FORTLANDIA An Outdoor Exhibit at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center October 2018 - February 2019
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FORTLANDIA
An Outdoor Exhibit at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
October 2018 – February 2019
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin seeks
proposals from creative individuals, groups, firms and students to design, construct and
display forts as part of an exciting temporary outdoor exhibit called Fortlandia. The forts
should inspire the appreciation of our natural environment through their innovative and
sustainable designs, materials and construction while evoking memories of childhoods spent
escaping into nature to build forts and play with friends.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the state botanic garden and arboretum of
Texas dedicated to inspiring the conservation of native plants. Founded by Lady Bird
Johnson and Helen Hayes in 1982, the Center is one of the leading voices for native plants
and sustainable landscapes in the country. It welcomes more than 140,000 visitors per year
and has approximately 11,500 members. Its 16-acre Mollie Steves Zachry Texas Arboretum
opened in 2012 and features collections of trees from across the state as well as savanna
meadow landscapes, trails, picnic areas and swings.
Exhibition Description
In October 2018, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will unveil a new temporary
outdoor exhibit in its Arboretum inspired by memories of childhoods spent outside building
forts. Many children grow up exploring the outdoors and using their sense of imagination to
build forts of all kinds and using purchased and found materials. This outdoor exhibit seeks
to tap into those memories and bring to life forts of all kinds.
Designers, artists and firms will be selected through a competitive process to exhibit one of
up to ten forts in one of ten predetermined locations (see map on page 7) within the
Arboretum. The forts, together with interpretive materials, will form an interactive outdoor
exhibit in celebration of the imagination children have and inspiration they find in nature to
build and play in forts.
1Winning designs will offer an inspiring take on the theme of children and nature that
gracefully integrates into the Center’s landscape. We encourage designers to consider the
use of sustainable products, recycled materials, and plants to fabricate their structures to
ensure that the project has minimal impact on the environment, and will offer additional
interpretive and educational opportunities related to resource conservation.
Key Exhibition Messages
• To create emotional souvenirs through the interaction with forts created with natural
materials and inspired by childhood memories.
• To inspire current children and their families to explore their environment.
• To highlight innovative designs and materials and how they relate to the landscape.
• To create nostalgia for childhood time spent exploring and building forts.
Objectives
• To inspire the conservation of native plants.
• To engage sense of adventure and imagination using forts as a special place to
celebrate plants, insects and nature.
• To increase awareness and understanding of public art, architecture and design.
• To educate the public about art, design and its integration with nature.
• To compliment the landscape of the Texas Arboretum through the design and building
of forts.
• To create and promote partnerships between and participation from the School of
Architecture, AIA, and art/design & cultural organizations.
• To provide a showcase for local, regional and national designers, groups, or firms.
Stipend, Awards, Sales and Recognition
Selected designers/groups will receive a $7,000 stipend for exhibiting their work for the
duration of the show. A third (34%) of the stipend is awarded upon signing the Exhibitor
Agreement, a third (33%) is provided on July 1st, and the remainder (33%) after installation
is satisfactorily completed. All structures must remain in the exhibit through February 2018.
The Wildflower Center will hold voting for a People’s Choice Award during the first week of
the exhibit. The name of each designer/group will be listed in printed exhibit-related
materials, on exhibition panels and in press releases. All designers/groups will be provided
five free passes to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center during the exhibition.
Selection Process & Criteria
Fortlandia is coordinated by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. To ensure the highest
quality exhibition, designs will be chosen by a panel of jurors which includes representatives
from the Wildflower Center, UT School of Architecture, and other designers and
representatives from local organizations. Chosen designers/groups will then work closely
with Wildflower Center staff during the construction/installation and removal processes.
2Please consider the following criteria for the design:
• Incorporation of native plants, native plant themes or use of invasive plants
• Creativity, imagination, environmentally friendly
• Site-specific integration
• Durability of structure for weather and heavy use by children and adults
• Creative use of materials
• Connection to themes of childhood and nature
• Engaging for the entire family
• Range of accessibility for all guests (ADA accessibility desired)
• Sensitivity to public safety of all guests
Qualified designers/groups must have:
• Experience designing/constructing functional structures to serve a family audience
• Interest in working as part of a creative team that will include Wildflower Center staff
Each submitted design requires the following:
• Please keep identifying information (firm/individual names, logos, etc.) out of all
designs and supporting descriptive materials. This information should only be
provided on the Application Form, so as to not be visible to the jury panel during
design selection.
• A narrative of the design concept.
• Design in the form of digital rendering, schematic, architectural drawing, or other
images with plan view showing scale. 3D models and other graphic representations
are welcome but not required.
• Include the estimated budget for the fort and a general statement of materials to be
used.
• Identify which location number you are designing for and whether the design is
flexible for other locations. See map on page 7.
• Explain the source of inspiration for the fort design and tell any stories the fort may
include.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center reserves the right to use any and all images,
renderings and models for the promotion of the exhibition in print or electronic formats.
Fort Exhibit Guidelines & Responsibilities
The health and integrity of the plant materials in our living collections are vital to our mission
and institution. It is necessary to protect and maintain our collections by adhering to the
following guidelines for construction, installation and maintenance of all forts:
• Fort structure must be original and suitable for outdoor display in adverse weather
conditions (high winds, rain, heat, sun, freezing temperatures and ice)
3• Forts will be located in high traffic areas with an unsupervised audience and must be
soundly constructed of durable and safe components to last the duration of the
exhibition.
