Mountrath Community School, Dysartbeigh, Mountrath, Co Laois • Percent for Art Opportunity • Call for expressions of Interest • Budget €56,500

Mountrath Community School, intend to commission a public art work/s under the Percent for Art Scheme funded by the Department of Education and Science on the occasion of its significant redesign and redevelopment by BHP Architects, Dublin & London.

MCS is an amalgamation of the Brigidine Secondary School, Mountrath with the Patrician Brothers, Ballyfin and St Aengus Vocational School Mountrath.

The keys of Mountrath Community School were handed over to the first Principal Mr Martin Gleeson on the 18^th August 2009 for its opening on the 25^th August 2009. This means that the school will be celebrating its 10^th anniversary in September 2019.

Our school crest (top of page) brings the traditions of these three educational establishments together. The Patrician Cross, the Cross of St Brigid and the manuscript of St Aengus all form three parts of the crest with the leaf of the Birch tree in the centre. The Birch tree represents the area where the school now resides. The Birch tree is an ancient symbol of new beginnings, regeneration, hope, new dawns and the promise of what is to come. The tree carries ancient wisdom and yet appears forever young.

The area ‘Dysartbeigh’ means desert of the Birch.

It is intended that the commissioned art work/s will be site specific and will be integrated into the redevelopment and or sited in and or around the building or grounds.  

The brief asks the artist to:

 • Reflect the ethos and ambition of the School; its commitment to education and knowledge sharing

• Respond to the redeveloped site and its redevelopment 

• Reflect the meaningful interaction between staff and students 

 

Key Considerations

The Client would like the artwork to have a strong focus on the present and future of the school as its own entity) rather than a strong focus on the past. 

The context – the site and its renewed space and environment and its core constituency, its staff and students (ranging in age from 12 – 18) are considered of key significance in developing a vision for the commission. Bear in mind it’s a busy environment with circa 760 students (boys and girls).

The external grounds surrounding the School are also an option for the work(s).

 

Budget

€56,500 inclusive of all artists’ fees and costs including installation, VAT and insurance

 

Commissioning Process

This is a two-stage open commission and will be managed by the National Sculpture Factory, Cork

Contact Elma O’Donovan elma@nationalsculpturefactory.com

Mark all correspondence Mountrath Community School Commission.

The opportunity is open to all professional artists. 

 

Registration of Interest

To register your interest in the project you must email elma@nationalsculpturefactory.com 

Expressing your interest in the project by Wednesday, 20 February 2019 

Please mark all correspondence Mountrath Commission.

 

Site Meeting

Please register your name, address, and email and phone number and indicate if you can attend the proposed site visit on Wednesday 27 February, 2019 at 12 noon.

All correspondence will be by via email.

No access will be permitted to the site unless registered and it is encouraged that you attend the briefing where possible. 

 

STAGE 1

Artists will then be required to submit the following (please do not submit anything other than what’s listed below)

• Brief description / outline of your concept / inspiration for this commission and how you would work in the context of the brief (i.e., how you would approach the commission), outline proposed materials, scale and high-level budget breakdown

• Relevant curriculum vitae

• Images of past works that may be relevant in this context (N.B max 10 with image credits 

• PLEASE NOTE MAQUETTE/MODELS ARE NOT REQUIRED AT THIS STAGE!

   

STAGE 2

A maximum of up to 3 artists will be short listed and invited to develop their proposal to Stage 2. 

Short listed artists will receive a fee of €500 to further develop their proposals for stage 2.

 

Competition Jury

There will be a five member Jury Panel that will include two representatives of the School, the project architect, and two nominees of the National Sculptural Factory.

The selected Artist will be invited to meet with staff representatives to explain and aid the understanding of the work at the projects initiation.

 

Standard of Entries

The panel reserve the right not to make any award, if in their opinion, there are no suitable entries.

 

Post Competition

The role of the National Sculpture Factory is limited to the administration of the Competition and will have no further role once the selected artist has been selected and the contract signed.

 

Summary of deadlines:

Expressing your interest in the project by Wednesday, 20 February 2019 

Site visit Wednesday 27 February, 2019 at 12 noon (sharp)

Closing date for receipt of submissions for stage 1 entries is 12 noon Wednesday, 10 April 2019 (late submissions will not be accepted!).

Short listing will take place in May 2019.

Application(s) to be sent by to:

(Clearly marked Mountrath Community School Commission)

Elma O’Donovan, Administrator, The National Sculpture Factory, Albert Road, Cork. T12 KX00

All applications will be acknowledged!

Tel:  00 353 (0) 21 4314 353

E-mail: elma@nationalsculpturefactory.com

More information on https://mountrathcs.ie/

Please note all correspondence is through the National Sculpture Factory!