This is the first blog of many that we will be producing to keep Lawrence and surrounding communities updated on the news of the Rebuilding East 9th Street project! We will blog weekly to keep people up to date on: minutes from the previous meeting team, upcoming deadlines, and community meeting dates.
The project team, Mandy Endfield, Lane Eisenbart, KT Walsh and Alex Olson meet on Wednesdays at the Lawrence Public Library from 6-8pm. Two weeks ago, February 6, the Library closed due to inclement weather and our meeting was cancelled. Last Wednesday we did not meet due to scheduling conflicts.
Resident Specialists
We are so pleased to announce that neighbors Marty Olson, Judy Romero, Brenda Nuñez, Janet Good, and Charlotte Pessoni have all agreed to serve as our Resident Specialists to the project. Each was selected for his or her personal expertise, unique skills, and deep connection to the neighborhood. As stated in the job description, the Resident Specialists will support artists and the project by sharing personal histories, collecting oral histories, and researching East Lawrence’s rich past. We look forward to working with them!
RFP
We are also very pleased to announce that the first RFP (Request for Proposals) has been released as of Monday February 18th. The most important things you need to know are that project proposals are NOT limited to traditional visual art, the art does NOT have to be on 9th Street itself, and the deadline to submit a proposal is April 5th, 2019 with a project completion date of April 19, 2020. The payment for each accepted project is $13,500, to be paid in 4 installments. Initial payment can be invoiced upon contract approval. Lack of capital for up-front expenses should not be a barrier to application.
There will have been an RFP Support and Info Session on February 24th, before the date of this newsletter publication, and another scheduled for just after the Yart Sale, on March 30th from 1:30-3:30, Meeting Room A, Lawrence Public Library. The team will also have open office hours Wednesdays, March 6, 20, & 27, 5:30-6PM, Study Room 3, Lawrence Public Library, or anytime by appointment.
We are committed to attracting creative individuals from diverse artistic and cultural backgrounds. Artists from all mediums, traditional to unorthodox, as well as emerging artists who are new to the field of public art are encouraged to apply. There are no residency requirements for this opportunity, but applicants should be aware that the project is community based and will require a connection to or an understanding of the East Lawrence neighborhood.
Please read the entire RFP, with details on how to submit a proposal on the project website https://www.rebuildingeastninth.com/artists. Support and mentorship is available. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns to Project Facilitator Mandy Enfield 9thstreetmandy@gmail.com, or any team member.
Listening Session 3
Listening Session 3 will take place on Sunday March 3rd, from 2-5pm at the newly remodeled Santa Fe Depot at 7th and New York Streets. The goal of this interactive (doodle-listen-speak) gathering is to wrap up the work from our previous meetings and solidify the values that will be used to guide the art selection for the project. We will update everyone on the Team’s progress, share ideas, and answer questions. Your feedback is essential as it will directly impact art selection. Folks interested in submitting Youth Corps or project proposals are also strongly encouraged to attend. This is the final input session before artist recruitment begins.
Do be sure to check out the project website. In addition to the full RFP, there you’ll find an updated timeline of the project, all input and materials collected thus far and other historical documents.
— E9th Team: Mandy Enfield, Alex Olson, KT Walsh, Lane Eisenbart