The Kali Baker Memorial Call for Public Art is open to Omaha-area artists working to express community care, curiosity, resilience, and joy in sculpture and other three-dimensional mediums. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is the first phase in selecting an artist who will be awarded a project budget of up to $40,000 to create a new public artwork in memory of Kali Baker, an arts advocate, community builder, and beloved friend and family member who died in 2020 due to complications from breast cancer.
Approximately five artists will be invited to submit proposals through the RFQ process. Artists invited to submit a proposal will be given material specifications, site specifications, and a $300 honorarium for their time to create concept drawings or sketches and a preliminary budget for the work they envision. Proposals will then be reviewed and interviews with members of Kali’s family, representatives from the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department, and Amplify staff will be scheduled if more information is needed. One proposal will be selected after interviews and awarded a project budget of up to $40,000 to realize a new permanent public artwork in Omaha’s Memorial Park or the surrounding areas.
Applications are Open November 12th - January 12th!
Before you start your application:
Click here to download a PDF copy of the full application in English.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the full application in Spanish.
Keep scrolling for more details eligibility, timeline, and the selection process.
Email info@amplifyarts.org anytime with questions.
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The Kali Baker Memorial Call for Public Art is open to Omaha-area artists working in sculpture and other three-dimensional mediums like installation, land art, architecture, etc. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is the first phase in selecting an artist to create a new public artwork in memory of Kali Baker. Applicants whose work investigates concepts of community care, curiosity, resilience, and joy are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications are open November 12th, 2024 - January 12th, 2025.
Approximately five artists will be invited to submit proposals through the RFQ process. Artists invited to submit a proposal will be given material specifications, site specifications, and a $300 honorarium for their time to create concept drawings or sketches, a preliminary budget, and timeline for the work they envision. Proposals will then be reviewed and interviews with the members of Kali’s family, representatives from the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department, and Amplify staff will be scheduled if more information is needed. One proposal will be selected after interviews and awarded up to a $40,000 project budget to realize a new permanent public artwork in Omaha’s Memorial Park or the surrounding areas.
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Any artist, artist collective, or collaborative group maintaining a residence within the Omaha/Council Bluffs Metro Areas including Washington, Douglas, Cass, Sarpy, and Saunders counties in Nebraska, and Pottawattamie, Mills, and Harrison counties in Iowa is eligible to apply.
Applicants must be at least 19 years old.
A formal education is not required to apply.
For collaborative groups
Submissions from artist collectives and collaborative groups are welcome. Collectives and collaborative groups are eligible if:
At least one member of the group meets the eligibility requirements outlined above.
The group is not incorporated into a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Members of the group are committed to working on a deeply collaborative level to advance the goals of the group, rather than those of the individuals within the group.
Collaborative groups should submit as a group and discuss the nature and duration of the collaboration in their Artist Statement.
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Applicants will be asked to submit:
An Artist Statement that describes how community care, curiosity, resilience, and joy–all qualities Kali embodied–show up in their work.
A Work Sample that includes examples of recent and past work. Please do not include sketches, mock-ups, and/or renderings of proposed work .
A Works Cited page that offers more information about individual works in the Work Sample.
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For this RFQ, applications will be reviewed in a three-phase review process:
Amplify Arts staff will review to ensure applicants meet eligibility requirements and have submitted a complete application.
All eligible applications will be reviewed and scored by members of Kali’s family, arts professionals, and community partners.
Panel members will invite approximately 5 artists to submit proposals.
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
The Artist Statement enhances an understanding of the artist’s practice and their work’s relationship to concepts of community care, curiosity, resilience, and joy.
The Work Sample illustrates a history of three dimensional and sculptural work that inspires confidence in the artist’s ability to realize a new public artwork.
Artists invited to submit a proposal through this RFQ will be given material specifications, site specifications, and a $300 honorarium for their time to create a narrative proposal, budget, timeline, and concept drawings or sketches of the work they envision. Proposals will then be reviewed and interviews with the members of Kali’s family, representatives from the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department, and Amplify staff will be scheduled if more information is needed. One proposal will be selected after interviews and awarded up to a $40,000 project budget to realize a new permanent public artwork in Omaha’s Memorial Park or the surrounding areas.
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November 12th: Application Opens
November 15th; 11am - 1pm: Application Office Hours
December 5th; 6pm - 8pm: Application Office Hours
January 12th; 11:59pm: Application Closes
January 12th - February 20th: Application Review
February 21st: Application Status Updates Delivered
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This application is available
Please email info@amplifyarts.org if you need:
Help navigating Submittable, the application submission software.
Access to a reliable wireless connection.
About Kali Baker:
Kali Lynn Baker was born in Wakefield, NE, where she excelled in athletics and academics and was awarded a Regents Scholarship to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; she went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.
Kali began her career in Omaha in the marketing departments at Borsheims and Kiewit before ultimately taking her talents to the Omaha Community Foundation, where she served first as Director of Communications and then as Vice President of Community Investment until her passing. It was at the foundation that she was able to channel her devotion to community into a career.
Kali's love of community and caring for others defined her life. She had an immeasurable impact as a mentor, friend, and leader to countless individuals through both her professional and personal endeavors.
About Amplify Arts
Amplify Arts provides resources for artists, organizers, and cultural workers to incubate liberatory ideas that move our community forward.