Santa Monica Airport Artist Studios: Programming & Artist Relations Management

The City of Santa Monica Recreation and Arts Department is soliciting proposals through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to provide Arts Programming and Artist Tenant Relations Management services for the Santa Monica Airport Art Studios located at 3026 Airport Avenue. The procurement encompasses management of 34 artist studios (ranging from 200 to 925 square feet), gallery space, office space, restrooms, a communal kitchen, and approximately 45 parking spaces across four hangars housing 60 total art studios. Key deliverables and responsibilities include artist selection and tenant management, development of annual programming schedules, implementation of marketing strategies, coordination with other airport arts tenants, quarterly reporting, and biannual tenant surveys. The City seeks programming that strengthens the Airport's identity as a cultural campus through exhibitions, public events, artist talks, professional development workshops, temporary residencies, and open studios. Proposers must demonstrate a minimum of five years' experience working with artist populations, provide detailed cost proposals with hourly fee schedules including fringe benefits and indirect costs, and commit to maintaining a dedicated on-site staff person working 35 hours per week. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Value Add/Breadth of Service (20 points), Project Team (15 points), References (5 points), Experience (20 points), Demonstration of General Understanding of Project Goals (20 points), and Cost (20 points). The RFP was released on July 1, 2024, with questions due by July 15, 2024, and proposals due on August 12, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. The initial contract term is one year with four optional one-year renewal periods at the City's sole discretion.

There are no identified set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations that may respond to this procurement. The City of Santa Monica Living Wage Ordinance (Chapter 4.65) requires a minimum wage of $19.73 per hour for covered employees on contracts exceeding $54,200, and all proposers must comply with this requirement. Successful contractors must obtain a City of Santa Monica business license, provide proof of insurance meeting specified requirements (Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 per accident, and Workers' Compensation insurance), complete the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form, submit a Living Wage Certification, and execute the City's standard Professional Services Agreement. The maximum annual contract value is $250,000, which includes all programming costs and staffing expenses. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information was disclosed in the available documentation. The City reserves the right to reject all proposals, request best and final offers, and award to the most qualified proposer rather than the lowest cost bidder, with the successful vendor to be selected based on the weighted evaluation criteria outlined in the RFP.