Overlooking the Hudson River about 60 miles north of New York City, Newburgh is home to the second-largest historic district in New York State. In just four square miles, the city boasts 2,400 historic buildings. However, despite its historical significance, as of 2015 the city had a significant inventory of vacant properties, many of which are building shells. Building shells are defined as structures lacking roofs and floor plates. These buildings negatively impact the quality of life and safety of residents and decrease the city’s tax base, creating challenges for rehabilitation efforts and ongoing maintenance. Like other post-industrial cities, the concentration of these buildings overlaps with the city’s lowest-income level making it even more difficult to recover.
In response, Building Shells: Building Community, a preservation and design project, has developed public programs to draw attention to this building typology. Past initiatives have successfully worked with the municipality and community members to promote “building literacy” and document the social history of the buildings. Initiatives include field research, a community toolkit, and architectural walking tours.
Now, together with artists, the project team seeks to pilot how art and design can harness existing building shells to galvanize residents' interest and participation in the field of preservation. The open call seeks to empower the work of artists, designers, architects, and technologists to positively impact the community.
Building Shells: Building Community is a project of Naomi Hersson-Ringskog and Liz McEnaney who are board members of The Fullerton. With varied experience in presenting art in alternative spaces, Naomi was co-founder of No Longer Empty in NYC and Dept of Small Interventions and Liz was Executive Director of the SS Columbia Project. The multi-part project has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
The Open Call
This open call seeks proposals for a site-specific commission for a building shell located at 15 S. Johnston Street in Newburgh NY. Applicants are encouraged to think about the building shell typology and its preservation challenges in Newburgh. One artist (or collective) will be selected to receive $10,000, inclusive of artist fee, to implement its proposal. The team will work with the selected artist during the planning stage to give practical advice and guidance about working with historic structures and to make introductions to any local partners, if appropriate. The date and duration of the work will be proposed by the artist and confirmed in coordination with the team and the City of Newburgh. The commission should be completed by Spring 2023.
Challenges
Building shells are physically fragile buildings. Designs should focus on areas of the building as outlined in the specification sheet here for 15 South Johnston Street. Specification sheet includes photos, information about the stability of the structure, and the building history. All potential applicants should review this document carefully. Physical entry inside the site is forbidden. Applicants can do physical or programmatic design proposals. Applicants can also propose designs in public space such as the adjacent lot, sidewalk, or street. All projects will need to be approved by the City of Newburgh’s Architectural Review Commission and/or the City of Newburgh. Project Managers will facilitate the government protocol and permitting process, with coordination from the artist(s).
Evaluation Criteria
Creativity: Projects will demonstrate clear alignment with the goals of the Building Shells: Building Communities project, which focuses on local engagement with historic preservation.
Appropriateness to Site: Building shells are fragile, yet important historical structures to preserve. Projects should take this into account when proposing specific designs.
Project Feasibility: Projects should have clearly defined activities and the applicant must demonstrate the ability to successfully complete the project considering the site conditions.
Audience and Accessibility: Projects should take into account the current demographics of Newburgh, and the artwork should aim to be accessed by a broad and diverse community. Designs must be ADA accessible and should be planned with inclusion as the goal.
How to Apply
Eligible artists are invited to apply via HERE by Monday, July 11 at 11:59 pm ET. A complete application will include:
Project Overview: A written project proposal including project activities, intended audience, and proposed timeline including project installation and duration. (Commissions must be completed by Spring 2023). 600 words
Project Artist (or Collective): A short bio and artist statement on previous work and themes explored. Include website links, if appropriate. 250 words
Project Context: A statement about how the project connects to issues or themes explored in Building Shells: Building Community and how it promotes opportunities for learning and/or civic action. 400 words
Project Audience and Accessibility: Describe the project’s intended audience and how this project will be made accessible to the audience. 200 words
Project Budget, uploaded as a PDF file: A proposed itemized budget up to $10,000, inclusive of artist(s) fee. Artists are asked to submit a budget as part of the application that includes a minimum of 10% reserved for the artist fee. We understand that artist fees will have a range within the total budget due to several factors including, but not limited to, the number of collaborators or participants and the type of project.
Supporting Materials, uploaded as a single, combined PDF file of no more than 30 MB: Up to 3 pages of sample images of the proposed project, and up to 3 additional pages of visuals documenting previous related project(s). 1-page résumé or CV per artist or collective member.
Eligibility
We are excited to consider a range of creative interventions including, but not limited to architectural intervention, sculptural installations, textile art, nature-based art, technology, murals, projected images or light-based installations, performances, sound installations, time-based media, and other socially engaged, participatory projects.
Artists of all backgrounds and disciplines are eligible to apply. Applicants should be located within reasonable proximity to Newburgh, NY, as the selected applicant will be required to make multiple site visits and be available for the installation period and public opening.
The Building Shells project team aims to reach an applicant pool that represents the deep cultural, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic diversity of the City of Newburgh. Artists of all ages, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and disability statuses are welcome and encouraged to apply.
Important Dates
Friday, June 17 at 3pm: Info Session & Walking Tour of Site and Neighborhood. Monday June 27 at 6pm: Info session on Zoom RSVP to BuildingShells@gmail.com
Monday, July 11: Deadline for Proposals
Mid-July: Selected artists notified and scheduling of site visits to Newburgh
Fall 2022-Spring 2023: Project Launch TBD
Selection Jury
John Harper. Independent Living representative
Gita Nandan. Thread Collective / ADS Warehouse
Gabrielle Watson. Artist / Awesome Newburgh Foundation
Jeff Wilkinson. Architect
Questions?
Questions can be emailed to BuildingShells@gmail.com and will be collected and answered at the info session and made available here.
Q: Who will own the work after it is produced?
A: Artists will own their work.
Q: Can I paint a mural on the building?
A: All installations must be completely removable and leave no trace on the historic building once the installation is over. So, if you are proposing a mural, the paint could not be applied to the brick masonry; it could only be applied to the plywood window and garage coverings.
Q: I am considering proposing a light installation which would require a reliable and constant access to power.
A: Yes, there will be access to electricity.
Q: Is there access to the interior of the building?
A: No, due to the fragility of the building shell, there is no access to the interior spaces.
Travel Information
Newburgh can be accessed by the Metro-North Train Hudson Line and buses from Port Authority from New York City. Once at the Beacon train station, a ten-minute Newburgh-Beacon shuttle ($1) will drop you off at Broadway. For more information, please visit https://www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov/458/Transportation
Accessibility
Federally funded projects must be accessible to people with disabilities. This project requires applicants to consider physical and programmatic accessibility as an integral part of each project. All designs should be visible from the street.
Funders
The Building Shells: Building Community open call for site-specific installations is made possible with support from The National Endowment for the Arts and the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. The Building Shells: Building Community toolkit was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
General Resources
City of Newburgh Official Website
Newburgh Planning Department, Studies and Initiatives
Newburgh Arts and Culture Commission
City Historian Newburgh Heritage Collection, Urban Archive, and Newburgh Free Library Resources
Newburgh East End Historic District
Newburgh Arts and Culture Study and Public Art Inventory
Local Newspapers: Mid Hudson Times, Times Herald Record, Hudson Valley Press and Chronogram.
Additional resources may be available on the Fullerton’s website at www.thefullerton.org