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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Design Teams (including artists and landscape architects)
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Walnut Street Bridge, Chattanooga, TN
THE ED JOHNSON PROJECT OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS AND DESIGN TEAMS: Request for Qualifications Deadline: Thursday, July 27, 2017 by 12 pm EST
Proposal Honorarium: $5,000 (funding secured)
Project Implementation Budget: $400,000 (fundraising goal)
OVERVIEW: The Ed Johnson Committee, supported by Public Art Chattanooga, is seeking qualifications from multi-disciplinary design teams and artists. Up to three teams will be selected and awarded $5,000 stipends to develop site-specific design concepts for the development of a public space adjacent to the Walnut Street Bridge in downtown Chattanooga. The site will commemorate events associated with the lynching of Ed Johnson, honor the courageous work of his attorneys, and recognize the resulting United States Supreme Court case that changed civil rights law in America. It should be a welcoming space that aspires to healing and reconciliation. A preferred design concept/team will be selected from the three finalists, and the winning team will be contracted to implement their design. This opportunity is open to design teams internationally.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 0 VISION ........................................................................................................................................... 2 DESIGN GOALS ……………................................................................................................................. 2 DESIGN PARAMETERS ................................................................................................................... 3 BUDGET ......................................................................................................................................... 3 THE SITE ..................................................................................................................................... 3-4 RFQ SELECTION PROCESS .............................................................................................................. 5 DESIGN TEAM ELIGIBILITY ............................................................................................................. 5 SELECTION COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................ 5 APPLICATION GUIDELINES ............................................................................................................ 6 REVIEW CRITERIA .......................................................................................................................... 7 ESTIMATED PROJECT TIMELINE (2017 –2018) .............................................................................. 8 PROJECT BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................ 9 HISTORICAL FACTS …………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… 10 EXISTING SITE PHOTOS .......................................................................................................... 11-14 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (DOWNLOADS & LINKS) ................................................................. 15 PUBLIC / PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................ 16 ABOUT THE ED JOHNSON COMMITTEE ....................................................................................... 16 ABOUT PUBLIC ART CHATTANOOGA ............................................................................................ 16 PROJECT SUPPORTERS ................................................................................................................. 16
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VISION DESIGN/ARTWORK GOALS The Ed Johnson Committee strives to promote racial healing and reconciliation in Chattanooga by creating a permanent site which acknowledges the lynching of Ed Johnson, honors the courageous work of his attorneys, and recognizes the resulting U.S. Supreme Court case that established federal oversight of state level civil rights issues. We envision a welcoming, contemplative space adjacent to the Walnut Street Bridge—the site of the Ed Johnson lynching—where people of all backgrounds and cultures can come to learn, reflect, mourn and find inspiration. The design should acknowledge this space is both the metaphorical and literal heart of the Chattanooga community, where thousands of tourists and locals of every culture live, work and play. Since the Ed Johnson story involves tragic loss, exceptional courage, and a US Supreme Court precedent for civil rights, the public space should invoke a mood of reflection, mourning, inspiration and hope. Public spaces such as the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial in Duluth, MN, the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC and the planned National Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, AL provide examples of this both mournful and inspirational design. Utilizing creative placemaking practices, the design process should engage the local community and the design itself should tell the historical narrative of this event through art, inscriptions or other means. It should seek to draw people into the space and to expand the public’s understanding of both the story and its significance in the fight for civil rights and justice. The design should build upon the rich cultural and natural history of the Walnut Street Bridge and surrounding area, using art to elevate the natural space. While some may be reluctant to draw attention to this sad chapter of our history, the Chattanooga community believes that only by acknowledging the wrong that was done can we come to terms with our difficult past and move forward together. Only by honoring the advocates for equal justice can we encourage others to follow in their footsteps.
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DESIGN PARAMETERS The design must not obstruct pedestrian and vehicle right of ways and must generally meet the safety standards of the City of Chattanooga. It should enhance the pedestrian experience by better connecting this space with the Ramble and the Riverwalk (see Project Background). This area is an intensively used public space, so any elements must be constructed of materials highly resistant to theft and vandalism as well as appropriate for Chattanooga’s four-season climate. The artwork and landscape should be designed for permanent installation.
