Request for Proposals

Misericordia Community Hospital Emergency Department Art Acquisition Project (Edmonton, AB)

Deadline for submission: April 14, 2023

Covenant Health, Covenant Foundation, and the Friends of University Hospitals invite Alberta artists to submit artworks for consideration for the Misericordia Community Hospital art collection and permanent placement in public and patient areas of the new Misericordia emergency department (ED). The selected artworks will be placed within the corridors, waiting rooms, and units throughout the new ED for the benefit of patients, families, and staff.

The artworks selected will include work that impacts individuals in various positive ways, such as humour, messaging, history, interactivity, highlighting cultures, inspiring calm and hope, or by engaging a community in an artwork’s creation. Additionally, the artwork must meet the following criteria:

• It reflects the diverse communities served by the Misericordia.

• Is in good condition.

• Content, images, colour, and size are appropriate for the hospital.

• Only original, two- or three-dimensional painting, drawing, print, photograph, mixed media, or other media will be considered.

• Only original prints and photographs, preferably hand-pulled of small editions (usually less than 100), printed and framed using archival quality materials will be accepted. (Reproductions or poster prints will not be accepted.)

• Created by a professional artist or an accomplished amateur artist whose work maintains the consistency and integrity of the Misericordia art collection.

• The short- and long-term costs associated with acquiring the artwork—including framing, maintenance, and conservation—are appropriately funded.

Misericordia Community Hospital Emergency Department
The $65 million Misericordia Emergency Department (ED) redevelopment, which started construction in 2018, is on time and on budget and scheduled to open by October 2023. The new ED is nearly triple the size of the current emergency department and leads patients from triage and registration to an intake and assessment area, then on as their care requires.

Emergency departments (EDs) are an integral part of hospitals. EDs serve as the first point of contact for most patients, and at the Misericordia ED, people of every age and background are provided with compassionate medical care based on their injury or illness. EDs consist of nurses, physicians and other healthcare workers who address a wide range of medical issues such as cardiac arrests, strokes, life-threatening injuries, pregnancy complications and respiratory illnesses. The new Misericordia ED will be equipped with up-to-date, essential equipment, significantly more space, and highly-trained, knowledgeable staff to render timely acute, emergency, trauma care services.

Eligible Artwork Specifications
The locations for these artworks will be within the Misericordia emergency department’s corridors, waiting rooms, and units. We are seeking artwork by Alberta artists that is appropriate in terms of size, style, and content. Artworks may be related to the Misericordia Sisters and their history of supporting women’s health and care.

The ideal artwork(s) would meet the following criteria:

• Two-dimensional works, including but not limited to: painting, drawing, original prints, photography, and fibre art.

• All media suitable to a wall mounted installation with framing, glazing, or other methods of encasement will be considered.

• Artwork location dimensions:

  • 20” to 48” (70 - 90 cm) high

  • 16” to 250” (55 cm - 6.5 m) wide

• Content reflecting one or more of the following:

  • The diversity of the hospital community

  • A sense of familiarity, respite, and comfort

  • Intellectual engagement, interest, and/or narrative

  • Colourful, whimsical, uplifting, soothing, or inspirational

• Series of artworks will be considered.

• Artworks must be created using archival materials.

• Artworks must be available for purchase.

• Value: $500-$6,000 per artwork/series (Note: the total value must include shipping/delivery.)

• Copyright and exhibitions rights:

  • The artist(s) must guarantee that the work is original and does not violate the copyright of another person.

  • The copyright of the artwork shall be and remains with the artist.

• The artist will grant and license to Covenant Health and the Covenant Foundation:

  • the right to exhibit the artwork(s) in public in perpetuity, and;

  • The right to use images of the artwork(s) for promotional, educational, and non-commercial uses.

Galleries and agents are encouraged to submit work of artists from Alberta. At this moment, we ask that you limit your submission to five artists.

Submit:

Inquiries
Ellen Cunningham, Curator, University of Alberta Hospital Art Collection, Friends of University Hospitals – ellen.cunningham@albertahealthservices.ca

Covenant Health and the Misericordia art collection
Covenant Health is one of Canada’s largest Catholic health care organizations with more than 15,000 physicians, employees and volunteers serving in 12 communities across Alberta. A major provider in Alberta's integrated health system, Covenant Health works with Alberta Health Services and community partners to positively influence the health of Albertans through a broad range of programs and services.

Covenant’s Misericordia Community Hospital provides a full range of acute care services to a diverse and growing community. Health care services follow a deep-rooted tradition of healing the body, enriching the mind and nurturing the soul. The hospital is also home to a collection of diverse artworks by many Albertan and Canadian artists. Artists are featured in exhibitions in the hospital’s main floor corridors quarterly.

Covenant Foundation
Covenant Foundation raises funds for 21 facilities across Alberta, proudly supporting Covenant Health, Covenant Care and Covenant Living and their more than 155-year legacy of healing the body, enriching the mind, and nurturing the soul. Covenant Foundation’s $2.6 million campaign for the new Misericordia ED is raising vital support for specialized medical equipment and training, greater family-centred care, and more comforting spaces to help create the modern emergency department our Misericordia community needs and deserves. Learn more at covenantfoundation.ca/emergency.

The Friends of University Hospitals and the UAH Art Collection
The Friends of University Hospitals is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing healing, caring, and compassion for patients, staff, and families through arts programming and community engagement. The Friends’ Arts in Healthcare program, which includes the UAH Art Collection, McMullen Gallery, and the Artists on the Wards programs, is based on the belief that art can do for the healing spirit what treatment and technology can do for the ailing body.

Updated: March 6, 2023