Call for Artists: Summer 2025 project in collaboration with Factory Obscura
CALL FOR ARTISTS: SUMMER 2025 PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH FACTORY OBSCURA
Request for Qualifications
Initial Deadline: December 27, 2024
Project Overview
Factory Obscura seeks proposals from artists, or teams of artists, for collaboration on a temporary, immersive art experience to be open to the public in Summer of 2025. The project will be installed in Factory Obscura’s East Bay project space, located in the same building as the permanent MIX-TAPE immersive art experience, at 25 NW 9th St in downtown Oklahoma City. MIX-TAPE has been named the #2 Most Interesting Immersive Art Experience by Newsweek Magazine, and hosts over 75,000 visitors each year.
The proposed project should:
Be fully immersive and interactive.
Include multiple artistic disciplines and media.
Spark wonder and joy in participants.
Be accessible to diverse audiences and abilities, and meet basic safety guidelines.
Be durable enough to withstand high traffic and interaction for up to 4 months.
Abide by Factory Obscura content guidelines: no political or religious content, no use of hate speech or derogatory language/imagery, and no depictions of violence or graphic sexual content.
The selected Artist, or Artist Team, will collaborate with Factory Obscura to finalize design elements, and assure the project is well suited to the space, environment, operations, and mission.
Budget & Financial Agreement
Selected Artist will receive a direct award of $10,000 to cover costs associated with the creation of the project. The artist may spend this award as needed, such as materials, supplies, equipment, and artist fees. Factory Obscura will directly fund the project operations, including but not limited to: operating staff, ticketing, marketing, and administration.
Artists will also receive a share of ticket sales, after all of Factory Obscura’s direct project costs have been covered. Project expenses and operational costs will be recovered by Factory Obscura through ticket sales, prior to calculating profit for ticket share with Artist. Artist will receive 40% of profit from ticket sales. In the event the project does not generate any profit, there will be no ticket share. Factory Obscura assumes all financial risk associated with artist awards and operations; in the event the project does not generate a profit, Artist is under no obligation to repay artist award.
Selected Artist will also have the opportunity to sell related artwork and merchandise in Factory Obscura’s Bonus Track shop during the duration of the project. Shop sales are under a separate agreement.
Selected Artist will also have the opportunity to work their experience as operating staff, earning an hourly wage, under a separate agreement. This is not a requirement.
SAMPLE FINANCIAL OUTLINE: These numbers are sample only, in order to demonstrate the financial partnership. Selected artist will receive monthly reports on income and expenses from Factory Obscura during the run of the project.
Additional Support
Factory Obscura will collaborate with selected Artist to finalize the project concept and logistics, through curatorial guidance and project management. Factory Obscura will also make available any on-site equipment or resources that would be helpful for the project, such as sound equipment, projectors, lighting, power tools, installation supplies, or other non-consumable materials. Factory Obscura staff artists will collaborate with selected Artist, providing expertise in fabrication, technology/electronics, immersive art design and materials, installation techniques, and more as needed.
Eligibility
The project is open to any artist, or team of artists, age 21 and over, living in Oklahoma. It is highly encouraged that applicants live in central Oklahoma, within one hour travel time of Factory Obscura, due to the necessary on-site nature of the work and potential need for ongoing maintenance throughout the duration of the experience. Individual artists may be part of more than one application, if applying as part of more than one team, or as both an individual and a team. It is acceptable for proposed projects to be a new presentation of an existing work, or a work already in progress.
Operations
Selected project will operate during all of Factory Obscura’s regular operating hours, typically open 6 days per week. Ticket price for the experience will average $10-$12 per person, and this will be finalized in collaboration with selected Artist. It is possible that the project can include certain dates with additional components, such as live performers, with a special ticket price. Factory Obscura will be responsible for all operations of the experience.
Timeline
November 27, 2024: Release RFQ
December 27, 2024: Deadline for RFQ applications
January 6, 2025: Up to 4 finalists selected to create full proposals. Finalists receive a stipend of $500.
