| Nonprofit Contact | Friends of Mary Ellen Welch Greenway eastiegreenway@gmail.com |
| Release Date | March 20, 2023 |
| Bidders Meeting | April 19, 2023 |
| Questions Due | April 21, 2023 |
| Proposals Due | May 1, 2023 |
| Proposal Submission | Submit Proposals in one of these forms: 1. Email 1 PDF to eastiegreenway@gmail.com 2. Online Google Form |
Table of Contents
- Overview
- The Site
- Selection Criteria of Artist/Team
- Project Schedule
- Payment
- Budget Template
- How to Apply
- Appendix
- PDF Download
- Proposal Submission via Google Forms
Overview
The Friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway (FoMEWG) are looking to commission an artist to create a mural on the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway (MEWG), in the East Boston neighborhood in Boston, MA. Local artists are highly encouraged to apply.
The Mary Ellen Welch Greenway is a recreational open space in East Boston that runs from the historic Jeffries Point Waterfront through the neighborhood to Constitution Beach. Residents of all ages use it for running, jogging, walking, biking, or just strolling while taking in the historic and ecological beauty of various points along its length. Though the Greenway is part-owned by the City of Boston and Massport, the Friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, an organization of residents, stewards Greenways use and serves as the stewardship body.
The Greenway site was once a freight rail corridor and is slightly below the street level in the neighborhood.
The FoMEWG has worked on several art pieces on City of Boston property (see Appendix A for examples). We will support the artist with the approval process from the Boston Art Commission (BAC). The FoMEWG has also been working with the Boston Parks Department and the BAC to develop this project in winter 2022/2023.
The proposed themes for the mural are nature and water.
The Site
The new mural is looking to replace an existing weather-damaged mural in the MEWG under the Maverick Street bridge near Maverick Square in East Boston. Below is some key information about the project sites. See Appendix B for a full page of the site elevation drawing.
- Approximate dimensions: trapezoid (height 16 feet, base length 100 feet)
- Material: Concrete wall
- Property Owner: City of Boston
This site is under a bridge, which can have damp concrete with water leaking from the bridge above.
Image Source Google Maps Image
Image Source Google Street View
Selection Criteria of Artist/Team
The selection of the artist/team will be determined by a Committee composed of 5-7 members. FoMEWG staff will coordinate and facilitate the discussions. Committee Members are invited to evaluate and deliberated based on the following selection criteria listed below:
1. Themes
The proposed mural should include representations of nature and/or water.
2. Engagement and Interaction
a) Written concept includes a plan to engage East Boston residents and artist/team with at least three (3) opportunities for public engagement including:
- Engage the East Boston community in the artistic process by attending neighborhood association meetings and/or one Greenway Council Meeting.
- Engagement that provides opportunities for residents to participate in the making of the mural
b) Artistic concept provides opportunities for interaction with viewers
3. Style and Appropriateness
The mural should demonstrate that it is compatible with the existing murals and design of the MEWG and the East Boston neighborhood. See Appendix A for examples of existing murals and other art projects. The mural should respond to and reflect consideration of the core values of bridging generations, education, and justice.
4. Technical Considerations and Feasibility
Artist/team submitted all application elements including a detailed budget and timeline, concept narrative, and maintenance instructions. Please include information about wall prep and sealing to help with moisture management.
5. Diversity
Artist/team reflects the mural project’s overall goal to strive for diversity by including project partners that represent eligible categories of certification based on the criteria used by the Massachusetts Office of Supplier Diversity. The artist/team does not need to be officially certified.
Project Schedule
Below is the timeline that the FoMEWG is looking to implement for this project.
- Spring 2023 RFQ
- May/June 2023 Artist’s initial design period
- May/June 2023 Submission of design for final approval by the FoMEWG
- June/July 2023 Boston Art Commission Approval (artwork to be submitted 2 weeks prior to the monthly meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. This BAC meeting may be in person)
- August/September 2023 Installation
The mural project is expected to be completed by October 31st, 2023.
Payment
Upon the signature of the contract 50% of the payment will be awarded.
Time and materials will be accounted towards the second 50%, to be awarded at project completion.
Budget Template
Please itemize your project expenses using the template document, table below, or something similar. The total project costs will be less than or equal to $25,000. The artist is responsible for carrying their own insurance for this project. Any travel costs must be covered under the artist fee.
| Budget Item | Dollar amount |
| Concept Development Materials | |
| Community Engagement | |
| Wall Prep | |
| Installation Materials (including paint, paint supplies, lifts, cranes, etc) | |
| Signage | |
| Sealant | |
| Insurance | |
| Additional Labor | |
| Artist Fee (cap = 50% of total budget) | |
| Other Expenses: | |
| Total project cost | |
| Explanation of any other expenses: | |
How to Apply
Interested artists must submit a Proposal following the Selection Criteria of Artist/Team section of this Request for Qualifications via email or through Submittable no later than 11:59 pm on May 1st. Questions regarding this Request for Qualifications, are to be sent via email to eastiegreenway@gmail.com by April 21st. If yours is a question that might be pertinent to all the artists invited to submit proposals, the question will be anonymously shared with all interested parties so that everyone has the same information available while applying.
Required Materials can be emailed in one (1) PDF to eastiegreenway@gmail.com OR submitted online using this Google Form.
The application materials must include the following.
- Artist statement, and contact information (email and phone number), and if available provide links to webpages or social media
- Project and production timeline
- Installation and maintenance plan
- Project budget (Using the template provided)
- 3-5 images of artists’ past work
- 2-3 References
There will be an Artist Bidders meeting on Wednesday, April 19th at 11:30am. Click here to register.
Appendix A | Existing Public Art along the Greenway
Existing Public Art Locations on the Greenway
More information can be found in our website: https://maryellenwelchgreenway.org/visit/
Image Source Google MapsImage
Friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway 