This is a fantastic opportunity for building – literally – a link between farms and art.

From Wormfarm Institute, Reedsburg, WI:

Call for Proposals:
Opportunity for Artists, Artisans, and Builders

The Roadside Culture Stand tangibly unites art and farming – reminding us that culture surrounds our food and food imbues our culture. This project is open to artists, architects, mechanics, farmers, visionaries and handy folk throughout the upper Midwest.

Project overview:
Roadside Culture Stands are artist-designed and built mobile farm stands that will be used to display and sell fresh local produce as well as the work of local artists (where allowed).  Each will be built on a 5×10 foot steel flatbed trailer (provided) and should be visually compelling when in use as well as when closed. Each stand will incorporate an informational display component (kiosk, signage, etc.) that will highlight area food and cultural offerings (restaurants, galleries, bookstores, etc.). Each Culture Stand will have a home base but may also travel to local festivals, county fairs etc. Culture stands will be in use during a Wisconsin growing season (mid June – mid October), will be stored for the winter and be in use for at least 5 years. There will be both rural and urban stands with separate juries who will consider the following:
· Artistic excellence
· Feasibility
· Context
· Innovation
· Spirit of community collaboration

The proposed sites for 2010 are in southern Wisconsin: rural Sauk County, rural Iowa County, rural Dane County and inner city Milwaukee. All stands will remain the property of Wormfarm Institute, a non profit 501(c) 3 organization that works to
re-integrate culture and agriculture.

When in use:

• Rural Culture  Stands will be located within scenic working lands to reinforce the message to Eat  the View – a concept that makes the point: if you want to preserve those  views, then eat from the food chain that created them
• Urban Culture  Stands will be located within an inner city Food Desert – defined as  an area with little or no access to fresh, healthy food, but often  served by plenty of processed food or fast  food restaurants
  

Project timeline:

• Application deadline: Dec 31,  2009
• Notification of finalists: January 18,  2010
• Trailers available: February 15,  2010
• Target completion date:  May 31,  2010
  

Project Budget:
$3,500. This is expected to cover all design, fabrication expenses and artists fee for each stand with the exception of flatbed trailer that will be provided.

Submission must include:

• One page cover letter including: contact information;  preference for rural or urban stand. Address why this project interests you  *note- if applying as a team, list all team members and designate one as  lead applicant.
• At least two drawings of proposed Culture Stand design, including one view of stand closed and empty of produce, and one view  of stand open for business. The words “Home Grown” should be featured  prominently
• A statement, not to exceed one page, describing  Culture Stand and its function in detail.
• Current resume, not to exceed 2 pages with 3  professional references who can address your capacity to realize such a  project.
• Up to 10 images of past work. Preferred format CD or  DVD.  Each image must be jpg not  to exceed 1MB. Your name must be on CD. High quality photos or slides are also acceptable.  Images must be sent through regular  mail and will be returned only with self-addressed stamped mailer. IMAGES MUST  NOT BE E-MAILED
  

Note: your past work should communicate:

• • Artistic excellence
  • Evidence of technical capacity (work may be that of a  builder partner)
  • An interest in the intersection of culture and  agriculture
    

Submissions must be received by December 31 2009 and mailed to:
Selection Committee
Wormfarm Institute
E7904 Briar Bluff Rd
Reedsburg WI 53959

Things to consider

• Roadworthiness – pulled by pick-up  truck
• Ease of set up (1 person)
• Vegetables like shade
• Grower/seller-people like  shade
• Weather – rain, wind, heat
• Looks great open – Abundance – pile it high – watch it  fly
• Looks great closed and  empty
• Visible at night (rural  especially)
• Durable, low maintenance materials (recycled  encouraged)
• Interior appearance and  function
• Security (especially  urban)
• Info area accessible whether open or  closed
  

Selected artists

• Will be asked to do more formal measured drawings or  scale model – initial design submissions may be more  ‘conceptual’
• 5×10 foot flatbed trailer will be delivered to selected  artists within a 150 mile radius of Reedsburg (50 miles north of Madison).  Those selected who live farther are responsible for picking up  trailer.
  

Questions?
Email Donna Neuwirth, project director Wormfarm Institute
wormfarm@jvlnet.com

If you liked it, share it! 

This entry was posted on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 2:46 pm and is filed under Art, Farming, Good food, Urban Farming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.