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Fort Monroe Authority REQUEST for STATEMENT of INTEREST

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Fort Monroe Authority REQUEST for STATEMENT of INTEREST Fort Monroe Authority REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF INTEREST Memorial Project to Commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the First Landing of Africans in English Occupied North America Old Point Comfort at Fort Monroe Hampton, Virginia April 1, 2019 Introduction The Fort Monroe Authority (FMA), in partnership with the Fort Monroe Foundation (FMF), the National Park Service (NPS), the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and Project 1619, are working as collaborative Stakeholders to identify and encourage prominent artists to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) for the creation and construction of a Memorial Project suitable for the Commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of the First Landing of Africans in English occupied North America 1619-2019. The project will include significant public engagement with a wide range of community stakeholders for the purpose of creating a lasting tribute to the spirit of the first Africans who landed at Point Comfort and helped shape this nation. Background Fort Monroe, also known as Old Point Comfort, is the site of the first landing of Africans in English occupied North America. In the latter part of August 1619, an English ship, the White Lion, flying a Dutch flag, landed at Point Comfort. Its cargo was “twenty and odd Africans,” captured from a slave ship in the Gulf of Mexico. These Africans had been violently captured from the Ndongo region of Angola, Africa and were being transported to Vera Cruz, Mexico to be sold as slaves when their ship was attacked by English privateers looking for gold or silver. The White Lion traded her human cargo of Africans at Point Comfort and thus created the first landing of Africans on English occupied territory in North America. This is one of the defining events that contributed to President Barack Obama declaring 325 acres of Fort Monroe a National Monument in November 2011. In 1817, after the invasion of the British during the War of 1812, the United States Army designed and constructed Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort, formerly Point Comfort. This 65- acre moated fortress was built mostly by enslaved labor during the 1820’s and 1830’s. It became a refuge for three men of African descent, Frank Baker, James Townsend, and Shepard Mallory, as they escaped the bonds of slavery at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 and arrived at Fort Monroe. Recognized by U.S. Major General Benjamin Butler as "contraband of war," the men were not returned to their owner. Over the coming days and months, an estimated 10,000 enslaved African escaped to the protective guns of “Freedom’s Fortress.” The historical narrative that, at the same site where the first Africans landed and were traded as property, is the same site where the first men were not returned to slavery242 years later, is a story that we are only now beginning to tell. This remarkable coincidence makes Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort one of the singular most significant historic sites in this country, especially for African Americans. (See Appendices A-C) This August, the Stakeholders will invite the public to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the First Landing of Africans at Point Comfort at present day Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. At this event, the selected artist will be introduced and begin their work with the Stakeholders, including the public, on the creation and installation of an African Landing Memorial public art project. The goal of this memorial, and the process to create the memorial, is to further educate the public of our true history by focusing on the First Landing of Africans that occurred on this property. Property Description The memorial project will be located on the grounds of Fort Monroe, a former military post constructed at Old Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia. In September 2011, the Army decommissioned Fort Monroe and began a process of transferring the property back to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Post is now in the final stages of reverting to the Commonwealth and portions of the property have been designated a National Monument by President Barrack Obama. Almost half of the land is now managed by the FMA on behalf of the Commonwealth and the remaining portion is owned by the NPS. Although the entire property is considered a National Historic Landmark, the site where the Memorial will be located is specifically on lands controlled and owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia. (See Appendix D) Scope of Work The selection panel seeks to commission an artist that can create a public memorial that honors the legacy of the first Africans who were brought to Point Comfort. Our goal for the memorial is to have a work of art that engages the public by narrating the journey, struggles, and triumphs of the first Africans at Point Comfort. It is our hope that this artwork is uplifting and educational, depicting a link between Africa and the new land and demonstrating the contributions of the first Africans and the generations that followed to the fabric of this nation. Project Specifications The specific memorial site is located in a prominent green space with unobstructed views to the Chesapeake Bay at a location where the first Africans would have stepped ashore for the first time in English occupied North America. The memorial will be located in an area to be redesigned into a park-like setting that will include a comprehensive approach to parking, pedestrian access, green space, and open views to the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean beyond. The physical location of the memorial site has been determined to be a space approximately 50 feet in diameter and the total height shall not exceed the height of the Bandstand in Continental Park or 20’, whichever is greater. (See Appendix E) It is the intent that this memorial withstand the test of time and endure the elements and unique coastal conditions of the site. Just like other significant national memorials, it shall be designed and constructed of materials that will last for generations. Other components of the proposal could include a meditation area, seating areas, landscaping, and interpretive signage. The artist will be working in collaboration with a project design team that will include the Fort Monroe Historic Preservation officer (FMHPO), landscape architects, civil engineers, archeologists, and historians to ensure that the project fits into the designated space as well as contributes to the historic narrative of the location. The project design will also need to be in compliance with The Fort Monroe Governing Documents for undertakings at Fort Monroe. The goal is to create a space that allows for both the casual visitor as well as ceremonial events to occur in an outdoor classroom type setting. The final design will include a comprehensive approach to redesigning the existing parking spaces, improved pedestrian access, landscaping, and interpretive signage that allows the visitor to experience and enjoy this memorial in a park- like setting on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Budget and Submittal Requirements Funding for the project is provided through a public-private partnership involving the FMA, Commonwealth of Virginia, and FMF. Artist fees and associated expenses for design, structural engineering, fabrication, insurance, transportation, and consultation during installation will be considered during negotiations with the selected artist. Design fees for civil engineers, landscape architects, and other consultants will be the responsibility of the FMA and will be negotiated under separate contract and are not the responsibility of the selected artist. Statement of Interest Submission 1. Artists’ Educational Credentials Responses must include the following information: ● CV/Bio ● Artists’ Statement ● Five to 10 images of past work 2. Statement of Interest Describe your interest in this project. 3. Public Engagement Describe your experience with engaging the public in previous artistic efforts. 4. Project Information Explain why you believe you should be selected for this project. 5. References List references and contact information for each reference. 6. Conceptual Design Development Process The conceptual design is open to your interpretation and there are no preferred concepts. As part of the SOI Submission, the Selection Panel requests each artist submit their approach to the concept design development process that would demonstrate their ability to grasp the unique nature of this specific design. Selection Criteria The Selection Criteria will be based upon each artist’s response to the Statement of Interest Submission with emphasis based upon the artist’s interest in the project, their experience in public engagement, and their ability to demonstrate a conceptual design process that will yield the best understanding towards the interpretation of this commemorative memorial project. Questions Please submit any questions via email to the FMA Procurement Manager at [email protected]. Timeline Phase 1: Submission – April 30, 2019 Complete the Statement of Interest Submission and submit to the FMA via email to Procurement Manager at [email protected] not later than 5:00 PM on April 30, 2019. Submission of application materials constitutes agreement to all rules and guidelines of the competition, presented in their entirety in this document. Phase 2: Selection Review and Notification of Selection – May 15, 2019 The artist Selection Panel will include select jurors knowledgeable in the field of many art mediums, public art, and outdoor art, as well as architecture, engineering, construction, public spaces, and historians familiar with the unique African American narrative of this project. The Selection Panel will review each artist’s Statement of Interest as well as their professional experience with artistic projects of this scale and importance. A description of past projects and the artist’s experience in engaging the public in previous public art projects will be evaluated. Two to three finalists will be selected to proceed to the next phase.
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