Request for Qualifications (RFQ) – Exhibit Design, Fabrication & Installation

Please submit RFQ using this Google Form.

Scope of Work:
The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center (YBMLC) is seeking an artist(s) to create an interactive exhibit addressing the physics of baseball to be sited indoors within the Museum’s 800-square foot atrium. The primary audience for the exhibit will be children ages 7 and older and their families, school groups, youth development organizations and sports enthusiasts in general.

Visitors will be able to interact with exhibit content through experiential learning and possible gamification to better understand scientific concepts that might include velocity, trajectory, gravity, mass, force and aerodynamics.

A successful project will incorporate state-of-the-art technologies donated by Stalker Radar (http://www.stalkerradar.com), the project sponsor, to engage visitors in an immersive experience. Stalker is the country’s largest manufacturer of speed radar, leading the industry in technology breakthroughs and product innovations including pioneering the use of digital signal processing (DSP) with Doppler speed radar, digital antenna communication, microstrip antenna design, double balanced mixers, and most recently, digital direction sensing Doppler radar.
Stalker Pro II Radar Manual
Stalker Radar Sport 2 Manual
Stalker Radar Pro II Speed Sensor Manual

Artist(s) will have access to Stalker Radar technology in the form of hand-held Sport Radar (Stalker Pro II, Stalker Sport 2) and/or speed sensor technology (Stalker Pro II speed sensor). In addition, Stalker will provide setup and testing software and reasonable engineering support to expedite interfacing with donated hardware.

NOTE: Project must be designed for installation on a semi-permanent basis, with capacity for dismantling and reassembly by Museum staff in the event that alternate use of the space is required. Comprehensive documentation of assembly and disassembly is of critical importance.

High marks will be given to concepts that consider durability, safety, and ease of maintenance and repair. Preference will be given to works developed with open-source code libraries (e.g. openFrameworks, Cinder, Processing, etc.)

In addition to the atrium site, two closed glass cases (6ft. tall, 4ft. wide, 2ft. deep) are available for content within a secondary exhibition space.

All intellectual property is to be retained by the artist, but the artist grants perpetual non-exclusive, royalty-free agreement (NERF) to YBMLC to use the work in perpetuity.

Approximate Project Budget:
$15,000 artist fee for design, fabrication and installation
$15,000 for hardware and materials in addition to Stalker Radar’s in-kind donation
Up to $1000 reimbursement for travel/site visit(s)

Schedule for payment:
– 25% upon contract signing
– 25% on completion of Phase 1
– 40% on completion of install and delivery of project code
– 10% on delivery of documentation, schematics and maintenance instructions

Projected Time Frame:
– December 1, 2017: RFQ due date
– December 15, 2017: Artist notification date
– March 1, 2017: Phase 1 deadline (Project proposal following site visit, discussions with YBMLC/Stalker Radar, etc.)
– May 1, 2018: Final deadline for installation, delivery of project code
– May 15, 2018: Deadline for documentation, schematics, maintenance instructions

Project will open to the public no later than May 15, 2018, unless a later completion date is negotiated with YBMLC.

Submissions:
Artists will submit
– 2 ideas for potential proposals, comprised of one-paragraph description and one-image illustration for each
– Portfolio of 3 interactive projects completed by artist for comparable museum or exhibition space

Selected artist must demonstrate:
– Experience designing exhibits for small museum/space
– Proven ability to operate within a tightly-defined budget
– Proven ability to establish collaborative relationships with vendors and subcontractors engaged by YBMLC, including but not limited to graphic designers, fabricators and lighting technicians
– Expertise necessary to work with Stalker Radar donated technologies
– Accessibility to answer questions related to exhibit conception, fabrication and installation

Additional Requests:
– Artists resumé
– Link to artist web site

Selection:
A screening committee including expert new media artists, YBMLC’s Executive Director and Education Coordinator, a representative of Stalker Radar and a professional baseball coach will review and rank submitted concepts. The highest ranked submissions will be asked to interview with persons appointed by YBMLC, including the Museum’s Executive Director and a jury of expert new media artists.

This request for qualifications does not commit YBMLC to award a contract or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of submissions. YBMLC reserves the right to extend the due date for submissions, to accept or reject any or all submissions received as a result of this request, to negotiate with any qualified consultant, or to cancel the RFQ in part or in its entirety.

Responses must be received by December 1, 2017.

About The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center:
The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is a nonprofit sports education organization on the campus of Montclair State University. Its mission is to preserve and promote the values of perseverance, respect, sportsmanship and excellence through inclusive, culturally diverse, sports-based educational exhibits and programs.

For further information, visit the Museum’s website at yogiberramuseum.org or call 973.655.6688.