RFP issued for Mauldin Public Art Trail
Submission deadline: Monday, Aug. 10, 2020; 5 p.m. ET
The City of Mauldin has just opened the RFP portion of the selection process for the 2021 installation along our Mauldin Public Art Trail.
This annual program seeks to beautify the community with public art displays created by South Carolina artists for years to come.
The theme “Heroes and Leaders” was selected in the wake of COVID-19. We have seen the terms heroes and leaders be used to describe many groups of people who have not traditionally been given such a title. Across the globe, governing bodies have set forth policies to increase the safety of humankind; healthcare workers have compromised their own safety to care for and save the lives of those infected; manufacturers have grown their production efforts in an attempt to ensure there were enough supplies and medical equipment to go around; innovators and researchers have worked tirelessly to find a vaccination; and individuals have practiced social distancing and isolation to protect the immunocompromised.
Artists’ submissions should reflect finding extraordinary in the ordinary and/or the work of the aforementioned during a pandemic.
The RFP, application, schedule and history of the trail can be found online at
http://www.mauldinculturalcenter.org/public-art-trail/. The RFP and schedule are also attached. The deadline for submissions is August 10, 5 p.m.
Tuning Up: Calls for Art! + STEAM workshop
Good morning!
"Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...
Calls. For. Art.
We have a couple calls for art this morning, which can only mean one thing: it's time to fire up the ol' calls for art megaphone:
- Okay, so the first is an RFQ, but it counts, right? (Right?) City of Mauldin and the Mauldin Cultural Council in ... Mauldin ... invite all South Carolina based visual artists – working solo or as a team – to submit qualifications for the Mauldin Public Art Trail. The selected artist/team will create work in any medium that reflects the specific theme “Industry of the Upstate.” The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 16, 2018 at 5 p.m. The selected artist(s) can create a work in any medium as long as it reflects the stated theme. A minimum of two artists/teams will be selected as “finalists” by April 24, 2018.
- There is still time to apply to participate in STYLE '18! Now in its 12th year, STYLE is a show, sale and benefit celebrating independent contemporary design. This is a curated event focused on the highest quality fashion, jewelry and accessories. STYLE '18 will take place over two days on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Jurors will hand-select 36 national and international designers to participate in the 2018 event. Submit your application today to participate.
STEAM Workshop
SC Afterschool Alliance invites you to spend a "Morning with STEM" (just wait...): workshops that will provide valuable resources that can be used with your students immediately and designed to promote engagement, creativity and success. Over the next few months, they plan to present sessions to help you learn to integrate technology with literacy, math, art and science to expand your STEM offerings. Included in April's session is "STEM is Gaining STEAM." The workshop is Thursday morning, April 10 in Columbia at SCETV.
Register for the free workshop here.
Mauldin Public Art Trail – call to South Carolina artists
[caption id="attachment_29595" align="alignright" width="300"]
2016 Public Art Trail selection - Palmetto with Flowers by Jamie von Herndon[/caption]
The City of Mauldin’s Office of Cultural Affairs is seeking submissions for the 2017 Mauldin Public Art Trail installation at the Mauldin Cultural Center. This annual program seeks to beautify the community with public art displays created by South Carolina artists. This year’s theme will be “Appreciation of Diversity” in recognition of the diverse cultural groups that came through South Carolina in the past to create today’s diverse demographics. The work should highlight diversity in a positive and unifying manner.
The Public Art Trail lines the perimeter of the outdoor amphitheater at the Mauldin Cultural Center. A new work will be commissioned each year to fill the nine pre-approved sites along the perimeter. All nine sites will be filled within 10 years. For each year after the first 10 years, the oldest artwork will be replaced, resulting in a new slate of nine pieces of artwork every 10 years. Retired artworks will be relocated to other areas around the community.
The City has opened a Request for Qualifications and Application at www.mauldinculturalcenter.org for interested artists. Artists, and all members of their team if applicable, must be residents of South Carolina during the duration of the project. The deadline for submission is February 27. The selection committee will choose two finalists, who will then be asked to develop conceptual designs. The final artist will be selected by mid- to late-April and given no more than 12 months for project completion, but with a target of a mid-December installation. Total budget for the annual program is not to exceed $15,000 and must be inclusive of fabrication, artist fees, and installation.
The program is a partnership with the Mauldin Cultural Council, a nonprofit organization that supports the Office of Cultural Affairs. The Mauldin Cultural Council will lead the selection process with City input and present one artist and design for final approval.