BUDGET The budget goal for project implementation is $400,000. Funding has been secured for the Concept Design phase. The Ed Johnson Committee is currently raising funds and pursuing grants for project implementation and construction. The budget includes expenses related to completed artwork/landscape, including (but not limited to) professional fees, site preparation and restoration, engineering and technical consultation, travel to the site, artwork fabrication, insurance, installation, permit fees, documentation, all applicable taxes, etc.
THE SITE The site is a plot of land located at the south end of the Walnut Street Bridge near where the lynching occurred. It includes the slope on either side of the blue spiral stairway that extends down to the Riverwalk at the north side of the site. The site is accessible from three directions and is bound by the bridge on the fourth side. Any design concept should be open to all four directions. From the east, three 27’ wide concrete steps lead up to a large, slightly-rounded, shaded area. From the north, the site is accessible from the blue spiral stairway coming up from the Riverwalk. From the south, the site is accessible from a circular plaza. Redevelopment plans reconfiguration of the circular plaza into an oval to enhance its function as a public gathering place and as the intersection of several pedestrian corridors (see attached Ramble plans). The selected design team will coordinate with Ramble planners to ensure a seamless connection between these two spaces. In addition to the Ramble, this site is adjacent to the historic Walnut Street Bridge, a walking bridge; the Edwin Hotel, a boutique hotel; the Hunter Museum of American Art; the Bluff View Art District; and several condominium buildings. Each of these elements should be considered in the comprehensive design.
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The site area is shown in blue.
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RFQ SELECTION PROCESS DESIGN TEAM ELIGIBILITY This is an international competition open to professional design teams interested in developing integrated concepts for the public space adjacent to the Walnut Street Bridge. Multi-disciplinary teams are encouraged to apply and should include at least, but not limited to, (1) artist and (1) landscape architect. Other trades, such as multi-media, lighting, sound designers, architects and/or engineers are encouraged to collaborate as well. Recognizing the cultural sensitivity required to respectfully address the project, teams with minorities, women, and diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
PROPOSAL HONORARIUM Up to three design teams may be selected from this RFQ phase. An honorarium of $5,000 (funding secured) will be provided for proposal development, which should include travel costs for one site visit and all costs associated with developing a complete and thorough site-specific proposal.
SELECTION COMMITTEE The Selection Committee for this project includes artists, a landscape architect, Public Art Chattanooga representatives, neighborhood representatives and members of the Ed Johnson Committee.
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APPLICATION GUIDELINES The design team’s qualifications must be submitted in hard copy by mail (three copies) and in digital format on a flash drive. Printed materials must include the following:
• Current résumé for all team members (two-page limit per person).
• Team organization chart.
• Description of Approach briefly addressing how your team would approach the project, including sensitivity to the complexity of the project and its historical importance.
• List of professional references (at least three). Please include name, address, phone number, and e-mail address for each individual.
• Comparable project images: o Teams may submit a maximum of ten images:
JPEG file at 100 DPI (minimum 800 x 600; maximum 1600 x 1200) o Every image file must be titled first with the number of the image (use “0” in
front of single-digit numbers), followed by the artist’s last name [for example: 01_Smith; 02_Smith]. The numbers should correspond to the annotated image list.
• Annotated Image List: Please include the artist/team name as a heading, and a brief description of each image, including title, medium and project budget.
If submitting digitally, please send all materials via emailed download link (Google Drive or Dropbox) to [email protected].
Applications must be received digitally, by mail or hand-delivered by July 27, 2017, 12:00 pm EST. Send application materials to: ATTN: The Ed Johnson Project Public Art Chattanooga 101 East 11th St Chattanooga, TN 37402 Or Email link to: [email protected] Questions? Contact: Mariann Martin • 706-980-5824 • [email protected]
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REVIEW CRITERIA
Design Team qualifications will be reviewed by the selection committee. The committee will review applications on the basis of:
• Artistic excellence and professional experience of the artist and team
• Expressed sensitivity to the site and context of this significant historical project
• Ability to complete the project
• Demonstrated ability of the team to work collaboratively with professionals
• Demonstrated ability to successfully execute a project of this scale under the criteria
developed and within the budget set forth
• Experience with and expressed desire to work collaboratively with a team to create an integrated artwork/ landscape for and in the public realm
• Past experience and demonstrated ability to participate in a community engagement process
• Consideration of historic space and surrounding developments The selection committee will select up to three design teams who will be invited to visit the site and develop a project proposal consisting of conceptual drawings and documents outlining a
timeline and budget.
