Kali Baker Memorial Call for Public Art
The Kali Baker Memorial Call for Public Art was open to Omaha-area artists working to express community care, curiosity, resilience, and joy in sculpture and other three-dimensional mediums. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was the first phase in selecting an artist who will be awarded a project budget of up to $40,000 to create a new public artwork in memory of Kali Baker, an arts advocate, community builder, and beloved friend and family member who died in 2020 due to complications from breast cancer.
Approximately five artists will be invited to submit proposals through the RFQ process. Artists invited to submit a proposal will be given material specifications, site specifications, and a $300 honorarium for their time to create concept drawings or sketches and a preliminary budget for the work they envision. Proposals will then be reviewed and interviews with members of Kali’s family, representatives from the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department, and Amplify staff will be scheduled if more information is needed. One proposal will be selected after interviews and awarded a project budget of up to $40,000 to realize a new permanent public artwork in Omaha’s Memorial Park or the surrounding areas.
Applications are now closed. Please click below for more information about timeline and the selection process
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For this call, applications will be reviewed in a three-phase review process:
Amplify Arts staff will review to ensure applicants meet eligibility requirements and have submitted a complete application.
All eligible applications will be reviewed and scored by members of Kali’s family, arts professionals, and community partners.
Panel members will invite approximately 5 artists to submit proposals.
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
The Artist Statement enhances an understanding of the artist’s practice and their work’s relationship to concepts of community care, curiosity, resilience, and joy.
The Work Sample illustrates a history of three dimensional and sculptural work that inspires confidence in the artist’s ability to realize a new public artwork.
Artists invited to submit a proposal through this RFQ will be given material specifications, site specifications, and a $300 honorarium for their time to create a narrative proposal, budget, timeline, and concept drawings or sketches of the work they envision.
Proposals will then be reviewed and interviews with the members of Kali’s family, representatives from the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department, and Amplify staff will be scheduled if more information is needed.
One proposal will be selected after interviews and awarded up to a $40,000 project budget to realize a new permanent public artwork in Omaha’s Memorial Park.
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November 12th - January 12th: Applications Open
January 6th - February 20th: Application Review
February 21st: Initial application status updates delivered (approximately five applicants will be invited to submit proposals)
March 21st: Proposals due
March 24th - April 14th: Proposal review
April 18th: Final application status updates delivered
About Kali Baker:
Kali Lynn Baker was born in Wakefield, NE, where she excelled in athletics and academics and was awarded a Regents Scholarship to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; she went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.
Kali began her career in Omaha in the marketing departments at Borsheims and Kiewit before ultimately taking her talents to the Omaha Community Foundation, where she served first as Director of Communications and then as Vice President of Community Investment until her passing. It was at the foundation that she was able to channel her devotion to community into a career.
Kali's love of community and caring for others defined her life. She had an immeasurable impact as a mentor, friend, and leader to countless individuals through both her professional and personal endeavors.