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Mayo County Council Public Art – Artist’s Brief – Mayfield Lake Development
Mayo County Council
and Clar ICH Ltd
Public Art Commission Artist Brief
Project: Mayfield Lake Development.
Claremorris Irish Centre Housing Ltd (Clar ICH Ltd)
Mayo County Council invites submissions for a public art project in Claremorris, County Mayo. The funding for this project has been provided by the Percent for Art Scheme through the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
This is an exciting opportunity for an artist to work with a forward thinking, creative and flexible housing association and residents of an impressive, innovative development.
Mayo County Council has an excellent reputation for commissioning high quality, contemporary artworks, working with artists in all art forms. Recent programmes include Landmark www.landmarkpublicart.com , Changing Tracks www.changingtracks.eu and FIND www.findartproject.com featuring a range of permanent, temporary, performance or event based and socially engaged practice. See www.publicart.ie Mayo archive for further information on a selection of artworks in County Mayo and also www.mayococo.ie under the public art section in the arts service area of the website for details of ongoing commissions and a projects archive.
Background Information:
Claremorris is a large, lively and busy town in the South East of County Mayo. The town hosts the annual Claremorris Open Exhibition attracting huge numbers of artists every September. The town has a wealth of history and places of significant interest. A new sheltered housing development, Mayfield Lake Development, is the focus for this commission. Mayfield Lake Development was built by Clar ICH Ltd, a Voluntary Housing Association
Sheltered Housing may be defined as housing schemes with on site communal facilities for independent assisted living (ICSH 2005). Mayfield Lake Development is located on the third step of the continuum of care spectrum in Ireland, providing tenants with a sustainable housing option to a nursing home or residential care unit. Many tenants of Mayfield Lake Development require sheltered accommodation as a specialised housing alternative to private rented or local authority rented accommodation due to a number of medical conditions and social circumstances as outlined below.
Mayfield Lake Development is a thirty six unit development. Three of the thirty six units are specifically designed to cater for the needs of wheelchair users with provision made for the installation of assisted technology at a later date. Located on a circa of 4.5 acres the development addresses the housing needs of older people and people with disabilities in Claremorris and the wider Mayo geographical area.
To increase the quality of life for all who live there Clar ICH is proactive in promoting tenure diversity. This is reflected in the eligibility criteria for residency in Mayfield Lake Development with 50% of tenures sourced from Mayo County Council’s waiting list, 25% from the Safe Home Programme supporting returning immigrants to Mayo, and the remaining 25% nomination rights are held by Clar ICH.
A Communal Building is built on the grounds of the development to cater for the recreational and social needs of the residents. Clar ICH aims to provide a hot meal every day for residents as well as a laundry service. It is the ambition of Clar ICH that the communal building will be a hub in Claremorris for recreation and social activities for older people. Sustainability is a key objective for Clar ICH. Residents are encouraged to volunteer in the adjacent Growing Locally Project that supplied the fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables for the communal building. Also all residents have received training as master composters encouraging them to look at alternative solutions for waste disposal.
The principle of energy conservation is a priority for Clar ICH. The company delivers the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme in Mayo assisting families and individuals living in fuel poverty. Clar ICH also partners with institutions from across Europe in investing alternative ways of conserving energy and using sustainable material and practices in the building process. Mayfield Lake Development was selected as a demonstration site for a European project called NEES (Natural Energy Efficiency System). A recycled paper based product is used as the attic insulation product in the communal building and is currently being monitored by international academic institutions.
Another key feature of sustainability associated with Mayfield Lake Development is the construction of a pizza oven in the neighbouring Clar IRD site. Residents are often invited to open days where pizza is cooked and toppings are provided directly from the community horticultural site Growing Locally. Thus the concepts of sustainable intergenerational living and energy conservation are key objectives for Mayfield Lake Development.