After selection, finalists will have approximately three months to complete the proposal and will then be invited to present the conceptual proposal to the selection committee. The committee will recommend proceeding with one project. The design team selected for the final commission will be required to enter into an agreement with the City of Chattanooga, which will contain provisions including but not limited to rights of ownership, City/State permits, use, warranty, and insurance.
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ESTIMATED PROJECT TIMELINE (2017 – 2018) RFQ Phase:
June 19, 2017 – RFQ Distributed
July 27, 2017 – Deadline for Submissions August 1-15, 2017 – Selection Committee review of submissions and selection of finalists for concept development. Concept Design Phase: September 2017 – Site Visits January 2018 – Concept Designs Presented Jan - Feb 2018 – Community Input February 2018 – Selection Committee chooses final design March 2018 – Public Art Committee approves final design Design Development Phase: March 2018 – Enter contract with selected Design Team Spring 2018 – Final Design and Budget Development Construction/Fabrication and Installation (exact schedule to be coordinated with selected Design Team and the City of Chattanooga): Winter 2018/19 – Target Project Completion
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PROJECT BACKGROUND Over the last 20 years, numerous efforts have been made to remember the Ed Johnson story, including publishing a book, getting a criminal court exoneration, restoring the cemetery where he is buried and passing a state resolution to recognize the story. In 2016, a committee formed to establish a public commemorative site as well as help fund a documentary and scholarship. After meetings and input from the community and city officials, it was determined an appropriate space should be created in the public area near the Walnut Street Bridge where Ed Johnson was lynched. This public space is located in the center of Chattanooga’s historic downtown and tourism district. In the last 30 years, the city in private / public partnerships has developed numerous projects to enhance the area. Some of those have been completed, while others are ongoing. The area continues to be the site of outstanding vision and world-class redevelopment. The first section of the Tennessee Riverwalk opened in 1989, providing a greenway that follows the Tennessee River through Chattanooga. The trail links parks, green spaces, museums, public art, shops, fishing piers, boating facilities, and miles of scenic Riverwalk along the Tennessee River. The Ed Johnson Public Space connects to the Riverwalk through a blue spiral stairway. Opening in 1991, the TN Aquarium Plaza is considered one of Chattanooga's first major public artworks and artist/design team collaborations. In 2002, planning began for the 21st Century Waterfront. The visioning processes involved unprecedented public involvement with more than 1,600 Chattanoogans providing input. The resulting vision became a series of closely coordinated projects that comprised a complete redevelopment of the waterfront. The 21st Century Waterfront Plan included public parks on both sides of the river, the salt water aquarium at the TN Aquarium, Expansion of the Hunter Museum of American Art, Realignment and narrowing of Riverfront Parkway, the Holmberg Pedestrian Bridge connecting the TN Aquarium to the Hunter Museum, the First Street stairs and funicular and over $1.2 million in public art projects. Most recently, River City Company (with the support of the Lyndhurst Foundation) engaged an two urban design firms to study the pedestrian corridor between Bluff View and Ross’s Landing creating The Ramble – Chattanooga Art Promenade (Master Plan Document): “This master plan details the elements needed to create an urban pedestrian promenade of distinguished and memorable character for the city of Chattanooga. The master plan builds on the great efforts of the last three decades that transformed Chattanooga into the welcoming destination it is today. The art promenade, or "The Ramble", will create a new destination as it connects the already treasured downtown destinations. This plan recognizes there is more work to be done and that we should not rest on the great work of those who came before us.”