Contact the Office of Cultural Affairs at (864) 335-4862 with any questions.
GP McLeer named new executive director of SC Arts Alliance
George Patrick (GP) McLeer, Jr., administrator of the City of Mauldin's Office of Cultural Affairs, has been named to succeed Betty Plumb as executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, SCAA President Rose Sheheen of Camden announced today.
McLeer officially will take the reins of the statewide nonprofit arts advocacy and service organization on July 1, with Plumb assisting in the transition until September 1, including the relocation of the SCAA office from Rock Hill, Sheheen said.
"The Arts Alliance Board completed a five-month search for its new executive director, and we were quite pleased to attract a number of highly qualified candidates, which made the selection process exceedingly difficult. However, GP was the board's unanimous choice," Sheheen said. "Not only has he been a board member since 2011, most recently as first vice president, but he also brings knowledge, enthusiasm, vigor, youth and passion to a most important position in the art world of South Carolina. It is with excitement and confidence that the Art Alliance welcomes GP as its next leader!"
Sheheen continues, "He has extensive experience working with government officials and a broad spectrum of artists and arts agencies. As the sole employee of a nonprofit arts center and local government office, he has been responsible for everything from booking acts to grantwriting and even operating the lights during performances."
Plumb, who has headed the SCAA for 27 years, achieved state and national prominence as a leader in advocacy for public funding of the arts and arts education. In recent weeks, she was announced as winner of the 2016 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award, in the individual category; the "Together for Good Advocacy Award," from the S.C. Association of Non Profit Organizations (SCANPO); and the S.C. Theatre Association's advocacy award.
McLeer thanked Plumb "for her years of service in building the organization to the level it is today. The next chapter for the SCAA would not be possible without her having written the one before it. I am excited and honored to be selected as the next executive director for the SCAA. I have lived in South Carolina my whole life and have seen how the arts have positively impacted the lives of my family, friends and community. My passion has always been to help ensure that the arts can thrive in my community, so to be able to expand that passion to all communities in South Carolina is something I am ecstatic about. I look forward to working with the board of directors to continue advancing the arts for all South Carolinians, and to partnering with artists, arts administrators, advocates and community leaders all over the state to help the arts grow in South Carolina."
McLeer's current responsibilities include managing the Mauldin Cultural Center, a repurposed 1937 school that hosts 30,000 people and more than 1,500 events annually, and handling all city-wide marketing efforts. He was responsible for starting the Railroad Concert Series, an annual free series featuring locally and nationally known performers; managing the Mauldin BBQ Cook-Off, a signature community event; and creating the Maudlin Public Art Trail, a 10-year continuous cycle of public art installations. Before working for the City of Mauldin, he was executive director of the Mauldin Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization.
McLeer, 27, is a 2010 graduate of the College of Charleston's Arts Management Program. He lives in Fountain Inn.
Reminder — submissions for Mauldin Public Art Trail due Feb. 29
South Carolina artists encouraged to apply.
The City of Mauldin and the Mauldin Cultural Council in Mauldin, S.C., invite all South Carolina-based visual artists, working solo or as a team, to submit qualifications for the Mauldin Public Art Trail. The selected artist/team will create work in any medium that reflects the specific theme “South Carolina Strong." The maximum budget for the project is $15,000 – inclusive of all artist fees, materials, travel, and construction. The selection committee will choose two finalists who will then be asked to develop conceptual designs. The final artist will be selected by mid- to late-April and given no more than 12 months for project completion, but with a target of a December installation.
View the complete application online.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, February 29, 2016, at 5 p.m.
The Public Art Trail lines the perimeter of the outdoor amphitheater at the Mauldin Cultural Center. The first work, The Depot by artist Joey Manson of Central, was installed in December 2015. A new work will be commissioned each year to fill the nine pre-approved sites along the perimeter. All nine sites will be filled within 10 years. For each year after the first 10 years, the oldest artwork will be replaced, resulting in a new slate of nine pieces of artwork every 10 years. Retired artworks will be relocated to other areas around the community.
The program is a partnership with the Mauldin Cultural Council, a nonprofit organization that supports the Office of Cultural Affairs. The Mauldin Cultural Council will lead the selection process with City input and present one artist and design for final approval.
Via: Mauldin Cultural Council
Applications open for Mauldin Public Art Trail
South Carolina artists invited to apply; deadline is Feb. 29.
From the Greenville News
Article by Scott Keeler
Just weeks after the first piece of art was unveiled along the Mauldin Public Art Trail, the application process for the next piece is underway.
