The 5th Avenue Theatre is accepting applications from 2D visual artists, who identify as Black/African Diaspora, to create an original piece of art that will be featured on set during our production of After Midnight, slated to open next year on August 5, 2025. Each selected artist will receive $3,000 for this project.
The featured art will be hand-painted on a 36” diameter cabaret table top and experienced up close and personal by select ticket holders in the audience. We would like the work to reflect the theme of the production: “Black Jubilee through Black Community”, as described by the Production Director and Senior Director of Artistic Programming, Jay Santos. The artwork should reflect the “slices of life” within the culture and community as it pertains to the setting of the show in Harlem, New York (ie: children playing double dutch, cooking with family in the kitchen, saxophone player tending to their instrument, etc).
Process Overview:
Phased Approach:
There will be six phases for this project:
- Phase I: Submissions open
- Phase II: Selected Artists Notified of Status and Onboarding Scheduled
- Phase III: Design proposal Submitted by Selected artists
- Phase IV: Final designs confirmed
- Phase V: Materials delivered to artists
- Phase VI: Final product picked up from artists
Timeline:
- September 9, 2024
Phase I: Call for Artists Opens - October 22, 2024
Deadline for Submissions - November 18-19, 2024
Phase II: Selected Artists Notified of Status and Onboarding Scheduled - January 22, 2024
Phase III: Deadline for Artist Designs - January 22 – February 22, 2025
Ongoing process of design reviews and communicating feedback - March 14, 2025
Phase IV: Artwork Finalized (final designs submitted to The 5th) - March 31, 2025
Phase V: Supplies delivered to Artists - May 9, 2025
Phase VI: Final Product due and picked up by the 5th
Project Budget:
Each selected artist will receive $3,000 for this project. The 5th Avenue Theatre will provide the construction of the table and retain the cost of all transportation and installation associated with this project. All costs associated with the concept, design, and development of artwork are the artist’s responsibility; The 5th will provide an additional reimbursement for the artist’s supplies up to $250.00.
PHASE I: Call for Artists Opens
Submission Requirements:
Artist must submit the following materials:
- Letter of Interest (300-500 words) or a video recording (1 minute max) sharing your interest that includes the following:
- A narrative of your design proposal and how it’s inspired by the theme of Black culture and community. If selected, tell us what you would paint on the table. Design images are not required at this phase of the project.
- Personal history of public art commission, and ability to manage project budgets/timeline and execute the art being requested.
- CV or Resume
- Portfolio: Up to 6-10 images showing body of work (artists are encouraged to include images that reflect their ability to create similar art that’s stated in their design proposal narrative)
The selection panel may contact you with questions to help in their determination.
Eligibility:
Artist must identify as a member of the Black/African Diaspora
Must be either a King County, Pierce County, or Snohomish County resident in the state of Washington
Additional Opportunities:
Artists and a guest of their choosing will be invited to attend in-person events including but not limited to press opening night of the production on August 8, 2025 and Community Day events on August 21, 2025.Participation or attendance is not required.
To submit:
All submissions must be in one combined PDF file format.
Portfolio images included in the PDF file and submitted as downloadable email attachments, Google drive folder link, or Dropbox link
Subject Line: After Midnight: Art Submission + Your Name
Send submissions to: communityprograms@5thavenue.org. If you are sharing a Google drive or Dropbox link, please add communityprograms@5thavenue.org to your folder settings as an approved “viewer.”
Selection Process Criteria:
The 5th and any selection panels engaged in this project, will use the following criteria when considering acquisition:
Artistic merit, concept, design, craftsmanship
Context: historical, cultural, geographical
Diversity: work of art from artists of diverse cultural, geographical, gender backgrounds and disabled/neurodivergent members of the community
Feasibility: artist’s ability to complete the work of art on time and within budget
Originality
These artists will be invited to paint one cabaret table each for the After Midnight production. The final design of each table will be decided in collaboration with the artist and The 5th Avenue Theatre Production Team in Phase II.
About the Selection Panel:
The selection panel will review all submissions and select six final artist/artist team proposals based on the criteria outlined above in the submission requirements.
To ensure that the artist selected are chosen via an equitable lens the selection committee is compiled of the following:
Panelists:
- One unaffiliated professional artist or arts professional
- A member(s) of the Creative Team, creators of the production
- One Staff Member of The 5th
- One member of the local Black community, born and raised in Seattle, with a history of arts project management
PHASE II: Artists Selection, Design Drafts, & Onboarding
Each of the artists are required to attend a virtual informational Q&A with After Midnight creative team members, including Carey Wong, Scenic Designer, as they deliver a presentation about the vision of the show and the inspiration behind the art pieces. This is the opportunity for the artists to ask any questions they may have for the project and their individual design concepts. Artists will also receive access to the After Midnight script for any of their research or inspiration purposes.
Artists will then submit a mock up version of their artwork for the production team to review.
PHASE III: Proposal Submissions
Jan 22, 2025: Deadline for design proposal submission
Jan 22 – Feb 22, 2025: Feedback to artists on proposals
March 14, 2025: Design finalized
Once final design is approved, the artists will:
Enter a contract with The 5th Avenue Theatre to execute and complete the work of art within the timeline previously expressed.
Maintain consistent and clear communication with The 5th Avenue Theatre’s team for this project
Attend at least one of the public celebration events commemorating After Midnight and their selected artwork.
PHASE IV: Materials Delivered to Artists
By March 31, 2025, the table tops will be delivered to the artists to begin painting.
The 5th Avenue Theatre team will provide:
Painting surface: (36” diameter) circle cabaret table top (base legs will not be attached at this time)
Transportation of table top to and from artists’ studios, unless otherwise requested by the artists
Varnish/sealant on painted table top
Installation of completed table top for final production
The artists will:
Design the draft/mock-up for table top
Paint table top surface using water-based paint resulting in a smooth and even finish (i.e. acrylic paints, spray paint, no 3D art or collage)
Collaborate with The 5th’s Communications Team to highlight their work and public feature, which includes opportunities to attend press opening night on August 8, 2025, and community day events on August 21, 2025
PHASE V: Final Project Due
May 9, 2025: Final painting complete and picked up
The completed table top is due by May 9, 2025. Artists will contact The 5th Avenue Theatre team to schedule a pick time, location, and date. Artists will maintain copyright ownership of their completed works. The 5th Avenue Theatre does anticipate future use of artwork in the following ways:
A reproduction of table top design as a thank you gift for 4-8 individual production supporting donors
Potential donation of tables to local community organization post-production
Artists will be provided with a digital scan of their work to use in future portfolios.
The 5th Avenue Theatre will be the owner of the final table product and will retain rights to use the design and images for 3 years following the closing performance of the After Midnight production. We anticipate reproductions for donors and other benefits; terms and stipulations of those uses will be determined and laid out in the contract. Commissioned artists will maintain intellectual property rights of their designs.