Archive Mode. Call Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Great Council State Park Sculpture Commission ended on 1/3/23, 11:59 PM. Call settings are read only. See Current Open Calls
Open To: Ohio Sculptors preferred; out of state sculptors may also apply
Commission Amount: $50,000 (inclusive of all expenses, except installation)
Entry Open Date: December 6, 2022
Entry Deadline: January 3, 2023
PROJECT SUMMARY
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is commissioning a significant work of free-standing sculpture for permanent display at Ohio's newest state park, Great Council State Park, in Oldtown, Ohio in Greene County. Together, ODNR and the Ohio Arts Council invite artists to submit their qualifications and images of past sculptural work for consideration. In coordination with the Ohio Arts Council, ODNR will review artists’ qualifications and select one or more artist who will be invited to submit their designs for consideration.
ABOUT GREAT COUNCIL STATE PARK
Great Council, Ohio’s 76th State Park, allows ODNR to collaborate with the three federally recognized Shawnee tribes and the Ohio History Connection to develop the state park property.
Oldtown represents a time when interactions between Tribal Nations and European settlers were extremely complex. From approximately 1777 to 1780, Oldtown stood as a beacon of hope and community to the Shawnee people who lived there and as a symbol of resistance to individuals like George Rogers Clark. On either side of this grand tale stands not only heroic figures and legendary characters but everyday people who wanted peace, independence, and hope for their families.
Preserving the Oldtown site at Great Council State Park allows ODNR to connect future generations of Ohioans with its pioneer past and enable the Shawnee to share their story. Great Council State Park hopes to encapsulate these stories of community by showing the interactions of these people as humans with wants, needs, virtues, and flaws; who all contributed to the Ohio story and, eventually, America itself.
The site will contain a 12,000 SF interpretive center (images above). The building's architecture is a modern interpretation of a council house, a central component of the Shawnee village used as a primary gathering place. The interpretive center will have three floors. Level 1 will consist of an atrium entry, retail space, theater, and living stream/aquarium exhibit with associated history exhibits. Level 2 will consist of history exhibits, a balcony overlooking the Little Miami floodplain, a conference room, an office, and volunteer accommodations. Level 0 (the basement) will include a museum‐grade gallery space with rotating exhibits.
ARTISTIC GOAL
Together ODNR and the Ohio Arts Council seek to identify an artist(s) to create a large indoor or outdoor three-dimensional sculpture for the new Great Council State Park.
SELECTION REVIEW PROCESS
Artists should submit up to six images of past sculptural work that demonstrate their ability to take on a project of this scale and scope. In addition to the six images an image list should be uploaded as a pdf. Also required are an artist resume and artist statement. Proposals for the new design are not submitted at this time. Instead, ODNR and the Ohio Arts Council will review submitted materials (past work images, resume, artist statement) and will develop a list of semi-finalist artists. These semi-finalists will be invited for a site visit. More detailed information about the Great Council State Park will be made available during the site visit. Each semi-finalist will be offered a proposal fee honorarium after their site visit. Artists will then be given time to create a proposal for the commissioned sculpture. Artists’ proposals will be judged competitively by ODNR.
Questions? Please contact Kathy Signorino at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140
