Request for Qualifications 

Public art opportunity in Portland, Maine
Commissioned by: TEMPOart 
Budget: $25,000
Open Date: May 13, 2024 
Commissioning Location: United States 
Geographic Eligibility: New England Resident 
Close Date: June 16, 2024 (11:59 PM) 

Brief Description 

We seek work that will be a catalyst for our mission to spark dialogue, build community, and inspire our collective imagination.

TEMPOart seeks artists, architects, designers, and landscape architects to design and realize a temporary outdoor public work of art to begin in June, 2025. The maximum budget is $25,000 (inclusive of artist fees and any associated travel). The RFQ deadline is June 16, 2024. 

Teams and Collectives are invited to apply but must identify a single person in the application who will represent the work of the group. 

TEMPOart’s work is to support temporary public art. TEMPOart’s objective is to support public art of two (2) years duration.

The installation will be located outdoors at the plaza of City Hall on Congress Street in Portland, ME.

Materials Requested 

TEMPOart asks those responding to this RFQ to submit the following information: 

• A resume or CV, including a link to the artist’s website, if applicable – Photos or videos of up to 5 different pieces of previously completed, with a maximum of 3 detail shots per piece, including any outdoor public artworks. Please upload no more than 10 photos and/or videos in total. 

• An Artist Statement of no more than 300 words (excluding spaces) to share why the artist is interested in the opportunity. 

• Artists who may not have previously completed an outdoor public art project of this magnitude should use the Artist Statement to describe how they would meet this opportunity. Please include the outdoor artwork qualifications of any partners you are planning to work with. 

Next Steps and Timeline 

After an initial review of RFQ submissions, up to 4 artists will be selected to respond to a Request for Proposals. Artists participating in the RFP will be provided a $500 stipend. Selected artists should become familiar with Temporary Public Art Guidelines for the City of Portland, Maine. 

Below is a timeline for the selection process. Dates are subject to change. 

RFQ process closes – June 2024 
RFQ decisions communicated to Artists – July 2024 
RFP process – July – September 2024 
Presentations and final selection – September – October 2024 
Installation / activation – June 2025
Programming/events – June – October 2025

Diversity and Inclusion 

TEMPO welcomes participation in celebration of differences related to gender expression and identity, culture, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, learning style, religion, occupation, nationality, immigration status, and socio-economic status. 

Expectations of the Selected Artist 

The selected Artist will be expected to participate in 2-3 events related to programming and/or fundraising during the period of November 2024 and October 2025. 

The selected Artist is solely responsible for the design, construction, installation, and removal of the artwork and for transportation and insurance related to the installation and the removal of the artwork. 

Budget Details 

The $25,000 budget can be used for design installation, de-installation, insurance, artist fees, administrative fees to obtain City approval, transportation, and any maintenance required over the course of the installation. 

Please direct questions about this RFQ to TEMPOart Interim Executive Director Jessica Muise at manager@tempoartmaine.org with “RFQ TEMPOart 2025” in the subject line.