Tracking and documenting the art/craft commissions for Sleaford's new craft gallery the Hub. ArtefactProjects (Ben Coode-Adams & Brigid Howarth) have been asked to manage seven imaginative commissions for the Hub, ranging from gallery seating to a substantial 'feature' outside the building.

 
I am struggling with trying to publish pictures at the moment but should be able to post some soon.

Just to complete the commissions story I thought I would describe the process. We had a fantastic shortlist and we are very grateful to everyone for allowing us to put forward their work.

For the courtyard we looked at Michael Anastassiades, Mil Stricevic, and Lois Walpole.

For the commissions centre:
Sam Buxton
Studio 24
Andreas Lang &Katherin Böhm
Foundation 33
Deborah Bowness
Philippa Prinsloo
Clare Twomey

For the plaque:
Gary Breeze
Helen Johnson
Tracey Rowledge
Nina Dogmetchi
Douglas Bevans

For the gallery seating:
Carl Clerkin
William Warren
Kay & Stemmer
Alex Macdonald
Robert Kilvington
Jim Partridge & Liz Walmsley
Electric Wig
Rebecca Holmes

It was a really tough day. We started at 10am and didn't finish until 4pm. Everyone was too good. We wanted that weird public art combination of immensely innovative and completely safe. The most heated discussion was around the gallery seating.

In the end we selected Mil Stricevic, Michael Anastasiades, Böhm & Lang to go forward to the next stage for the outside commission.
Tracey Rowledge for the plaque.
Electric Wig for the gallery seating.
Sam Buxton for the commissions centre.

We also nailed down the photographer to do the documentation of the process of the commissions...Peter Fraser.

The education was finally fixed and we appointed Ashi Marwaha.

The briefs are below....

Brief for the Courtyard
To include a significant feature and permanent seating for 6-12 people.

Total budget: £18500

Your proposal should include an outline of your approach, a description of the design itself, visuals, a timetable, and a budget. The budget should include design fees, manufacture, transportation, and installation. We hope that the council will be able to cover costs for any necessary ground works.

Proposals must be with Brigid Howarth by 14th August for consideration on 18th August.

ß In the courtyard in front of the Hub we wish to create a social space, not a space that hurries the visitor through, but one that causes the visitor to linger.

ß The landmark feature should be visible and prominent from all entries into the space, drawing visitors in: a destination. It should delight and intrigue, and be confident and accessible.

ß It should attempt to maintain its presence in all seasons and at all times of day and night.

ß All elements need to be robust as it is intended that the objects will be permanent.

o There is a very real threat of vandalism in this area. However, we recognize the issue of vandalism is complicated and that there are no hard and fast rules to avoid it beyond commonsense. We are all operating on behalf of the people of Sleaford, and in some senses, are representing their identity. Often avoiding vandalism is about making objects that people can be proud of and that respect the visitor. This commission will form a bridge between the spaces of the town and the Hub itself.

o We plan to incorporate the objects into the maintenance schedule of the Hub. There is no guarantee of the quality of that maintenance or the frequency.

ß The objects need to provide continued enjoyment over many years and many visits.

ß The chosen design will have to go through planning permission. This should not unduly concern you at this stage. We are looking for imaginative solutions.

ß What appears to be ample space at this stage is in fact substantially curtailed by various necessary accesses, from delivery to fire exits. We will get clarification as to these restrictions ASAP. We are meeting Hub staff on at 1pm on 30th July. If you have any questions/requests for the Hub staff please forward them to me before then.

Brief for the ‘Plaque’
Budget: £3,000
Timescale: mid-October

Your proposal should include an outline of your approach, a description of the design itself, visuals, a timetable, and a budget. The budget should include design fees, manufacture, transportation, and installation.

This is an important symbol for the Hub – a statement of its intent. It is divided into two symbiotic parts that should reinforce each other, the text and the object/plaque itself.

The text and object/plaque should reflect the values of the Hub. It should be:
• High quality
o We are interested in seeing craftsmanship demonstrated in the plaque
o The plaque should demonstrate the Hub’s commitment to the crafts. It should be confident and show that the crafts are valued
• Innovative
o We are not looking for a conventional plaque in either content or form. We are looking to push boundaries.
• Accessible
o Everyone should be able to read, understand and appreciate the plaque
• Longevity
o The plaque should be enjoyed permanently. It should continue to delight visitors. The site is easily accessible to the general public so the plaque must be durable.

We are interested in the idea that the image and words created could be used in a transferable and imaginative way, as transfers on crockery or bags for example. We would therefore need permission to use the image in this way.

It may be possible for the design to work with the Hub logo or portions of it such as the circle although this is certainly not essential.

Gallery Seating
To provide seating in the main gallery for between 6 & 12 people.