The Public Art Trail lines the perimeter of the outdoor amphitheater at the Mauldin Cultural Center. A new work will be commissioned each year to fill the nine bump-outs from the sidewalk along the perimeter. All nine sites will be filled within ten years.
The first artwork, installed in December, was a steel sculpture called "The Depot" and designed by Central artist Joey Manson. It had different parts that reflected Mauldin's history as part of last year's theme, "Crossroads."
This year's theme has more of a state-wide significance.
"This year's theme is 'South Carolina Strong' in recognition of the tragic events in Charleston and the flooding this summer," Mauldin Office of Cultural Affairs Administrator George McLeer said. "The goal is for the work we select to reflect the resilience of our state during those times."
With only South Carolina artists eligible to have their work chosen for the Art Trail, McLeer said any theme in a given year could have ties to the local community and/or state.
"With a new theme each year that's chosen by our (Mauldin) Cultural Council made up of members of our community, the works of art over the course of time will end up sort of encapsulating major events," McLeer said. "It becomes a timeline."
While the weather has either been rainy or cold in the weeks since the first installation, McLeer said "The Depot" has gotten good reviews.
"Everyone really likes the sculpture," McLeer said. "In the coming weeks, we will be installing a plaque that will have both the artist's description of the work as well as pictures of how the work was developed.
"We're looking forward to having another piece. The more we have, the more of an attraction the site becomes."
The City of Mauldin has opened up a Request for Qualifications and Application on its website for interested artists this year. Artists, and all members of their team if applicable, must be residents of South Carolina during the duration of the project. The deadline for submission is Feb. 29. The selection committee will choose two finalists who will then be asked to develop conceptual designs. The final artist will be selected by mid- to late-April. Total budget for the annual program is not to exceed $15,000.
McLeer said the Cultural Council requested feedback from last year's finalists on how the selection process was structured and received positive reviews.
"The only thing different is that last year we had essentially 12 months for fabrication," McLeer said. "This year, we're still allowing up to 12 months, but we have a target of December to install it to try to get in installed within the calendar year."
The RFQ and Application are available online at www.cityofmauldin.org/oca. For more info, contact the Office of Cultural Affairs at (864) 335-4862.
First piece of new Mauldin Public Art Trail unveiled
From The Greenville News
Article by Scott Keeler; photo (above) by Heidi Heilbrunn
Just minutes before a ceremony to unveil the first piece of artwork at the Mauldin Public Art Trail Tuesday afternoon, a train rolled down the tracks across from the Mauldin Cultural Center.
While it wasn't part of the program schedule, the train whistle blowing was a perfect way to signal the start of this particular event.
"The Depot," a metal sculpture created by Central artist Joey Manson, officially was unveiled as the debut piece of the Art Trail. It was inspired by the theme for this inaugural year of the Art Trail, which was "Crossroads" signifying Mauldin's geography and history.
"Mauldin’s historical borders were first drawn as a circle centered around a train depot. Highways now encircle a city that was once a crossroads, and the railroad still runs straight through," Manson said. "The Depot" references and abstracts the historical and current transportation paths and symbolizes the dynamic forces that surround and connect Mauldin today."
During the application process to have artwork selected, Manson visited Mauldin and made a trip to the library. There he found a book on the history of the city and the creative juices began to flow.
Manson's selected artwork features a blue core that resembles a turning propeller surrounded by intertwining green beams with a straight dark gray beam in the middle of it all. Manson said the gray represents the train running through the heart of the city.
"The blue part is a circle that represents the town limits of Mauldin when it was initially founded," Manson said. "The (green) lines are an abstraction of the major highways that run through this site.
"This (blue section) being a propeller also lends itself to the airfield that was around here and the turbines. That was a big part of the industry that developed Mauldin to where it is today."
The ceremony began with Mauldin Office of Cultural Affairs Administrator George McLeer welcoming the crowd and citing the Mauldin Cultural Council, the city's nonprofit partner in the selection of the artwork. Mauldin Cultural Council Chairman Eddie Phillips then introduced Cultural Council members in attendance and thanked everyone for coming.
"We're very delighted so many of you took time off to come and participate in this today," Phillips said. "This is the beginning of something great."
Mayor Dennis Raines also spoke, praising the partnership the city enjoys with Cultural Council, before Manson cut the ribbon off the sculpture.
