Open Sculpture Design Competition Opens : November 1 st 2017 Closes : January 10 th 2018 Organised by: Thames Public Art trust
Invitation Submissions are invited from any interested persons for sculpture projects to populate the Kopu - Thames leg of the rail trail. The competition opens November 1 st 2017 and closes January 10 th 2018. Purpose This is the inaugural launch event for a long term project that seeks to enhance the rail trail experience for users and turn this leg of the trail into a destination visitor event. Brief The trail leg from Kopu to Thames is approximately 7km long starting at Kopu Bridge and following the river for a short time, then turning inland to track across rural farmland before meeting up with SH25 at Totara. From there it runs parallel with the road to Thames. The trail presents a large number of opportunities for sculptural interventions. For this opening competition there are 2 suggested primary sites for individual works, shown on the attached plan and outlined in Category 1. There is also the opportunity for a series of linked works that address the functional requirements of the trail, outlined in Category 2. Individual works: Category 1 Open category for standalone works addressing any idea, concept or theme. Site 1: Junction Visible by direct line of site from the trail head at the Kopu Bridge. A point where the trail turns away from the river to move inland. This point is a future proposed junction for a continuation of the trail along the stop bank, a place to make a decision about direction. Site 2: Bridge The crossing point of a natural watercourse coming down from the hills. A site visible by traffic passing to the east on SH25. Submissions for this category should also consider the materials of construction in relation to robustness, durability and safety to the public. The indicative budget for the final sculptural work is in the range of $10 15,000.
Linked works: Category 2. Category for utilitarian sculptural works addressing the requirements for: rest stops (seating, picnicking, photo stops including provision of bicycle stand / rack clear of the trail) water stops (either as part of the rest stops or separate points) information stops (sign posts, information boards, etc) Submissions for this category should consider the long term development of the trail and propose a themed sculptural response that can be added to as the sculpture trail expands. Submissions Submissions in both categories are to be received by 10 th January 2018 at 501 Brown Street, Thames. They can be in any medium that the submitter chooses, for example but not limited to: o drawing (freehand, ruled, CAD) o digital image (printed or for projection) o maquette o the sculptural work itself Submissions should indicate the scale and the proposed materials of the work. Submissions should include the name of the work (if any). The entrant s name and contact details should be in a sealed envelope attached to the work to facilitate an anonymous judging process. Judging All submissions will be displayed as an exhibition until January 31 st during which time they will be assessed by a guest judge. (Conceptually, sculptural works located on the trail are intended to lead visitors via visual breadcrumbs along the trail from piece to piece. While this broader concept does not form part of the specific brief for an individual work it will be applied as part of the judging process when considering a sculpture s place in the overall intended rhythm of form, scale, size and materials.) The judge will not have access to the names of the creators of each submission during the judging process. There will also be a people s choice selection for Category 1 sculptures with voting via paper ballot box during the exhibition.
The Winning Sculptures Winners in each category will be announced at the close of the exhibition and the winning works will be publicised along with the winning sculptors identity. Winners will enter into negotiations with Thames Public Art Trust representatives to arrange construction and installation of the winning sculptures. For further information contact: Paul Silvester Chairman : Thames Public Art Trust 07 868 9346 022 309 2099 paulandglen@icloud.com
Background The installation of a sculpture trail between Kopu and Thames comes out of a 2017 proposal and successful application for funding to the Thames Community Board under the umbrella of the Thames Public Art Trust. The proposal aligns with action and implementation strategies contained within the Thames Visitor Promotion and Optimisation Plan Sep (2016) adopted by TCDC. Extract: o Focus Area 2: Increase visitor revenue by optimising / developing new cycling / walking experiences : o Action 2.1 Undertake planning on visitor opportunity / experience between Kopu and Thames CBD. o Implementation 2.1 Kinetic sculptures along the trail between Kopu and Thames. Reference Documents o Coromandel arts and creative industries strategy June 2016 o Thames visitor promotion and optimisation plan September 2016 o Kopu landscape concept (draft) June 2016 Terms and Conditions 1. The Thames Public Art Trust have organised a Sculpture Competition which opens November 1 st 2017 and closes January 10 th 2018. 2. The competition is for submissions for sculptural works to populate the rail trail from Kopu to Thames. 3. Thames Public Art Trust will make every effort to ensure the safety of the submissions but will not be liable for any loss or damage incurred. 4. The judge s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 5. The winning sculptor in each category will enter into negotiations with Thames Public Art Trust for construction and installation of their sculpture on the trail. 6. Thames Public Art Trust will enter into negotiations for construction and installation of winning works in good faith but due to unquantifiable and unknown potential issues at this stage, in relation to but not limited to timeframe, costs, consents, access and legal issues, does not guarantee that a winning work will be installed. 7. Submission of an entry into the contest automatically constitutes the artist s acceptance of all competition terms and conditions.