Call to Artists: Frist Center Bollard Decoration Project
Middle Tennessee Artists Invited to Submit Design Proposals by September 15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 1, 2017)—The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is pleased to announce a call for artists to decorate the ornamental bollards around the Frist Center’s Broadway and Demonbreun Street entryways. Artists and artist teams living in Middle Tennessee are invited to propose a single-bollard design inspired by our upcoming exhibition Nick Cave: Feat. (November 10, 2017–June 24, 2018) and the theme of “Dreams and Aspirations.”
Chicago-based artist Nick Cave (b. 1959) is best known for his “soundsuits,” elaborate human-shaped sculptural forms composed of a wide variety of found and repurposed commonplace materials. Nick Cave: Feat. will include a dynamic selection of soundsuits, as well as a projected video, several wall-mounted sculptures, and a large multimedia installation. The works are accessible to audiences of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, and on a deeper level speak to issues of racial and social justice and the need for more time and space in contemporary society to cultivate individual dreams and aspirations.
Each artist or artist team chosen for the project will be assigned to one of the ten bollards around the building, which they will decorate on Saturday, October 14, 2017.
Selection and Compensation: A panel of Frist Center staff members will review all submissions and select the artists by September 20. Selected artists will receive $50 to cover the cost of materials.
Medium: The bollards are cast concrete and 3’6” high with a circumference of 9’6”. The bollards are currently painted dark gray with water-based latex paint. As the bollards are an important element of the Frist Center property, participating artists must not harm or irreparably alter the bollards or the areas surrounding them.
Day of Adornment: The adornment of the bollards by artists is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 14, 2017, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. In the case of inclement weather, the date will be Saturday, October 21, 2017. If it is necessary to move to a third day, that day will be Sunday, October 22, 2017. If a selected artist is not able to participate on the day of adornment (or on the alternate dates), the Frist Center reserves the right to select an artist who can to take part on the given date.
Eligibility: Artists living or working in Middle Tennessee.
Exhibit: The designs will remain on display at the Frist Center until June 30, 2018, when the bollards will be repainted to their original color.
Parameters: Artist must use water-based latex paint. Dimensional adornment of the bollards is acceptable but must not compromise the structural integrity of the bollards in any way, and the area beneath the bollards must be protected during the adornment. The bollards may not be sanded, chiseled, or sculpted in any way or to any degree. No adornment to the bollards may in any way restrict entry to the Frist Center.
Submissions must be the artists’ original work. Entries shall be in the form of original drawings, 2- or 3-D maquettes, digital images, and/or 3-D submissions. Designs must be executable within a single nine-hour time period.
The 2017 Frist Bollard Decoration Project reserves the right to reproduce, for the benefit of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, any work executed as a part of this project.
Entry Delivery: Entries must arrive at the Frist Center on or before Friday, September 15, 2017. They must be addressed to Emily Harper Beard, Community Relations Manager, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203, and include the artist’s name, address, phone number, and email address. Please submit your proposal through one of these methods:
- On September 15, between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ONLY, entries may be hand-delivered to Security Post One (near the Frist Center Café).
- Entries may be mailed to the above address.
- Digital entries may be emailed to ebeard@fristcenter.org.
Entry Collection/Disposal: If you wish to retrieve your submission, please clearly note this in your proposal. Artists whose work is not selected for the project will be notified. Designs not selected must be picked up at the Frist Center on or before October 1, 2017. Work not picked up by that date will become the property of the Frist Center and may be discarded.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the Frist Center
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. The Frist Center’s Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Information on accessibility can be found at fristcenter.org/accessibility. Gallery admission is free for visitors 18 and younger and for members; $12 for adults; $9 for seniors and college students with ID; and $7 for active military. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings (with the exception of Frist Fridays), 5:00–9:00 p.m. Groups of 10 or more can receive discounts with advance reservations by calling 615.744.3247. The galleries, café, and gift shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 1:00–5:30 p.m., with the café opening at noon. For additional information, call 615.244.3340 or visit fristcenter.org.
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