Call For Proposals - DEADLINE HAS PASSED
Expanded Artists’ Books: Envisioning the Future of the
Book
CALL FOR COMMISSION PROPOSALS – Two $10,000 commissions
will be awarded
Please read the entire Call for Commission Proposals below before beginning your application. You can also download it here.
The Center for Book and Paper Arts, a program of the
Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago, recently
received a $50,000 Arts in Media
grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of a new electronic
publishing initiative, Expanded Artists’ Books.
This grant will support an award of two $10,000 commissions for new
artworks for the iPad. These will have physical counterparts that
intersect, modulate, or inform the digital components of the artwork.
ABOUT
Artists’ books claim all aspects of the book (format,
typography, structure, etc.) as potentially expressive. As
immersive hybrid experiences for the reader/viewer, these works expand the
limits of what we traditionally think of as a book. Simultaneously, we consider
that tablet-based mobile
platforms are emerging as a dynamic arena for investigation of the notion of
the book. Expanded Artists’ Books utilize
the rich capabilities of the tablet platform to imagine new forms that a book
might take, such as exploring how interactivity challenges the traditional
closure of text or the performance of time. We are currently focused
specifically on Apple’s iPad as a site for exploration of this conceptually
rich territory.
COMMISSION DETAILS
- We are seeking proposals from artists for projects that will exist both on the iPad and as physical books.
- Artists are challenged to explore ways in which the artwork can take both virtual and physical manifestations, examining the advantages of each and how the interplay between the two can be leveraged to provide a comprehensive and powerful expression.
- The proposal should address how the project manifests within these two modalities.
- While the commissioned artist must have the technical capability to be able to create and deliver the iPad experience, previous experience creating physical books is not required. If the commissioned artist does not have experience working in the book arts, technical assistance will be provided.
SELECTION CRITERIA
In addition to the
quality of the concept, the criteria for selection of proposals will include
the artist's demonstrated facility with the digital tools (prior iPad
development experience highly valued), the ability and willingness to work with
technical assistance and collaboration, and demonstrated ability to carry a
project through to timely completion.
APPLICATION MATERIALS
All application
materials will be submitted electronically. Materials will include:
- Completed application form
- Project proposal: Your project proposal must provide concept(s) of how the digital work may be transformed into a physical book object – understanding that if selected, modifications based on technical or financial limitations may need to be made.
- Statement concerning previous iOS development experience, and anticipated development environment(s).
- Timeline: The timeline must provide an overview of when you expect to complete the project, as well as your thoughts about when the development of the physical book will begin (simultaneous to the digital counterpart, afterwards, before, etc.)
- Past work samples: Work sample(s) will only be accepted as video documentation via Vimeo – limited to 5 minutes maximum.
- Resume
- Two letters of reference from experts in the field who can speak to your ability to work collaboratively.
MAINTENANCE
The artist is
expected to ensure that the iOS project properly functions on all iPad devices
for at least three years following the publication date.
FINANCIAL & TECHNICAL SUPPORT
The $10,000
commission is an artist's fee. There are
no requirements placed on how the artist uses these funds, however, all costs
related to the development of the digital project are the responsibility of
the artist. Within reasonable financial
constraints, the CBPA will provide resources for the creation of the physical
book component of the commission, both for materials and technical support.
Once a project is accepted, we will coordinate with the artist to determine how
best to accomplish the physical aspects of the project; please be aware that
the precise outcome(s) for the physical book may need to be adjusted for
financial and technical reasons. CBPA will fund a single visit (from a domestic location) to
Chicago for consultation.
CONDITIONS
Both the digital and physical components of the completed
project will be published by Epicenter, an imprint of the Center for Book and
Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago. While the digital
version will be distributed free of charge, the physical component of the
project will be made available for sale, with proceeds going to the CBPA
publication fund; specific edition size, number of copies reserved for the
artist, etc. will be determined after the proposals are reviewed. The artist retains copyright to the
work, but grants CBPA the non-exclusive right to archive and present the
project in perpetuity. Additionally, the artist grants CBPA the right to
develop a physical book artifact / edition that responds to, interacts with, or
corresponds with the iPad. This will be
created in coordination with the artist.
PROPOSAL DEADLINE
The received-by deadline for applications is midnight, September 15th, 2012.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
REVIEW PROCESS
Proposals will be
reviewed by a committee of the project principals; semi-finalists will be
interviewed to determine project feasibility.
Proposals will then be forwarded to a jury of three experts from the
fields of book art, media arts, and literary arts. This jury will select the two winning
proposals.
NOTIFICATION
Commission announcements will be made in December, 2012.
COMMISSION PUBLICATION
/ Project Completion Deadline
By October 31, 2013, project must be ready for submission to
Apple store, with an anticipated release date in December, 2013.
HOW TO APPLY
Download the application here.
QUESTIONS
Please email CBPA-APPLICATIONS@colum.edu
with any questions. You may also refer to our FAQs
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This program is made possible with generous support from the
National Endowment for the Arts: Arts in Media Grant, and other support
entities. The principles of the grant
art are: Paul
Catanese, Michelle Citron, Clifton Meador and Steve Woodall. The project manager is Jessica Cochran.
FAQs