During his time in Mauldin, McLeer has searched for ways to display more public artwork. The Art Trail starts on the perimeter of the outdoor amphitheater behind the Cultural Center and curls around toward the front connecting with the Veterans Walk. The original plans for the Arts Trail was the Veterans Walk until it was decided to build it closer to the Veterans Memorial along East Butler Road.
"We were then left with all these concrete bump-outs that were already installed," McLeer said. "As much as we all like places to sit around parks, we were going to end up with a lot of benches in these bump-outs. So we came up with this alternative way to fill them."
After Mauldin City Council unanimously approved the Arts Trail plan last December, the application process for South Carolina artists who wanted to try to contribute. Manson's piece was chosen in the spring.
"The Depot" is the first of what will be nine installations along the trail with a new piece added each year. It will take a total of ten years to install all nine works, and every year after the first ten, the oldest installation is replaced with a new piece – creating a new slate of public artwork every ten years. Retired pieces will be relocated to permanent locations around the community.
McLeer said that's one of the most exciting aspects of the Art Trail. With new themes each year as Mauldin continues to grow, there should be a variety of different art displayed over the years. McLeer said it could serve as a timeline for Mauldin.
"It's a well-paced endeavor. ... In 25 years, we will have 25 pieces of public artwork around our community," McLeer said. "As these pieces retire and get relocated, we're going to see them at schools, or libraries, other parks or other greenspaces.
"It points towards a larger vision of Mauldin to have the arts thrive all over our community."
Mauldin announces first public art trail installation
The City of Mauldin’s Office of Cultural Affairs announces the selection of the first installation along the Mauldin Public Art Trail. Central, S.C., artist Joey Manson’s sculpture,“The Depot” has been selected by the Mauldin Cultural Council and approved by the city. The steel sculpture, which will measure 12 feet tall, eight feet wide and eight feet deep, will be fabricated and installed in the next few months.
Manson developed the sculpture concept by combing through the history of Mauldin and embracing the theme for this year’s program, “Crossroads." Manson's description of the artwork:
The theme of ‘Crossroads’ led me to research the history of the area and the origins of Mauldin. I discovered a map describing Mauldin’s historical borders drawn as a circle with a 1/2 mile radius centered on the original train depot. I became interested in this circular border and the crossroads formed by 107 [East Butler Road] intersecting with 276 & the railroad. The resulting shape I also found to resemble that of an impeller or a propeller, an object of great importance to the economy of Mauldin over the years. They were first found producing power from the river at nearby mills and then during WWII powering airplanes at [Donaldson Center] Air Force Base. The theme of crossroads thus led me from the roads and railway that first gave rise to Mauldin to the modern industry and development that encircles Mauldin and drives today’s economy. I added the curved, green beams to symbolize these dynamic forces that surround and connect Mauldin today. The grey beam I see as the railroad, still present, running straight through town and still working today.
The artwork is the first iteration of a new public art program in Mauldin approved in December 2014. The Mauldin Public Art Trail is an annual program that will feature nine unique pieces of public art around the perimeter of the Mauldin Cultural Center’s outdoor amphitheater that are replaced every 10 years.
Each year the Mauldin Cultural Council, a nonprofit arts organization that supports artistic efforts around the community and at the
Mauldin Cultural Center, will select a new work to fill one of nine predetermined slots around the amphitheater. Each selection is guided by a special theme for that year, and the program is open only to South Carolina artists. After all slots are filled, the oldest piece gets replaced every year and the “retired” artwork is relocated to another area in the community permanently.
“It’s a really unique program that allows us to work with numerous artists from across the state and have them interact with our community,” says George Patrick McLeer, administrator for the Office of Cultural Affairs. “We were very impressed by Manson’s interpretation of this year’s theme and the way he incorporated our community’s history into his work. We’re very proud and excited to have this piece be the first of many artwork installations to come."
The deadline for installation is April 2016, although McLeer expects the sculpture to be in place as early as late fall 2015.
The City of Mauldin is located in the Upstate of South Carolina and in the heart of Greenville County. It is the 17
th largest city in South Carolina and one of the fastest growing cities in the state. Mauldin was first charted in 1820 and has grown to a population of almost 25,000. More information about the City of Mauldin can be found online at
www.cityofmauldin.org.
Via: City of Mauldin Office of Cultural Affairs
Mauldin announces public art trail, invites S.C. artists to apply
The City of Mauldin’s Office of Cultural Affairs announces the creation of the Mauldin Public Art Trail at the Mauldin Cultural Center. This new program seeks to beautify the community with public art displays created by South Carolina artists. This year’s theme is "Crossroads."
