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Artists’ Studio and Exhibition ProgramAreas

07/14/2008

On July 14, the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation will be issuing two Requests for Proposals: one for an Artists’ Studio and Exhibition Program and one for an Outdoor Entertainment and Dining Facility. GIPEC is seeking commercial and non-profit organizations of extraordinary vision with the capacity to infuse the Island with the conception, production, and exhibition of arts and entertainment on Governors Island, New York City–a 172-acre sanctuary in the harbor of one of the most dynamic cities in the world. These projects represent unprecedented opportunities to create new venues for entertainment and artistic production in spectacular setting. The Island offers natural serenity, panoramic views of the harbor and city skylines, and three centuries of history and architecture. Starting July 14, 2008, interested firms can access the RFQ and supporting documents on the GIPEC website, www.govisland.com, on the “Open RFPs/RFQs/RFEIs” page. A pre-bid information session and Island tour have been scheduled for July 30, 2008. RSVP information, including time and location, will be detailed in the RFP. The submission deadline is 3:00 PM, August 28, 2008
Submitted byGIPEC. # ns02793

Governors Island Expands Arts and Entertainment Uses

07/14/2008

Governors Island Expands Arts and Entertainment Uses
Two Separate Requests for Proposals Released Today for Temporary
Entertainment and Dining Venue and Artists’ Studio Programs
New York, NY: July 14, 2008: Governors Island will expand its uses to include
arts and entertainment venues, the Governors Island Preservation and
Education Corporation (GIPEC) today announced. GIPEC issued two separate
Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for a temporary entertainment and dining venue,
and for artists’ studio and exhibition programs. These RFPs will create
remarkable new opportunities for the New York arts and cultural community.
One RFP is for a temporary entertainment and dining venue on the Island. The
temporary facility will be located in a parking lot adjacent to the Governors
Island ferry. The parking lot offers unparalleled views of Lower Manhattan and
New York Harbor, and can be viewed from Lower Manhattan.
A second RFP is for an artists’ studio and exhibition program in Building 110, a
historic building a short distance from the ferry landing. Building 110 also
offers incredible views and will provide a space where artists could work and
exhibit art. This RFP seeks an organization or organizations to develop a studio
program which will establish a lasting and consistent presence of working
artists on the Island. It also seeks an organization to administer an exhibition
program in association with the artists’ studios which will create a high-quality
public component to the arts programs on the Island.
“Every summer, Governors Island becomes a place for the arts and
entertainment,” said GIPEC Chair Avi Schick. “The release of these RFPs today
marks an important step in expanding the Island’s early uses and will make
Governors Island a year-round venue for arts and culture.”
“Governors Island provides unparalleled opportunities for New York City,” said
Dan Doctoroff, Vice Chair of GIPEC. “These RFPs will help expand the uses of
Governors Island and provide a new space for New Yorkers to experience the
arts.”
“From Olafur Eliasson’s New York City Waterfalls, to various concert series, the
Figment Festival, outdoor sculpture exhibits and more, the arts have been a
driving force to re-activating Governors Island,” said Leslie Koch, President of
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GIPEC. “We are pleased that these two separate RFPs will allow us to bring a
variety of partners to Governors Island to create more spaces for the arts
here.”
The temporary entertainment and dining facility will include seated and staged
areas under cover, and a food and beverage venue that capitalizes on the
remarkable site and provides eating and drinking opportunities for show
attendees and other visitors to the Island. The performance venue is expected
to include 500-800 seats under cover, and may also include opportunities for
outdoor performance and other uses.
The facility will create an entirely new venue for New York City to celebrate
cultural events and the arts. The venue will operate for five years, at which
time GIPEC can seek to renew the permit.
“Governors Island is a great place for the arts to be celebrated,” said Heather
Hitchens, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts. “We
are pleased that Governors Island has made the arts such an important part of
its future.”
The RFP for studio and exhibition programs seeks an organization or
organizations to establish a regular, year-round presence of working artists on
the Island. The program will allow artists working in a variety of media to have
access to indoor studio space on Governors Island. The RFP also calls for a
robust program of public exhibition of both works in progress and completed or
commissioned work.
“New York City’s artists need work and presentation spaces tailored to their
needs, and this RFP presents an important opportunity for our cultural
community,” said Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D.
Levin. “It moves us one step closer to fulfilling Governors Island’s potential as
an extraordinary venue for artists and audiences.”
The Studio Programs would be housed in one of Governors Island’s historic
buildings, Building 110. The program would not permit any residential use of
space on Governors Island, including any overnight use of the studios
themselves. The Program would begin in 2009 and would operate for a period
of five years, at which time GIPEC can seek to renew the permit.
Responses to both RFPs are due by 3 PM on August 28th. To download the RFP,
visit http://www.govisland.com/About_GIPEC/rfprfqrfei.asp.
About the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC)
The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) is
responsible for the planning, redevelopment, and ongoing operations for 150
acres of Governors Island. A partnership of New York City and New York State,

Submitted byGIPEC. # ns02792

New Free Summer Concerts at Gantry Plaza State Park

07/01/2008

Celebrating the rich musical and ethnic tapestries of Queens in boisterous style, “Live at the Gantries”, the borough’s newest free summer performance series kicked off in Long Island City on June 24th.

The free, outdoor performances will feature some of the borough’s most celebrated entertainers, from Afro-Brazilian jazz musicians to Japanese punk rockers, with acts for audience members of all ages. Live at the Gantries’ nine nights will take place on Tuesdays at 7 o’clock at Gantry Plaza State Park, a 2.5-acre waterside oasis between 49th and 50th Avenues along the East River. The series will run from June 24th to August 26th.

Event Schedule:
June 24 - Corina Bartra, Afro-Brazilian Jazz
July 1 - The F# Miners, Irish Traditional Music
July 8 - Blue Pipa, Chinese Folk Music
July 15 - Bliminal, Indie Rock
July 22 - Calpulli Mexican Dance, Traditional Mexican Dance
July 29 - York College Summer Big Band
August 5 - Mahina Movement, Folk, Rock and Rhymes
August 12 - No event scheduled
August 19 - Zikrayat, Arabic Music and Belly Dancers
August 26 - Noirceur and Uzuhi, Punk

For additional information, please visit, http://queenscouncilarts.org/liveatthegantries/index.html.

The series is sponsored by The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Queens Council on the Arts,
Queens Theatre in the Park, and New York Water Taxi. Live at the Gantries is funded in full by Rockrose Development Corporation with additional support from O’Connor Capital Partners.
Submitted byQCA. # ns02791