Jamaica VaxxScene

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) has served the communities of Southeast Queens in New York City since 1972. Born of a community-driven effort to situate arts and culture at the center of the revitalizing Jamaica neighborhood, JCAL has delivered multidisciplinary, multicultural programs to more than three generations in Queens—a borough where 2.25 million African American, Caribbean-American, Indo-Asian, African, Latinx, Caucasian, Native American, and Indigenous artists and audiences live, work and play.

As the only multidisciplinary arts center—and only member of New York City’s historic public-private partnership, the Cultural Institutions Group—in Southeast Queens, JCAL is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Jamaica VaxxScene: a project to promote health and benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 as well as influenza in the BIIPOC community of Southeast Queens.

ARTIST CATEGORY / SCOPE OF WORK

A total of nine artists and/or artist groups will be selected for projects in performing arts, visual arts and arts education as follows:

• Three local visual artists and/or artist groups will conceive, design and implement a visceral, instantly memorable community-wide advertising campaign that may include, but may not be limited to, the creation of street art, stickers, posters, banners, greeting cards, and other types of call-to-action pop-ups and ephemera, that will speak directly to the safety, efficacy and necessity of vaccination against COVID-19 as well as influenza.
• Three local performing artists and/or artist groups will conceive, design and implement distinctive, attention-demanding events that may include, but not be limited to indoor and outdoor music, dance and theater shows, skits, songs and jingles; videos on online platforms and social media; and flash mobs and other imaginative performative gestures that will speak to the safety, efficacy and necessity of vaccination against COVID-19 as well as influenza.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Deadline for submissions is 5pm, Monday, February 7, 2022. No phone calls. No inquiries of any kind will be accepted after the deadline. Selected Artist(s) will be notified on Monday, Feb 21, 2022. Priority consideration will go to Queens-based artists. Artists of underrepresented demographic groups strongly encouraged to apply.

FEES PER COMMISSIONED ARTIST CATEGORY

Visual Arts: 3 artists / artist groups at $2,500 each

Performing Arts: 3 artists / artist groups at $4,000 each

Teaching Artists: 3 TAs at $900 per education experience

Artist fees are exclusive of cost of materials. Artist(s) are fully responsible for their own taxes. Fees are to be paid out in three installments via JCAL check as follows: 50% immediately upon signing of agreement; an additional 25% at the 30-day mark; and a final 25% within 10 business days following the successful completion of the project.

Commissioned Artist(s) must further be agreeable to providing their likeness(es) and bios for purposes of JCAL marketing and publicity efforts in support of the initiative, and available for press interviews at times and places to be mutually agreed upon.

Requirements

Submitting artists and/or artist groups must demonstrate compelling, powerful creative acumen; articulate the value of their proposed project in the context of the goal of Jamaica VaxxScene; and explain how they will meet project timelines successfully from conception to completion. Artist groups must include all names and contact information of all artists involved. Once selected, artists, artist groups and/or relevant personnel must be on time and ready to begin each project within a reasonable, calendar-focused timeframe.

Application Instructions

Artists and/or artist groups must also submit to Jamaica VaxxScene Submission the following materials:

Performing Artists

• Written description of proposed concept(s), including any titles, samples, visuals or mockups.
• Number and names of all personnel working on a concept at any given time.
• Primary artist’s resume, including name, address, phone number, email and social media.
• Website and/or links to previous work.
• Itemized list (including cost per unit) of all materials needed.

Visual Artists

• Written description of proposed concept(s), including any titles, samples, visuals or mockups, and color renderings if appropriate.
• Number and names of all personnel working on a concept at any given time.
• Primary artist’s resume, including name, address, phone number, email and social media.
• Up to 10 images of the primary artist’s previous work.
• Website and/or links to previous work
• Itemized list (including cost per unit) of all materials needed.

Arts Educators

• Brief description of background, discipline and teaching method(s).
• Up to 10 images of artistic or pedagogical work that feels appropriate for Jamaica VaxxScene.
• Itemized list (including cost per unit) of all materials needed

Selected artists will be required to sign a binding agreement with Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning. Feedback will not be provided on any proposals other than those selected.