RUGGED AND UNFORGETTABLE
Region 8: Request for Qualifications – Artist/Creative Teams
ARTS ACROSS THE PRAIRIE: Placemaking in Rural North Dakota
Arts Across the Prairie (AAP) is a first of its kind, statewide Creative Placemaking program, developed by North Dakota Council of the Arts (NDCA). Eight large-scale art installations will be created that reflect the unique history, landscape, and cultural heritage as defined by Stakeholder Groups in each of the 8 Regions that make up North Dakota. All eight artworks will be placed in decidedly rural locations. (Rural = no buildings, no people!) The art installations will reference and represent the natural setting, as well as the cultural and economic history of each region.
Each of the eight installations will be selected through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process which includes two phases with separate application deadlines. The first phase is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from artists and/or creative teams. During the second phase, the top three candidates will be asked to submit proposals. The RFP process has been completed in Regions 1, 2, 4, and 6 with artists selected and installation plans in development. Region 8 is next to begin by announcing this Request for Qualifications.
Region 8 - Rugged and Unforgettable; Fifth AAP Installation
North Dakota has eight distinct regions. Southwestern North Dakota’s Region 8 is comprised of Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope, and Stark Counties. Stakeholders - regional and local leaders from business, arts, education, and community - met online for over a year to formulate a roadmap for the development of one site to be the artistic, historical, and cultural representation for the eight counties.
Numerous locations were researched to best represent the cultural heritage and distinct landscapes of Region 8, with nine sites seriously considered. Ultimately, 
the Stakeholders chose a site located along Old Hwy 10, west of Medora, with the rugged beauty of its open spaces highlighted by green and golden fields, sweeping vistas of prairie grasslands, and the eroded buttes of the North Dakota badlands. The City of Beach, ND will facilitate the fifth statewide Arts Across the Prairie project.
Vision - Rugged and Unforgettable
The vision is for a permanent large-scale art installation, and the finalist’s proposals should reflect their affection for and attention to place. Rural communities/residents will be living with the artwork for a long time, perhaps generations. The selection process for this project will also require the finalist’s ability to teach and share with others in order to train future North Dakota artists in the outdoor installation process.
Who we are looking for, Timeline
An artist or creative team may apply; the total fee for the project will not alter. You must be an established artist, with experience in large-scale outdoor installations, public art, placemaking or placekeeping, community work, and teaching.
The initial submission of materials and artist applications deadline is Friday, May 31, 2024. From the submitted applications, only three finalists will be selected to submit project proposals. The Selection Committee will announce the artist/creative team for the Region 8 - Rugged and Unforgettable, Arts Across the Prairie project in early August 2024.
The goals of Arts Across the Prairie are to:
- Foster creative cross-county networking and regional collaboration
- Promote tourism for in- and out-of-state visitors
- Stimulate economic development and activity in rural areas of North Dakota
- Build stronger arts communities across the state
- Invest in North Dakota's creative sector with professional training and support to heighten visibility
- Bolster NDCA's role as a rural development partner
- Celebrate the cultural heritage of rural areas
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North Dakota Council on the Arts is the state agency responsible for the support and development of the arts throughout North Dakota and is funded by the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.