The Public Art Trail lines the perimeter of the outdoor amphitheater at the Mauldin Cultural Center. A new work will be commissioned each year to fill the nine pre-approved sites along the perimeter. All nine sites will be filled within 10 years. For each year after the first 10 years, the oldest artwork will be replaced, resulting in a new slate of nine pieces of artwork every 10 years. Retired artworks will be relocated to other areas around the community.
Mauldin City Council approved the Public Art Trail in December 2014. The program is a partnership with the Mauldin Cultural Council, a nonprofit organization that supports the Office of Cultural Affairs. The Mauldin Cultural Council will lead the selection process with city input.
The selection committee will choose two finalists who will then be asked to develop conceptual designs. The final artist will be selected by mid- to late-April and given no more than 12 months for project completion. Total budget for the annual program is not to exceed $15,000 and must be inclusive of fabrication, artist fees, and installation.
The Request for Qualifications and Application are available online at www.cityofmauldin.org/oca. Artists, and all members of their team if applicable, must be residents of South Carolina during the duration of the project. The deadline for submission is February 27, 2015.
Contact the Office of Cultural Affairs at (864) 335-4862 with any questions.
Related: Public art trail coming to Mauldin, S.C.
About the City of Mauldin
The City of Mauldin is located in the Upstate of South Carolina and in the heart of Greenville County. It is the 17th largest city in South Carolina and one of the fastest growing cities in the state. Mauldin was first charted in 1820 and has grown to a population of almost 25,000. More information can be found online at www.cityofmauldin.org.
Via: The City of Mauldin Office of Cultural Affairs
Public art trail coming to Mauldin, S.C.
From The Greenville News:
When the area for the Mauldin Veterans Memorial was first landscaped in 2011, a walkway from the front to the back of the Cultural Center was developed. The sidewalk included nine circular concrete base extensions that could be used for displays.
After feedback from some veterans, plans changed. City Council decided the Memorial would be better served by having a more visible presence closer to the front facing East Butler Road. Now the memorial features the Veterans Walk, a pathway that starts behind the flags and goes to the front of the Cultural Center, with benches and plaques along the way honoring those U.S. military personnel who’ve served in wars.
The question then became of what to do with the concrete bases that have already been in place.
At the December City Council meeting, Cultural Center administrator George McLeer provided the answer.
The Mauldin Public Art Trail will allow for one piece of artwork to be added once a year until all nine spaces are filled. After all nine have been filled a one-year break will be observed before the oldest artwork is replaced.
“So every 10 years, you’d have a new slate of public artwork,” McLeer told council members. “Artwork that has expired after 10 years would be reused either at a public park, property, school or at another municipality.”
Council unanimously approved the plan.
Prior to the vote, councilman Taft Matney said he believes it will be a big step forward for Mauldin and the Cultural Center.
“A lot of us drive by there and still see the old Mauldin Elementary School,” Matney said. “I think we need to give reasons for it to be a cultural center.
“If we want people to come from other areas, enjoy the grounds and take advantage of the furnishings that Public Works has put out there, we need to give them something to look at.”
The trail should be a natural fit as the final concrete bases behind the Cultural Center line the perimeter of the outdoor amphitheater. The 1,000-seat venue has served as the center of community festivals and concerts.
Artists will be selected through an application process and will be open to those who reside in South Carolina for the duration of their project. The yearly budget will be $10,000, which covers a proposal fee, artists’ fees, travel, materials, installation and documentation.
While it will ultimately be the artists’ choice, McLeer said the artwork will primarily be sculpture based.
The selection panel will be made up of members of the Cultural Council, the non-profit arm of the Cultural Center, and the City of Mauldin.
“Each design will be based on a theme each year chosen by the Cultural Council, with input from city staff,” McLeer said. “So essentially what you end up with is a 10-year history of different themes that are important to our community, interpreted by South Carolina artists.
“There’s not many programs in the state that revolve like this. This gives us the flexibility to diversify our artwork each year.”
McLeer said the Cultural Council will use the South Carolina Arts Commission to help spread the word about the application process for the first display in January. He said the process from selection to completion and installation would take 10 to 12 months.
“The goal is that the artwork is ready each spring before our outdoor concert series starts up,” McLeer said. “So we should definitely see something by the spring of 2016.”
Note: According to the
Cultural Center's Facebook page, a full announcement and application details will be available later this month (January 2015).
