An Art Opportunity
This commissioned artwork will focus on Jason Washington, the man in life, the relationships that made him who he was, and how he is remembered by those who love him.
In its planned location on the south wall of the SMSU mezzanine, the artwork will be highly visible as people enter and exit the building, and as they use the ample seating in the space. The artwork will be somewhat visible from the exterior of the building as well. SMSU is a student-centered building, at the heart of our campus. The rooms behind the pictured wall are the Middle East, North African, South Asia Student Center and around the corner is the Pan African Commons. Across from the wall pictured below is the Littman Gallery, the student-run gallery space. A second gallery, the White Gallery is on this same floor.
The artwork should be sensitive as well as thought-provoking. It is likely that over time, the space will accumulate other memorial elements. The idea is to stimulate reflection, gathering, and conversation. This artwork could figure in a memorial campus walk to be designed in the future. Over time, it is possible that the piece might be installed in other buildings on campus, so that other community members can engage with the art and the stories it tells. The finished work must be durable, easy to maintain, and tamper-resistant. The work will be largely unmonitored and exposed to thousands of people, please consider this when thinking about materials.
As is illustrated above, artwork displayed on the south wall location on SMSU mezzanine will be exposed to indirect sunlight. The wall behind the artwork is wood paneling on top of drywall. The overall wall space is approximately 20x12 feet. The blue rectangle represents approximately 12x10 square feet. The overall depth of the artwork can extend up to 4 inches maximum. A modular approach is welcome.
This art opportunity is a flexible position for the artist(s). There is no requirement for physical residency on the PSU campus. A robust process of campus input is underway at this time, the results of which can be made available to the artist/artists. Some form of engagement with the campus is anticipated during the year; however, the artist(s) will not be required to meet with any specific constituency except the Washington family and/or their representatives. Members of the Jason Washington Art Committee can also be a resource to the artist(s). Office space and library access will be provided to the artist/artists. Other resources may be negotiated.
Goals
- An artistic biographical remembrance of Jason Washington
- One or more check-ins with members of the Washington family and/or their representative
- A timely and community-sensitive approach to the work
Budget/Scope of Work
The budget for this commission is $35,000. Compensation to the artist(s) as well as all expenses associated with the design, execution, and installation of the artwork are to come from this budget. Beyond the budget, there is a small emergency/contingency fund available on an as needed basis. Upon completion and installation of the artwork, the piece becomes the property of Portland State University and joins its art collection. A separate agreement will be signed between the artist(s) and Portland State University at the appropriate time.
Eligibility
The opportunity is open to artists/artist teams in Oregon and Washington. If applying as a team, at least one member must meet the residence eligibility requirement. Artists whose creative practices have significant connections, or artists interested in creating meaningful connections to individual and community grieving, loss, heritage, family, culture, portraiture, and issues of racial justice, are encouraged to apply.
Portland State University is committed to reflecting the cultural richness of our city by promoting opportunities for emerging and historically underrepresented artists. Artists/artist teams representing communities of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
The selected artist/artist team must be able to create, complete, and deliver their work by June 2024.
Selection Process
As of this writing, the selection process will be mostly virtual. A selection panel composed of the Jason Washington Art Committee will review applications and choose more than one finalist to interview for the commission.
The purpose of the interview is to allow the artist(s) and Committee to meet each other and engage in a mutually beneficial and informative conversation. It’s an opportunity for the artist(s) to better understand the context of the project and the intentions of the Washington family and the Committee for the final art piece. Both parties will be given the chance to ask questions during the interview. After the interviews are completed, the Committee will award the commission to a final artist/artist team.
Criteria for selecting the interview candidates are: (1) ability and interest in creating a site-specific work, (2) evidence of prior engagement with socially-engaged art, restorative justice, memorialization, and/or related themes, (3) quality of past work as demonstrated in submitted images, (4) ability to make connections between Portland State University and individual and community grieving, heritage, family, culture, portraiture, and issues of racial justice, (5) artistic vibrancy. Artistic vibrancy is defined as an artistic practice that:
- Demonstrates integrity of process.
- Embodies excellence of craft and skills.
- Demonstrates imagination, distinctiveness, and originality.
- Contributes to artistic practice.
- Engages with the diversity and complexity of contemporary life.
- Is relevant in local, national, and even global contexts.
Please note that the Committee reserves the right to select an artist who does not directly apply to this call, if appropriate. Likewise, the Committee maintains the options to make no selection from submitted applicants and to reopen the selection process or propose other methods of selection if no applicant is accepted.
The interview stage
Applicants who advance to the interview stage will be expected to share some initial ideas about their approach to the project. These ideas can be shared in sketches, outlines, or other draft formats. Candidates in the interview stage will be offered a small honorarium of $150 to produce their draft(s) for the Committee. Samples of past work can comprise part of the items shared with the committee. In addition to presenting their draft ideas about the art piece, candidates will be asked the following questions:
- Describe how collaborative you anticipate your approach to this project will be.
- Describe how you imagine your work’s impact on the PSU community, both as you are creating your work and after it is completed.
Those who advance past the interview stage will be asked to provide references, particularly regarding public or community-based projects in their portfolio.
Application Requirements
The application must include the following materials combined into one PDF in the following order:
Page 1: Statement of interest. Explain why this project is of interest to you; describe your initial aesthetic, conceptual, material, technical, community-based, and/or process-based approaches to the project. Provide a discussion of how collaborative you envision your approach to be in terms of the family and campus contexts. Applicants should convey a sense of how, in a practical sense, they expect to work on this project (i.e., needs for office space, research support, studio requirements, production or fabrication assistance, etc.). Team applications should include the roles of individual members and how you anticipate working together.
Pages 2-6: Up to 10 images of previous work or current work-in-progress (2 images per page) with the following information for each image: title, year produced, dimensions & materials (if applicable), budget (if relevant), brief description. Artists who wish to submit video, audio, or other multimedia work can include a link to the video/audio file, with a password if needed.
Additional Pages: 1-page resume or bio for each artist or artist team member that outlines relevant accomplishments or experience.
Applications must be sent to JasonWashingtonArtCommittee@pdx.edu by 5:00 pm on Monday, May 1, 2023. Late applications will not be reviewed.
| Tentative Project Schedule |
|---|
| Applications due | 1 May |
| Interviews with Shortlisted Applicants | May 15+ |
| Artist selection | 1 July |
| Welcome/Orientation | c. 15 September 2023 |
| Concept design due | 1 November 2023 |
| Final design due | 15 December 2023 |
| Project Completion & Install | 15 May 2024 |
| Dedication | 1 June 2024 |
Jason Washington Art Committee
Dom Chen, Associated Students of PSU
Pedro Ferbel-Azcarate, Black Studies Department
Julie Perini, School of Art + Design
Teresa Niedermeyer, President’s office
Patricia Schechter, History Department
Deena Sajitharan, counsel to Washington Family
Ed Washington, Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion
Kayla Washington
Kierra Wing, Associated Students of PSU
Questions?
If you have further questions, please contact Teresa Niedermeyer at tnied2@pdx.edu.
Civil Rights and Nondiscrimination
Portland State University respects the civil rights of all the people it serves. PSU operates without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or ability, in accordance with applicable law.