• Forts must be appropriate for viewing and interacting by guests of all ages.
• Chosen designers/groups (hereafter referred to as “Exhibitor(s)”) are responsible for
all costs, equipment and labor necessary for the delivery, installation, and removal of
the Fort, materials, and rubbish. Exhibitors assume all risk and damage to the work
before and during installation and during and after removal. Wildflower Center staff
may provide installation and removal assistance of forts on a limited basis with prior
arrangement.
• The exhibit is in an area accessible to the public during all open hours. Throughout
installation and removal, a safe and hazard-free work area must be maintained at all
times.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center staff must be notified no later than 30 days
prior to the installation date of any changes to proposed designs during fabrication
so that the changes may be approved.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will provide insurance for the work once it is
installed and until it is removed from the site or by the removal deadline, whichever
comes first.
• Exhibitor must provide proof of insurance (Workman’s Comp, Liability)
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is not responsible for damage of the structures
due to weather, vandalism, theft or misuse by guests.
• The exhibit will be accessible to the public daily during regular business hours 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m and for special evening events open to the public. Private rental
clients may also view the forts after hours during their rental contract period.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center reserves the right to photograph and reproduce
images of the forts for marketing and educational materials. Private event and
photography permit clients may also photograph the forts as stated in their rental
contract.
• The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will promote the exhibit with planned
events, website promotions, social media posts, media releases, brochures, paid
advertising and calendar listings.
• Exhibitors are highly encouraged to attend the public Opening Reception, and to
participate in interviews or other promotional activities during the installation process.
Installation Criteria:
• The site of the fort shall be chosen after consultation with, and the approval of, Lady
Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. A fort must be able to be installed on available sites,
some in grassy areas, both rocky and flat. Final location of fort in the Texas
Arboretum is determined by Center staff.
• No digging is permitted due to irrigation lines, tree roots and existing utilities. Any
digging requests must be submitted to staff for exception of policy.
• Delivery of materials will be limited and supervised by staff. We reserve the right to
restrict construction activities due to site conditions caused by weather. If conditions
prevent access to the site the installation period will be extended.
4• Exhibitors must specify if their fort will be constructed on site, off site, or partially
constructed on site. Specific details as to which sections will be constructed on site
must be provided in advance.
• It is the responsibility of the Exhibitor to arrange for the installation of their fort on
weekdays during September 4-28, 2018 and for complete removal during March
5-16, 2019. All installation and removal activity must take place between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m. with staff present. If weekend dates needed, special requests may be
submitted to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center staff.
• Generators/batteries are allowed only during construction and removal only.
• Access to the Texas Arboretum for fort installation must be coordinated with center
staff. Traffic on the Arboretum access road is permitted. Access to areas not
accessible by the road are allowed, but will be limited to reduce impact and damage
to soil and vegetation. Center staff will provide details as to which routes are
accessible and when access is permissible.
• Exhibitors must take any and all precautions to protect all plant material directly
adjacent to and surrounding the installation area.
• All interaction of the fort with trees or other plants must be approved by Center staff.
In general, no exhibition element may rub or attach to any part of any tree. Nails,
screws, hooks or anything that penetrates the bark of a tree will not be allowed.
• No removal of plant materials will be allowed without approval by Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center staff.
• No permanent or invasive devices will be allowed to be attached to trees or in
planting areas.
• Nothing can be applied which may girdle the tree or rub the bark (this can damage
the tree.)
• No painting, staining or coloring of trees or other plants will be allowed.
Maintenance:
• Exhibitor is responsible for any repairs to the forts during the exhibition. Repairs must
be completed within a reasonable period after notification by Center staff.
Removal:
• It is the responsibility of the Exhibitor to transport and deliver any fort sold as a result
of the exhibition. No fort may be pulled from the exhibition early because of a sale.
Upon notification of selection, Exhibitors will be required to sign an Exhibitor Agreement.
Wildflower Center staff will work with the Exhibitors on scheduling construction/installation
with final approval being made by Center staff. Up to three entries per designer/group are
accepted. An Application Form must be completed for each design. After installation, public
voting will begin for the People’s Choice Award.
5Exhibition Schedule
Request for Proposals Announced March 20, 2018
Information Session April 25, 2018
Proposals Due (please use attached application) June 4, 2018
Proposal Acceptance Notification June 30, 2018
Signed Exhibitor Agreements due July 13, 2018
Installation of Forts September 4-26, 2018
Preview Party September 27, 2018
Exhibit Opens to the Public October 1, 2018
Exhibit Closes February 24, 2019
Removal of Forts March 2019
Contact Information
Please direct all inquiries to:
Tanya Zastrow
Director of Programs
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Avenue
Austin, TX 78739
tzastrow@wildflower.org
512.232.0122
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5 cathedral of oaks
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10 across from fort buildFortlandia Exhibition Application
Please fill out this online application:
https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3sncI0fzicAzBqt
Submit any additional proposal materials to the address below by the end of the day on
June 4, 2018.
Tanya Zastrow
Director of Programs
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Avenue
Austin, TX 78739
tzastrow@wildflower.org
512.232.0122
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