Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum Artistic Board Up RFQ

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) is requesting qualifications from artists or artist teams (Artist(s)) for an Artistic Board Up of the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum (Coliseum) located on 7310 Frankstown Avenue in the Homewood South neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh (City).   The goal of this RFQ is to select an Artist(s) to create a mural that represents the theme, “Hope in Homewood.” The selected mural would be printed onto aluminum alloy boards to replace the current boarding on the Coliseum. 

A.     URA Information  

The URA is the economic development agency for the City, committed to creating jobs, expanding the City’s tax base, and improving the vitality of businesses and neighborhoods within the City. Incorporated in 1946 as one of the first redevelopment authorities in the United States, the URA achieves this mission by assembling, preparing and conveying sites for major mixed-use developments and by providing a portfolio of programs that include financing for business location, relocation, and expansion, housing construction and rehabilitation, and home purchases and improvements, among many others. The URA conducts these activities using unique powers granted by the Commonwealth’s Urban Redevelopment Law to deploy and attach conditions to the use of public subsidy and the disposition of publicly-owned land. The URA is also committed to equitable development and incorporates best practices for equity and inclusion into its internal and external policies and activities.  

The URA is a legal entity separate and distinct from the City. The URA works closely with the City in fulfilling its redevelopment mission.  

Additional information regarding the URA may be found on the URA’s website at www.ura.org.  

B.      Neighborhood Context  

The Coliseum was built as part of a series of carbarns that supported the Homewood Streetcar which housed over 100 cars and covered four blocks along Frankstown Avenue. In the 1930s, Homewood was a thriving center of African-American culture and the streetcars drew a flourishing middle class, and by the 1950s Homewood rose to become one of Pittsburgh’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Since the carbarns closed in the 1960s, the Coliseum has served as a community asset on Frankstown Avenue that has showcased Homewood’s history. Prior to the URA taking ownership in 2018, the Coliseum served as an Oral History and Event center, curated by long term stewards of the building and its history.  

The theme the community has chosen for the Artistic Board Up is “Hope in Homewood.” “Hope in Homewood” will assure that the future of Homewood is a future full of hope and economic prosperity for all its residents. This project will support the implementation of the Homewood Comprehensive Community Plan. The plan lays out the framework for the revitalization of Frankstown Avenue which will target development and redevelopment south of Frankstown Avenue in Homewood South and near neighborhood gateways to improve development conditions and create “Tipping-Points” for redevelopment. The vision of the Homewood Comprehensive Community Plan is that Homewood will be an African-American cultural and educational destination where people choose to live, work and visit that will be safe, green and innovative. The Artistic Board Up will support the vision of the Homewood Comprehensive Community Plan by promoting Homewood’s past through interpretive storytelling, public art and neighborhood branding.

Working with the members of the Homewood Collaborative, the selected Artist(s) will provide a mural that would fit the entirety of the two door openings and three windows on the front of the Coliseum building. The door openings are 15 feet wide by 10 feet high. The windows are 5 feet wide by 8 feet high. The mural images will need to be divided into spaces that are up to 8 feet wide by 10 feet high for the door openings for printing purposes. The mural must align with the community’s “Hope in Homewood” theme.

The URA will cover the costs of the aluminum alloy panels, printing and installation. The URA’s total project cost is estimated to be $8,448.00.  

Each submission should include the following:

A.      Title Page

This should include the Artist name(s), address and contact information.

B.      Project Narrative

Please provide a brief narrative that provides details on how your mural would align with the “Hope in Homewood” theme. 

C.      Fee Structure

Please provide the fee structure of the artistic services that you provide.  

D.     Experience

Please provide examples of previously completed murals or relevant projects along with a sample drawing to showcase the “Hope in Homewood” theme.  

E.      Other Information

Please provide any other information you believe is pertinent to the consideration of your mural.

On or before the due date shown on the cover of this RFQ, send one (1) electronic copy (flash drive, cd, or email) to the address below:                

Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
200 Ross Street – Floor 12
Pittsburgh, PA  15219
Attention:  Shantalaya Mathews
smathews@ura.org

Inquiries regarding this RFQ should be directed to Shantalaya Mathews, Project Development Specialist, at (412) 255-6576 or smathews@ura.org.

The URA will not reimburse Artist(s) for any expenses incurred in preparing responses to this RFQ.

A.      Process:

The selection of any Artist(s) will be made by the URA Board of Directors after receiving the recommendations of the URA’s staff and/or any applicable selection committee. Such selection will be based on the nature and quality of the responding firm’s responses to the Submission Requirements described above. The URA reserves the right to request that any respondent meet with URA staff and/or a selection committee in a formal interview.  

B.      Conflicts of Interest:  

Artist(s) must have no conflicts of interest with regard to any other work performed by the Artist(s) for the URA, the City, or any related entity.  

C.      RFQ Compliance:

Artist(s) teams must adhere to the instructions contained in this RFQ in preparing the submitted qualifications.  

D.     Waiver of Defects:

The URA shall be the sole judge as to which Artist(s) best meet the selection criteria. The URA reserves the right to reject any or all qualifications submitted. The URA reserves the right to reject any qualifications for failure to comply with the requirements of this RFQ. The URA further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive any such defect(s) or failure(s). Submission of a response indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this RFQ.  

E.      Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) Waiver:

The Artist(s) must sign a VARA waiver to ensure that the URA is not held liable for any damage to the commissioned artwork when the building is redeveloped. The Artist(s) will retain the copyrights to reproduce, sell, and display the commissioned artwork.  

F.       Nondiscrimination:

Each responsive firm agrees not to discriminate, whether in employment, contracting or otherwise, in violation of any federal, state, or local law and/or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.