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HISTORICAL FACTS – THE ED JOHNSON STORY
The Ed Johnson site design will find creative ways to convey this tragic but inspiring three-part story that was one of the early steps in the long struggle for civil rights in America. Unjust Death. On March 19, 1906, Ed Johnson, was mob-lynched from the second span of the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga. After a trial devoid of incriminating facts and with a clearly biased jury, Johnson was sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman. When the US Supreme Court granted a stay of his execution, a mob stormed the jail. Johnson was the second man to be lynched on the bridge, after Alfred Blount was hung from the first span in 1893. Johnson and Blount were two of the approximately 4,000 African Americans who were lynched from reconstruction to the civil rights era. Johnson’s last words, spoken from the bridge before he was killed, were, “God bless you all, I am a innocent man.” Courageous Advocacy. Noah Parden and Styles Hutchens, two African-American attorneys from Chattanooga, provided a courageous and successful defense for Ed Johnson. In spite of death threats, they proceeded with the case after the majority of Johnson’s original legal team believed an appeal of the Hamilton County court ruling would be fruitless and frivolous. Parden was the first African American to argue a case before the US Supreme Court. After the case, the two men and their families fled Chattanooga for their own safety. Judicial Precedent. US Supreme Court Justice John Harlan, who had opposed Plessy v. Ferguson, had long waited for a civil rights case like Ed Johnson’s. Under Justice Harlan, the Court granted Johnson the country’s first stay of execution in a criminal case. The Court went on to find Hamilton County Sheriff Joseph Shipp and five co-defendants guilty of Contempt of Court for not enforcing the stay of execution and sentenced them to brief prison terms. US v Shipp set a landmark precedent for federal oversight of local civil rights issues which continues to be influential today. The following links provide additional information about the Ed Johnson story: http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/a_supreme_case_of_contempt https://www.c-span.org/video/?153643-1/contempt-court http://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/27/us/lynching-victim-is-cleared-of-rape-100-years-later.html http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2016/apr/23/residents-celebrate-resolutihonoring-chattano/361741/
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EXISTING SITE PHOTOS
Looking north from the plaza towards the bridge. The site on the left side of the bridge.
A close up view of the site from the south side. The blue spiral stairs are on the far side leading down to the Riverwalk.
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Looking at the site from the southwest side. The concrete steps can be removed.
The site looking to the east towards the bridge.
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Looking southeast towards Walnut Street. The partially constructed Edwin Hotel can be seen in the background.
The blue spiral stairs leading up to the site, with the site between the stairs and the bridge. The empty space on either side of the steps is also open for development.
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The space on either side of the blue spiral stairs is also open for the design concept.
The blue spiral stairs leading up to the site. The empty space on either side of the stairs is also open for development.
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A sketch of the proposed Ramble, a public arts promenade. The proposed site for the Ed Johnson commemorative space is on the left side, adjacent to the Walnut Street Bridge.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (DOWNLOADS & LINKS)
A. The Ramble - Chattanooga Art Promenade B. 21st Century Waterfront Plan C. Public Art Chattanooga – Application, Policies and Procedures
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PUBLIC / PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ABOUT THE ED JOHNSON COMMITTEE The Ed Johnson Committee was formed in 2016, comprised of a group of citizens who believed the Chattanooga community needed to find a way to better tell the Ed Johnson story, a part of American history that changed the justice system. The diverse group includes members who had previously contributed to remembering the Ed Johnson story by getting a state resolution passed, writing a play about him and maintaining the cemetery where he is buried. In addition to creating a public space, the Committee is helping fund a documentary, funding a scholarship and creating a website with all known information about the story. The committee has gained support from the Chattanooga mayor and city council, as well as key stakeholders in the community. It has created a fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. It is now working with Public Art Chattanooga to create this commemorative public space.
ABOUT PUBLIC ART CHATTANOOGA Public Art Chattanooga (PAC), a division of the City of Chattanooga, is dedicated to introducing a wide variety of high quality public art into the community, enhancing the civic environment and enriching the lives of visitors and residents. Celebrated as one of the greatest mid-sized cities in the United States, Chattanooga is regarded as a leader in place making, urban planning and revitalization. Through community visioning and planning, Chattanooga has transformed a once dormant urban core and surrounding neighborhoods into a thriving residential, business and tourist city center. Public art has been central to each of these. Strategically integrating public art throughout the city has contributed to its distinct sense of place, its livability, quality of life, and its economic health. PAC manages a first-rate permanent public art collection of over 153 works of art as well as several national juried temporary exhibits. Some of PAC’s signature permanent projects include: The 21st Century Waterfront Passage by Team Gadugi; Luminous Light Masts for the Pier, by James Carpenter; The Main Terrain Urban Art Park by Thomas Sayre, ClearScapes; and The MLKing Mural, by Meg Saligman.
PROJECT SUPPORTERS City of Chattanooga: Mayor’s Office, Public Works, Department of Transportation
