Source: Bernard Smalls for iOne Digital / Bernard Smalls iOne Digital
Renovation is moving forward on the City of Durham’s Wheels Roller Skating Rink, and artists are now encouraged to submit their qualifications to create public art for this much-beloved community space.
What You Need to Know
- Call for artists to create public installation at Wheels Roller Skating Rink available online.
- Deadline for artists to apply is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.
- Art installation will appear on exterior of Wheels Roller Skating Rink. The center will reopen in 2024 and is part of overall development of the former Wheels Fun Park site, knowns as the Splash & Play project.
The Wheels Roller Skating Rink, located at 715 N. Hoover Rd., is currently being renovated as part of Durham Parks and Recreation’s Splash & Play Project. The estimated opening date is summer 2024. To further enhance the sense of place for this project, the City’s Cultural & Public Art Program is now seeking to commission a site-specific, exterior public art installation that reflects the rink’s decades-long history as a place for family fun, community, athletic, and recreational activities. The call for artists is now available online and the deadline to submit an online application is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 29.
The selected candidate(s) will have a total public art project budget of $143,000 inclusive of all costs including, but not limited to: artist fees; other subcontractors’ fees; insurance that meets the standards of the City; engineering; materials; fabrication costs; transportation; installation of the artwork; community engagement; and documentation of the artwork on site. The ideal creator(s) will need experience in community engagement and storytelling.
The selected candidate(s) will work to:
· Engage the community through in-person sessions and surveys.
· Develop community-informed designs for public artwork that visually connects to the site and/or interprets historical or cultural aspects of the site.
· Beautify the exterior of the building through site-specific public art elements.
· Design, fabricate, and install artwork that is integrated into the site.
This request for qualifications is open to North Carolina residents, but preference will be given to Durham County residents with connections to the Durham community and/or people who are connected to and aware of the history of the site and area. People from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Candidates must be artists, designers, or fabricators or partnered with artists, designers, or fabricators, eligible to work in the United States, and age 18 and older.
To learn more and apply for this opportunity, visit the Public Art at Wheels Roller Skating Rink project webpage.
To learn more about the Splash & Play Project, which includes the restoration of the Wheels Roller Skating Rink, visit the project webpage.
Source: PEO Productions / PEO Productions