The Devolvement as the name suggests is located in close proximity to Mayfield Lake, an area of geographical and historical importance to the area. This lake can be reached from Lower James Street or from the railway station giving the lake its other name The Station Lake. It has bream, pike, perch and eel. There is evidence to suggest that there were ancient settlements in the Claremorris area with two possible crannogs in Mayfield Lake. Mayfield Lake is the source of many found memories for local people who grew up there who were often warned not to play near the bottomless lake.
The old railway link from Claremorris to Ballinrobe also runs across the boundary of the site and is of significant historical interest to the people of Claremorris. On Tuesday November 1st 1892 the line opened. The first train to Ballinrobe, "The Bat" was driven by Owen Malone. This rail service was to close some sixty-seven years later, on the last day of December 1959 when driver Jack Monaghan, fireman Hughie Dawson and guard Mick Higgins brought the last train to travel the almost thirteen mile journey from Ballinrobe to Claremorris. No longer was the line viable, and so ended the rail method of travel between the two towns. This rail route was one of the last to be built in the 19th century, a century which saw the birth and rapid expansion of the railway system. More information about Claremorris can be found via www.mayo.ie
Objectives:
Mayo County Council invites artists to develop proposals for this commission for the Mayfield Lake Development, it’s residents and visitors.
We aim to commission a high quality, contemporary artwork which will be appropriate for the site and add to the ongoing programme of public artwork in the county.
It is of great importance to the commissioner, residents and staff at the development that the commission is developed in consultation with residents of Mayfield Lake Development and that the artist will consider any opportunities to involve them in the process.
All artforms will be considered, there is a flexible approach to this commission and groups of artists are also welcome to apply.
Artists should give due consideration to energy consumption and low maintenance aspects of their proposed artworks. Account must be taken of current Health and Safety Regulations.
Location:
The Development comprises of thirty six units of accommodation and a communal area in a separate central building. The development is located in Mayfield, Claremorris, opposite the children’s playground and beside Clar IRD’S Growing Locally site. It is on the Ballinrobe road leaving Claremorris on the right.
Attendance at the site visit is recommended.
Growing Locally open day
Budget:
Maximum budget is €28,500 for design, supply, installation, artist’s fee and any community/resident involvement initiatives, inclusive of all costs, VAT, insurance and other charges.
Competition Process
This is initially a one-stage competition, open to all artists. If a clear choice can not be made from the stage one proposals and further, detailed information is required a limited number of artists may be invited to develop proposals further and an honorarium will be paid to each shortlisted artist.
Submissions must contain:
· Textual description outlining the concept of the project (max. 2 A4 sheet)
· Supply if appropriate drawings or alternative expressions to communicate the content of the project. (these can be in format of maquette/Audio/CD/ /DVD)
· Outline budget breakdown
· Outline of potential community/resident involvement
· Draft timescale
· CV and examples of previous work
Selection criteria
Artistic Merit
Innovation of the concept
Relevance to social, physical and cultural context of the location
Previous experience / demonstrate ability to carry out the project
Value for money
Clarity and practicality of the proposal
Selection Panel: Relevant Arts expertise, Clar ICH Ltd representative, Mayo County Council and resident representation.
Selection: Mayo County Council retains the right not to commission if a selection is not recommended by the selection panel.
Schedule:
Site Visit: A site visit will take place on Friday 6th February at 11am
If you are attending the site visit you must inform Gaynor Seville, Public Art Co-ordinator, contact details below.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday 6th March 2015
Please note this is not a ‘posted by’ deadline,
Submissions: Submissions to be delivered to:
Gaynor Seville
Public Art Co-ordinator
Mayo County Council
Áras An Chontae
Castlebar
Co Mayo
ALL queries, to register for the site visit, or any further information contact Gaynor Seville:
E: T: 094 904 7561
Email submissions can be accepted, but please be aware of the file size of any documents/images and try not to send excessively large files. We can not print out all applications received by email, these will be transferred to a laptop for the panel to view.
If a maquette or other large materials are provided it is the artist’s responsibility to collect it after the panel have made their decision.