing interfaith connections and strong beliefs of both the Jewish and Christian faiths. Our selection committee is looking for an inspiring piece of art, either on canvas, as a mural or a sculpture to depict these sentiments.

The design must resonate a feeling of unity and fellowship, catching the eye of the viewer and leaving them with a feeling of peace and tranquility. The selection committee is not placing hard restrictions on the design criteria, which we hope will give us many pieces to choose from but would like to see some specific elements included.

Submissions portrayed on canvas or as a mural should be a minimum size of 60" wide by 84" tall. Submissions portrayed in sculpture should be no shorter than 60", no taller than 120" and must occupy floor space no greater than 25 square feet.

Submission and Selection Criteria

Legal Considerations

As part of the submittal process all candidates must also agree to provide proof of health insurance and sign a Release of Liability, protecting the Western States Center for Cultural Exchange from any action should any artist or their work party incurs any injuries while on the facility. As part of the Release of Liability, the artist is also protected from any legal actions pertaining to the selection and theme of the displayed piece.

Deadline

The deadline for all submitted pieces is June 17, 2006. Pieces will not be accepted after the deadline and any late submissions will be returned to the submitting artist. A letter confirming the authenticity of the piece must accompany all submissions. The artist must properly secure his/her submitted piece prior to submission for display once inside the Center. The Center will provide description labels for each artist to maintain uniformity in the displays.

Cost Limits and Prizes

The expense incurred in creating the selected piece of art should not exceed $15000, including material and labor. Artists must provide receipts upon submittal of the piece to verify costs with the selection committee. The Center has the right to reject any work of art that has been confirmed to be more expensive than the cost limit indicated.

As a bonus, the Center will award a prize to the winning artist; a trip for two to Barbados 5 days and 4 nights at the Hilton Hotel, including $2000 spending money and special tour arrangement to visit specific attractions to include art shows. The winner will also have their name and photographs of their work published in the local and national newspapers. All participants will receive a six-month pass to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Selection Criteria

As mentioned above, the Selection Committee is not placing strict requirements