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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Call for Artists: The Library Unbound
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3/17/2003 1:30:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
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Call for Artists: The Library Unbound
Application Deadline May 2; Opportunity for U.S. Visual Artists
SEATTLE — The
Seattle Public Library and the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs seek
artists whose work deals with social structures, people and systems to develop
permanent artworks in a wide variety of media for the new Central Library,
designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and scheduled for completion in late
2003. Visual artists who are residents of the United States are eligible to
apply. At least one of the commissions will be awarded to a Seattle artist. This
project includes a residency period of one to two weeks at the Seattle Public
Library's Temporary Central Library during the design proposal phase.
Applications for The Library Unbound are available
online at www.seattle.gov/arts/fundingapplications;
artists unable to download materials may request an application by calling
206-615-1801. Applications must be received at the Office of Arts & Cultural
Affairs, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1766, Seattle, WA, 98104 by 5:00 p.m., Friday,
May 2, 2003 or postmarked by Friday, May 2, 2003.
Selected artists will be invited to explore the library,
its staff and clients, its functions and collections and to develop projects
that address these topics in a thoughtful way. Proposals should embody the
questioning and pursuit of ideas that characterize a library. Through short
residencies at the library in 2003, selected artists will develop designs for
permanent, enduring works of art which draw upon the rich social and
intellectual context of the library. The resulting artworks will be installed in
the new library between December 2003 and June 2004.
The Seattle Public Library strives to inform, enrich and
empower every person in our community by creating and promoting easy access to a
vast array of ideas and information, and by supporting an informed citizenry,
lifelong learning and love of reading. The library acquires, organizes and
provides books and other relevant materials; ensures access to information
sources throughout the nation and around the world; serves the public with
expert and caring assistance; and reaches out to all members of our community.
The Central Library houses a collection of approximately
900,000 items, including books and other materials. Special collections of
genealogy and local history support research on family history, Seattle, and the
Northwest. The library is a depository for important government publications,
and maintains subscriptions to many magazines and newspapers. The language
collection includes materials for both native speakers and English speakers
seeking to learn other languages. The collection also includes contemporary and
historical fiction, books in large type and books on tape, feature films and
documentaries, music compact discs, and a children's collection of picture
books, easy readers, and materials for school reports.
In 1998, Seattle voters approved a bond measure to nearly
double the square footage of Seattle's neighborhood libraries and build a new
Central Library on the existing site. The Central Library will feature new
centers for children, teens and adult readers, as well as more computers,
reorganized and expanded collections, a 275-seat auditorium for Library programs
and community meetings, and parking for about 145 vehicles.
The new Central Library is being designed by Dutch
architect Rem Koolhaas with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, winner of
the 2000 Pritzker Prize, in a joint venture with locally based LMN Architects.
The building features an innovative "book spiral," which will allow
patrons unprecedented access to the library collection. The crystalline
steel-and-glass structure contains five platforms - each devoted to a specific
programmatic cluster. Four open spaces are housed among the platforms, where
library patrons can meet, search the Web or read. The new library is slated for
completion in late 2003. For more information about The Seattle Public Library
visit www.spl.org.
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs strengthens our
communities by managing one of the nation's most innovative public art programs;
investing in art and culture for all residents through civic partnerships;
connecting communities and artists to explore civic issues and ideas; supporting
arts training for young people; promoting the arts' contribution to economic
development; and advocating for the arts as part of our everyday lives. The
15-member Seattle Arts Commission, citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and
City Council, supports the City agency.
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