SOW_Rachel_Carson_Bust_-_5_4_23.pdf

DOCUMENT NUMBER

140FS323Q0069

SCOPE OF WORK

Rachel Carson “Bust”

“Rachel Carson Bronze Bust at the Department of the Interior Building”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is commissioning a bust of former employee and environmental leader Rachel Carson (1907-1964). The Service seeks artist proposals for this project.

The bust will be located in the USFWS Director’s Corridor of the main Department of the Interior Building in Washington, DC, and will serve as a symbol of Carson's unwavering commitment to protect our planet for future generations. The bust would inspire employees and visitors to reflect Carson's dedication to the environment and the natural world. Presently, the Department of the Interior Building has an extraordinary collection of historic murals and a museum.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is a federal agency within the Department of the Interior that is responsible for protecting, conserving, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the benefit of current and future generations. It carries out its mission by enforcing federal wildlife laws, managing, and restoring wildlife habitats, providing technical assistance to states and tribes and conducting and supporting scientific research. USFWS also plays a role in mitigating the impacts of human activities, such as energy development and agriculture, on wildlife and habitat, and works to restore and recover endangered and threatened species.

Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist who is widely credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement. She is one of the most prominent former employees of USFWS. She joined the agency in 1936 and rose in 1949 to be the chief editor of publications, authoring and editing several important agency publications, including the Conservation in Action Series. After some very successful books written in her free time, Carson left the USFWS in 1952 to devote all of her time to writing.

Her book Silent Spring, published in 1962 is seen as a landmark text in American Environmental History, and is said by many historians to be the spark that ignited the popular American Environmental Movement. Silent Spring, brought attention to the dangers of pesticides and their impact on the environment, including birds and other wildlife. This landmark work helped to galvanize public opinion and spark widespread public concern about the environment. The book ultimately led to the ban of DDT and other harmful pesticides and helped to lay the foundation for the modern environmental movement. Carson's legacy continues to inspire people around the world to take action to protect the environment and preserve the planet for future generations.

Requirements:

Materials: Bronze Size: Bust (upper part of human figure) Style: Realistic preferred

Selection Process:

Phase 1 Artists are invited to submit a conceptual proposal for a bust to commemorate the life and legacy of Rachel Carson, a pioneering environmentalist and champion of nature.

The proposal should include:

• Description of the artist's concept and approach to the bust;

• Sketches or renderings of the proposed bust;

• Project budget; and

• Qualifications and examples of past work, including up to eight digital images.

The top two proposals will be selected by a panel of senior USFWS officials and announced in sixty days.

Phase 2:

Two finalists will be awarded a $2,500 honoraria to develop a comprehensive proposal that includes:

• Statement(s) on the intent.

• Maquette at a scale to be determined.

• Material.

• Characteristics.

• Scale.

• Care and maintenance;

• Artist’s connection to the subject matter including why this project would be meaningful to them; and

• Proposed budget that would detail:

o Design and fabrication costs;

o Artist fees;

o Shipping costs; and o Insurance costs.

Phase 3:

The competition will result in an award to a selected artist. The government will retain rights to the bust for future duplication. The selected artist will be announced, and events will be planned that revolve around the project and installation.

Selection Committee

A committee made up of a team of senior FWS officials, working with contracting staff will review submissions and select two finalists.

The same committee will make the selection for final award.

Award will be made to the artist whose proposal the committee determines best commemorates the life and legacy of Rachel Carson and not necessarily the lowest priced proposal.