Budget: £5,000
Timescale: end September

Your proposal should include an outline of your approach, a description of the design itself, visuals, a timetable, and a budget. The budget should include design fees, manufacture, transportation, and installation.

Proposals must be with Brigid Howarth by 14th August for consideration on 18th August.

ß The seating needs to be comfortable.

o The seating should accommodate the needs of different users. There should be at least two (adjacent for friends/couples?) seats with arms and a raised seat for elderly people. Lower seats should be considered for children.

ß The seating needs to be robust, as it will effectively be permanently installed.

ß It should be extremely high quality in terms of design and build but should not compete visually with any exhibits.

o We want visitors to relish the seating (this may be in terms of feel rather than look) but without being distracted from the exhibitions. The seating should encourage people to linger in the gallery. It should be born in mind that the seating will be seen primarily from the viewpoint of a visitor entering the gallery, so that the angle of view will be relatively oblique. (This could be used to render the seating invisible in this plane so that it does not become a destination at the expense of the exhibitions.)

ß The seating should be able to be positioned anywhere in the gallery including against the walls.

ß The seating should be movable. It must be possible to lift each seating unit by two people without undue effort.

ß It would be useful to have some feature that enables visitors to draw or take notes.

While the panel very much enjoyed your initial proposal, enough to select you for the commission, that design was not considered suitable due to the need to sit astride the seats to use the drawing boards.

The commissioning centre

Budget: £10,000
Timescale: end September

The purpose of the Commissioning Centre is to encourage visitors to consider commissioning makers directly for special projects, from wedding rings to furniture. It will contain the Crafts Council photostore and the North Kesteven register of makers. These two databases will provide the principal means of accessing work, although magazines and books may also be displayed in this area. Inevitably, both databases will be used for research as well as commissioning, so visitors may spend a considerable amount of time in this area.

This is viewed as one of the most challenging commissions – there are many elements and processes vying for attention in the shop/café/entrance area. However our aim is clear, to create a separate space that is inviting and comfortable but also functional. It should make the visitor feel special.

The space must accommodate:

• two computers, one with a touch screen and one with a mouse and keyboard. Cabling and the computers themselves need to be inaccessible to the public but accessible to service staff. Screens should be adjustable for different users, so probably not boxed in. Consideration should be given to light coming in from windows.

• There should be seating for four with adequate space for wheelchair access. The seating should accommodate the needs of different users. Some of the seats should have arms and not be too low, for elderly people.

• The position of the Commissioning Centre adjacent to the café should be considered. The space should be visible from the front desk.




posted by Ben at 6:56 AM

 
Just to let you all know, in the end we chose 'This used to be a seed warehouse. It still is!' for the plaque in the entrance way.
As you can imagine there were lots of arguments over punctuation. In the end Tracey went with full stops.

As we haven't really been doing much with the blog you may all need a bit of explanation. Artefact Projects (Brigid Howarth & Ben Coode-Adams [me]) secured the contract to manage the public art commissions for the Hub, which is this amazing new craft exhibition space, shop and general vortex of craft in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. All credit to North Kesteven District Council, all the funders and individuals involved in getting this thing going. It is a wondrous thing.

So the commissions... I am just going to paste in our document describing our initial impressions as it gives details of the commissions. You can skim read it or for students of arts administration pick it apart. This is all ancient history now. I will fill you in on how the selection process went tomorrow... I bet you can't wait!

CURATORIAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAMME FOR THE HUB, SLEAFORD

Artefact Projects, Brigid Howarth, Ben Coode-Adams, Abigial Branagan & Barney Hare-Duke

24 June 2003

Methodology

Following a site visit to Sleaford by all four consultants and meeting with Nick Jones and Caroline Jarvis, Artefact Projects ran a brainstorming process where the following were discussed:

The possibilities for a curated approach
The strengths and weaknesses of each space
Functions of each commission
Initial proposals for makers and designers
The next stages

We have developed the following solutions, some of which closely follow our discussions with Nick and Caroline, whilst others present new ways of thinking that emerged during the brainstorming session. At various points in this proposal there are decisions for the Hub team to make. Within the timescale, these decisions need to be made rapidly.

The possibilities for a curated approach

With the various functions of each space, we consider that it is not possible to gel all the commissions together with one overall approach. We considered initially that an interactive element or themed approach could be involved, but in reality, that would have to be secondary to the needs of the space and function that the commission was serving. We do not seek to present a single aesthetic, but rather demonstrate the possibilities of craft and commissioning. For us, that is what the Hub represents: the eclecticism and excitement that craft, design and the making process represents.

We also want to make the commissions accessible, physically and intellectually: how do you think about your life and what surrounds it? Why do you use and choose certain objects? This approach certainly echoes the theme of the opening exhibition.

The Commissions

This document lays out our conclusions for each space. If these solutions are not satisfactory to the Hub, we can of course go back to the drawing board! Many of the solutions are very focused whilst others have a number of options and a range of choices.

