HONORABLE SERVICE COIN & PLAQUE ART COMPETITION:

Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services - Augusta, Maine

OVERVIEW:

The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services is seeking proposals from Maine artists wishing to design Maine’s Honorable Service Coin and Plaque, which will honor Maine veterans. All artists must be taxpaying residents of the State of Maine, and must also have a connection to Maine veterans. The total project budget is approximately $7,000 with a submission deadline of Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

BACKGROUND:

Part of the mission of The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services is to recognize the service and sacrifice Maine veterans have made to the state and nation. In 2002, the Bureau commissioned the first of four bronze plaques that currently hang in the Hall of Flags at the State Capitol (World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Women Veterans). A likeness of each of the four plaques has been made into coins that are presented to veterans from the designated war period or affiliation. Having served during a time of peace, or during a conflict other than WWII, Korea or Vietnam, thousands of honorably discharged veterans are not currently “eligible” to receive such a coin.

The Bureau is seeking a final design detailed for a 36” plaque that could be installed in the Hall of Flags and also be used to create an “Honorable Service” coin for all veterans past, present and future that are not eligible for one of the currently available coins. The successful artist should have a significant connection to Maine and a strong connection to Maine veterans. Each of the current plaques contain relevant details for the period they commemorate. The successful artist will be challenged to create a design that is unique to Maine and relevant to all of Maine’s veterans.

If you have questions about the Honorable Service Coin and Plaque program, please contact David Richmond, Deputy Director at the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services, at David.A.Richmond@maine.gov.

All other questions should be directed to Diamond Duryea, Public Art Consultant at dia8788@hotmail.com or 207-239-1069.

PROJECT BUDGET

There is approximately $7,000.00 available for the final project design. Funds will be used to commission designs from a single artist, more than one artist or an artist team. An artist’s budget proposal must cover all design expenses.

SELECTION PROCESS

A five-member selection committee will jury submissions for the project. The committee will review the materials to determine whom will move on to the second round of evaluation. Artists’ designs selected for the second round will then be voted on by Maine veterans via SurveyMonkey. Proposals will include completed designs for both the Honorable Service coin and plaque. All submitted materials will not be returned.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Artistic strength as shown through vision, originality, and understanding of craft (30 points).

• Ability to translate artistic concepts into work that will activate or enhance the proposed useage (25 points).

• Application is comprehensive in information and ideas are well communicated (20 points).

• Ability to design work that is sensitive to social, environmental, historical, and/or other relevant contexts (15 points).

• Capacity to complete the proposal on time and within budget (10 points).

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

All professional artists who are Maine residents (pay state income taxes) and have a strong connection to Maine veterans may apply for consideration to this project. Artists who are employees of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services are ineligible as are members of the selection committee and their immediate families. Students at any level are ineligible. The project is open to all artists age 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical disabilities. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines.

DEADLINE

The deadline for submission of materials is Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.. Materials received after this date and time may be excluded from consideration. 

MATERIALS REQUIRED IN SUBMISSION

Materials must be submitted to Diamond Duryea via e-mail at dia8788@hotmail.com. 

All documents must be in a PDF format. All images must be in a jpg or PDF format. Any submissions that do not follow the requirements may be considered ineligible. Please ensure your name, phone number, mailing address and email address are listed on every document; all submissions are labeled correctly; and please identify that you are applying for the Honorable Service Coin & Plaque project. Make sure submissions are labeled correctly, that you identify that you are applying for the Honorable Service Coin & Plaque project, and that your name, phone number, mailing address and email information is on every document.

Your proposal must include:

A current concise resume for participating artist(s) (2 pages maximum).

A brief one-page written proposal describing your past work and how you plan to address this project. Discuss what your concept and approach will be in addressing this project.

An itemized budget estimate to give cost expectations.

A final design for the Honorable Service Coin and Plaque.

Five digital images of recent work. If an artist team or artist organization applies, they may only submit five images for all artists. The final design does not count as an image. Only jpg or PDF files are eligible for review. 

HOW TO SUBMIT MATERIAL

E-mail all materials to dia8788@hotmail.com with copy to mbvs@maine.gov,with your name and “Honorable Service Coin and Plaque” in the subject line.