UPDATE: Yasmin Gur is no longer in the exhibition

PLEASE JOIN US MAY 8 FROM 6 TO 9PM at 136 WYTHE AVE FOR A GREAT PARTY CELEBRATING SWOON’S ( A FEATURED ARTIST IN THE WWSE 2010) NEW BOOK!

FAMED ARTIST SWOON TO BE FEATURED IN UAP’S INAUGURAL WILLIAMSBURG WATERFRONT SCULPTURE EXHIBITION TO OPEN MAY 6 2010
Urban Art Projects, a non profit whose headquarters is in Williamsburg Brooklyn and whose mission is to produce public art projects is pleased to announce the opening of the Williamsburg Waterfront Sculpture Exhibition May 8, on view until June 6 2010. Included in the exhibit is invited artist Swoon and 7 additional artist selected by a jury.

Urban Art Projects is thrilled to be working with Swoon whose domed sculpture will raise awareness for her building project in Haiti. The installation in East River State Park will enable the artist and her team to test the materials and building process before traveling to Haiti next month. Those who are not familiar with Swoon can find her work in urban spaces, but also on this month’s newsstands on the cover of ARTnews. Swoon, together with her partners at Konbit Houses Project, has been working on a development that will provide dwellings for inhabitants of disaster stricken areas like Haiti. The artwork proposed for the Williamsburg waterfront park employs the same super adobe building material to be used in Haiti, but the dome structure in Brooklyn will be an art installation to raise awareness, rather than a dwelling in its own right.

The jury for the remaining sculptors was comprised of  Brooklyn artists and writers: Phong Bui, artist and publisher of the Brooklyn Rail, Boaz Vaadia, internationally known sculptor, and Debora Gilbert, writer curator and artist. Urban Art Projects directors Kim Vaadia and Martha Henry said, “Although the jury could only pick 7 artists, we received a great number of promising proposals that we would like to consider for future projects.” This month will be very busy for the selected artists, namely Kathy Bruce, Ursula Clarke, Rob De Oude, Sarah Fonzi, Nathan Slate Joseph,Howard Kalish, and Scott Piscitelli ( aka Wu Ming and Littlefish Farms) who will produce a diverse group of sculpture that can be seen against the spectacular skyline of Manhattan visible in East River State Park.

Despite the durable and seemingly permanent materials used in the artwork to be seen in East River State Park, including cement, metal, and wood, these pieces are only temporary installations and will be removed in June 2010, leaving the park in its original state just in time for the free concerts in the summer. Keep your eyes open for more announcements concerning installation progress, unveiling, and other events at www.uaprojects.org in the coming weeks.

This project is sponsored by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and this event has also received funding from a New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation FY2008 Initiative Grant, and the Sponsoring Member of the local legislative initiative pursuant to which this Contract is funded is Assemblyman Joseph Lentol.

PROSPECTUS

CALL FOR ENTRIES – DEADLINE EXTENDED
POSTMARKED  March 15, 2010

Urban Art Projects Inaugural Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition at East River State Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Urban Art Projects (UAP) is seeking proposals for its inaugural sculpture exhibition
to be held at East River State Park in 2010. The park, governed by the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historic Preservation, is situated in the thriving community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn on the banks of the East River with spectacular views of the waterfront and New York City.  The deadline for submission is March 15, 2010.

You are encouraged to submit work that is responsive to the unique urban and natural setting of East River State Park; however, existing pieces are being considered.

The Site
East River State Park is an 8 acre riverfront park bordering Kent Avenue between North 7th and North 9th Streets in Williamsburg.  With its spectacular views of Manhattan and the East River, it is an ideal location to exhibit and enjoy outdoor sculpture.

Formerly the site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal where all rail cargo to Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island was uploaded off barge-ferried rail cars from New Jersey during the late 1800’s, railroad ties and tracks are still visible on the grounds, as well as concrete loading walls and ramps.  In addition to concrete slabs, the park has open flat grassy areas and a wild field meadow sloping down to the riverbank.  There are several gravel walkways leading from the street to the water’s edge. Tree plantings are minimal so the views are unobstructed.

All artwork must be designed so that there will be no trace of its installation upon removal at the end of the show.  Sculpture must be installed in a manner that causes no damage or changes to the park; therefore, excavations and poured foundations are prohibited.  In addition, the work must be sturdy enough to hold up against all kinds of weather. Sculpture must also be designed and installed without sharp edges, falling pieces or in any manner that could cause injury should a visitor attempt to touch or to climb on it. All artists are encouraged to visit the park to become familiar with the site.

Terms:

• Dates: The Exhibition will run for approximately three months.
• Please note there is no artist stipend available and we can not reimburse for expenses
• Proposal Deadline:  Must be postmarked by March 15, 2010.
• Jury:  Eugenie Tsai, Curator of Contemporary Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, has agreed to be on the jury pending a workable date.
• Other jurors to be announced in the future
• Sculpture in any medium that complies with The Site.
• Eligibility:  Open to all artists 18 yrs and older.
• Insurance:  UAP will have liability insurance. Damage to sculpture is not covered and remains the responsibility of the artist. Artists must sign an agreement that waives their right to sue UAP or New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historical Preservation for damage to their sculpture, in the event of such an occurrence.

Submission Guidelines:
1. A jpg of the proposed work and a brief description including title, date, medium, dimensions and method of installation (existing work may also be submitted.) *
2. A minimum of four and no more than 10 digital images of representative work. Digital images must be in JPEG format. Included must be a word document with title, date, medium and dimensions. Also please make sure you email the jpgs in a resolution that is not too high to correctly receive them.  We will contact you later if we require high res images.
3. Resume and artist’s statement with your name, address, email and phone number at top.

Email submissions and questions to: uaprojects@gmail.com
For more information regarding the RFP, please refer to website: www.uaprojects.org

*Please note that the exhibition and all submissions are subject to approval by New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historical Preservation.