The courtyard

Budget: £20,000
Timescale: Spring 04 (although the timescale allows for a later installation of this work, Artefact would aim to install for the opening, if at all possible)

This was most in depth discussion, with the need to create a high impact installation together with a functional commission (seating). The space has a number of drawbacks, with many competing elements. As such, it was decided that using one designer would provide clarity and coherency.

This is a social space, and one that should seek to make an impact. The impact could come from a lighting project, an interactive element such as an audio piece. This is not the place for work that has been bought ‘off the shelf’, but for a carefully considered approach.

We propose to ask three designers to visit the Hub and come up with a proposal that includes an impact installation and the social seating element. Each would be paid £500 to make the visit and create a proposal that included a description of the project, a treatment of how the visitor would view the piece(s) as they approached and used it, visuals, timescale and a budget totalling £18,500.

This initial outlay of £1,500 is a good investment – we really want to present you with a good range of tailored, exciting proposals to choose from.

We have drawn up a list of four designers and we will narrow this down once this approach is approved. They are all of national standing and have worked on similar projects. The Hub would have a choice three options at the shortlisting.

The plaque

Budget: £3,000
Timescale: mid-October

This is an important symbol for the Hub – a signature of its intent. We went back to our discussion of the curatorial approach and we felt it was here that we could present the skill of making.

We propose that this piece involve two creatives, a writer and a maker who will produce these words. The writer could be linked to the region, or have knowledge of the area; or could be orientated towards spaces, buildings and processes.

The statement that they produce will then be realised by either a calligrapher on paper that will be mounted on the wall behind glass; or a maker such as Tracy Rowledge who would produce the piece on leather or Kate Owen and Gary Breeze who would use stone.

The calligraphy option could financially allow for the production of a box of hand cut blocks that can be used to print on textiles or paper; and be displayed in another venue in Sleaford. With the second option, there will be the opportunity to reproduce the words on other forms: plates, bags, and paper. With either option, there will be a transferable quality in the commission.

At this stage we would like the Hub to decide which option they would like, and for the shortlisting we would then provide approximately two options for each element in the commission.

The commissioning centre

Budget: £7,000
Timescale: end September

This was viewed as one of the most problematic areas – there are so many other elements vying for attention, and the aims of creating a clearly separate space that was also functional was challenging. We discussed the options of buying off the peg furniture or creating a high impact vibrant area, but both approaches had their weaknesses and did not meet the brief as we understood it. We want the area to be clearly different from the shop, simply designed but representing an element of commissioning. There has to be a practical element to this piece.

Our proposal is to create a ‘total unit’, built by an architectural or design studio that incorporates a desk and chairs but is built as one unit. The finishing would need to be of high quality. The studios suggested included experimental practices that work with display installations in galleries and museums and product designers, for example, Carl Clerkin.

The second element would be a decorative finish, that covers the whole area – and this discussion focused on wallpaper that was commissioned if possible but if this was beyond the budget, then bought from a designer. This then had the option of being replaced regularly to keep the area looking smart.

At the shortlisting it is likely that we would provide a single proposal for the provider of the structure and two or more for the decorative finish.

This was the one area that we consider the budget in need of an uplift – and we would ask this to be increased to £10,000.

The gallery seating

Budget: £5,000
Timescale: end September

We consider this commission to be straightforward. The seating needs to be movable, permanent, and represent the qualities of craft and design. There are so many options for makers, we would like to write a short brief for twelve makers, and present all of their responses to you at the shortlisting so you can see a real breadth.

Banners

Budget: £6,000
Timescale: beginning before opening, end product Christmas

This was another in-depth discussion concerning the function of the commission: a process that involved the community, and also a permanent or semi-permanent end product.

We concluded that the Hub should pursue the straightforward banner option by a local printer as a marketing tool around Sleaford.

Our commissioning approach would be to ask a maker with a strong background in community work to design a project involving local people and also to suggest a final product that could be presented at or around Christmas. Various themes were considered (seeds?) and types of maker (a jeweller?). We would like this to be an opportunity for social exchange for local people – one of the key benefits of working in craft!

The presentation element in the public domain has proved difficult to resolve. We discussed a film of the project (too expensive) or some kind of event. There was then a discussion around the area of a specially commissioned element (a multiple?) within the membership scheme – something that enabled users to feel a greater ownership of the building and develop loyalty and interest.

This area has not been resolved and we will need to have further discussions around this commission. There are a number of options and it would be good to have your feedback to the above – but the project will be initiated before the opening, as requested.

Next Stages

The next stages will be an approval of the approaches outlined in this document by 1 July. This will be followed by a period of research and discussion with designers and makers by Artefact. The proposals will then be presented for selection on 11 July in Sleaford.

posted by Ben at 9:12 AM