Week of January 20, 2025: Site visit for finalists
February 7, 2025: Finalist proposal deadline
Week of February 17, 2025: Finalist presentations
February 28, 2025: Final Artist selected
Starting April 21, 2025: Space available for on-site work and install
May 24, 2025: Opening Day
September 29, 2025: Closing Day
September 30-October 11, 2025: Deinstallation
By October 15, 2025: Final financial reports and ticket share
The Space
The selected project will be installed in Factory Obscura’s East Bay project space, which is approximately 2,000 square feet, and can be divided as needed. Originally built in the 1930s as a Studebaker dealership, the space has a barrel ceiling that is 19.5’ at the peak, with beams at 14.5’. The space has hosted a number of temporary projects in the past, including Time Slip, Cosmic Callback, Seed Reef, and Doorways.
Images below are examples of past projects that have taken place in the same space.
How to Apply - Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Artists should express their interest in this project by submitting to the RFQ. Factory Obscura will select up to 4 finalists from the RFQ to move forward with a full project proposal.
Prepare and submit the following:
Current Resume. If submitting as a team, a current resume should be submitted for each team member.
15 images of the artist’s work. Artists submitting as part of a team may submit up to 10 images of each artist’s work. File names should include artist first and last name, and a number corresponding with the image list. Example: JaneSmith1.jpg
Image list. Image list should include artist’s name and a brief description of each image, including title, date, medium, size, location, collaborators, and any other relevant information.
References. Submit a list of up to 3 professional references with a knowledge of your work and working methods. Please include full name, email, phone number, and a brief description of your relationship.
Optional: Project Proposal Idea. Artists may include a brief description of the idea they plan to submit if selected as a finalist. It is not expected that this be a complete idea, and it is expected that these ideas will evolve through the proposal process. This is an opportunity for you to introduce the concepts and/or materials you’d like to work with, and overall experience you hope to create. If the idea you have in mind is a departure from your past work, or the examples submitted, this is where you can give reviewers a sense of the direction you might take for this project. Limit 1,500 characters.
Selection Process
Applications to the RFQ will be reviewed by Factory Obscura leadership, and up to four applicants will be selected to submit full proposals. These finalists will be invited for a site visit and conversation with Factory Obscura team to help refine their idea and proposal. After final proposals are submitted, finalists will be asked to make a presentation of their proposal to Factory Obscura leadership, including concept, materials, budget, project team, anticipated maintenance, and other project details. This presentation will include a collaborative conversation to further develop or refine the project idea. The finalists will be compensated $500 each for their participation in the proposal process.
Proposal Components
Selected finalists will be asked to submit the following as part of their proposal.
Project Team. Prepare a list of everyone involved in the project, including full name, website and/or social media links, and description of their role in the project.
Resumes. Submit current resumes for anyone on the team not included in the RFQ.
Proposal. Describe your project idea in as much detail as possible, including the overall concept and goals of the experience, materials and techniques, and how you expect participants to engage with the art. Note any considerations for accessibility, and any limitations on capacity, or the number of participants it can hold at one time. If this is a new presentation of an existing work, explain how this installation will be different. Include a description of any technical needs you anticipate, and how much space the project requires. Limit 7,500 characters.
Preliminary Budget. Include a cost estimate for all facets of the project, including artist fees, materials, fabrication, installation, travel expenses, insurance, etc. It is acceptable for project budgets to exceed the $10,000 award amount, and Factory Obscura will collaborate with selected Artist to reduce project costs through in-house expertise and resources.
Illustrations. Additional visual support material and/or illustrations to help communicate your project idea.
Additional Information
If you have any questions or need additional information, please email info@factoryobscura.com.
Disclaimer
Factory Obscura reserves the right to cancel or amend the plans outlined in this document. If proposals do not meet expected standards, it is possible that none will be selected.