Flight 2015, Susan Milne and Greg Stonehouse, Wagga Wagga Airport. Photo credit Heidrun Löhr.
Writing the application for any job can be a daunting process. What should be on your resume? How much of a portfolio should you include? Whom can you use as a referee?
But responding to an EOI for a public art commission doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are seven ways you can make your application competitive, thanks to advice from City of Wagga Wagga Cultural Officer Tracie Miller.
With many new works recently installed across the local government area and two public art opportunities now open for Expressions of Interest, Miller knows what artists need to include to catch the eye of assessors.
Design your resume
Never underestimate how important the layout of your Resume is. ‘The ones that stand out have been the ones who collated all the information together and laid it out in creative ways,’ said Miller.
Aesthetics matter even at this stage. You’re an artist, after all, so why not show them from the start?
Introduce yourself properly
For the two public art opportunities available through Wagga Wagga City Council the EOI process doesn’t ask for a design concept.
‘Our process means we receive Expressions of Interest first from interested artists. The City’s Public Art Advisory Panel meet to find out who is going to be a good fit and shortlists from here through a competitive process. In this call for EOIs we are not asking for designs at all. That’s not best practice. We will pay $1000 design fee to each of the three shortlisted artists to design concepts.’
Instead of coming up with a design, applicants really need to demonstrate their experience and what motivates their approach. But one thing applicants often forget is that assessment panel members probably don’t know who the applicant is, said Miller.
‘They seem to assume a lot. They assume we know the background of where they come from. They don’t go into the details.’
But the particulars of your career and creative practice are very important. So do yourself a favour and describe each of these. In detail.
Make yourself easy to contact
Another important thing to be mindful of is where your contact details appear. A good idea is to add them to every page to be sure the panel knows how to reach you.
‘People forget to do simple things, like put their email and phone numbers on their application. It’s quite amazing how many people forget to do this,’ said Miller.
Provide examples of what you have achieved
One of the most important parts of your response to the EOI is showing the people who read it what experience you have. In accordance with best industry practice, applications at the EOI stage aren’t being judged on the design they have in mind. Instead artists need to demonstrate how their practice fits with the aims of the brief overall.
To do this you can outline your recent experience in relation to the assessment criteria.
For example, the two public art commissions currently up for grabs through Wagga Wagga City Council call for evidence of the artist’s genre, originality and inventiveness, and the artist’s ability to consult with community. To fill in these details you can ask yourself straightforward questions like ‘How did my last commission show originality?’ ‘What skills did I use to complete it?’
Don’t forget to provide some examples of how you worked with the community to complete the project. Was there consultation involved? How did feedback from locals help you finalise the design concept?
One document to rule them all
Instead of attaching multiple files to an email, collate them into document, making reading your application easier for assessors.
This is specified in the Wagga Wagga City Council call for Expressions of Interest from artists for sculptural artworks, and this is a good rule of thumb for every application you submit.
‘People attach everything separately and that’s how things get lost,’ explained Miller.
Give your referee notice
One of the biggest mistakes Miller sees artists make all the time is they forget to notify the referee they nominate.
‘Artists should give referees a heads up about what they are applying for. Otherwise when we call up they don’t know what it is about.’
Images are important
Every part of your reply to the Expression of Interest should show how you fit with the aims of the brief. To illustrate this good images are critical. Yet it’s amazing how many artists don’t provide good images of their work, said Miller.
‘Documentation of previous commissions is so important. That can really help applicants get their next job.’
Wagga Wagga City Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from artists for two sculptural artworks with a budget of $25,000 exc. GST each.
To apply visit http://www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/city-of-wagga-wagga/community/cultural-development/public-art-opportunities
Applications close 3pm Tuesday 21 June 2016
