Midwest Memory Project

Issuing Organization

This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is issued by the Inkpaduta Canoe Trail – Midwest Memory Grant Committee in coordination with the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Tribal Historic Preservation Office (FSST–THPO) and project partners. The project is supported by funding from the Mellon Foundation through Forecast Public Art.

Project Overview

The Inkpaduta Canoe Trail – Midwest Memory Project is a community-driven memorial initiative intended to commemorate the legacy of Inkpaduta and the Dakota people along the Little Sioux River in Northwest Iowa. The project seeks to address and correct settler- centered historical narratives by centering Indigenous voices, lived experience, and justice- based public dialogue. The project prioritizes equity, shared authority, and accountability to Dakota communities. The selected artist will work collaboratively to develop a memorial that is artistically compelling, educational, and grounded in place. The memorial should respond to and integrate with the surrounding landscape, creating a meaningful connection between the work, the site, and the stories it represents. The memorial may incorporate a variety of media and artistic approaches informed by previously conducted community engagement. Final site selection will occur through consultation with selected artist, project partners and community participants.

Project Budget

The anticipated budget available for artist services, concept development, fabrication, and installation is expected to fall around $75,000. Final allocation of funds will be determined collaboratively during the concept development phase and final contract development.

Scope of Opportunity

The selected artist will work within an Indigenous-led, collaborative process emphasizing listening, research, and community engagement. Previously collected foundational community engagement—including interviews, stories, and input from Dakota community members—will be utilized. The artist will be expected to review, interpret, and utilize this engagement to inform concept development and may participate in additional engagement as needed to refine the memorial. Artists with lived experience, cultural connections, or demonstrated experience working with Dakota, Lakota, or other Indigenous communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Artists do not need to be enrolled members of a tribe or located in the Midwest to be considered.

Application Requirements

Artists are invited to submit the following materials:

• Letter of interest describing the artist’s interest in the project and any relevant experience

or connection to Dakota, Lakota, or Indigenous communities

• Current résumé or CV

• 6–8 images of previous work

• Brief descriptions of each work sample

• 3 professional references with contact information

Artist Selection Process

1. RFQ release (April 1, 2026)

2. Applications received (May 15, 2026)

3. Panel review of qualifications (Late May 2026)

4. Identification of approximately 2–3 finalists (Early June 2026)

5. Finalist orientation and background materials (Late June/Early July 2026)

6. Finalist initial concept proposal development and interviews and review with finalist

(Late July/Early August 2026)

7. Final artist selection (Late August 2026)

8. Final memorial development and installation (Late August 2026 – October 2027)

Selection Panel

Applications will be reviewed by a panel including representatives of the Inkpaduta Canoe Trail – Midwest Memory Grant Committee and project partners, with consultation from the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Tribal Historic Preservation Office (FSST–THPO).

Finalist Participation

Finalists will be invited to participate in a virtual orientation, respond to written questions or interviews with the review panel, and develop an initial concept proposal. Fully developed design proposals are not required at this stage. Finalists will receive an honorarium of approximately $1,500 for development of initial concept proposals. It is anticipated that 2–3 finalists will be selected.

Finalist Initial Concept Proposal Development

Following selection as finalists, artists will receive previously collected community engagement materials to inform development of an initial memorial concept. Concept development will be based on the previously collected community engagement including interviews, stories, and input gathered from Dakota community members. Artists will be expected to review, interpret, and utilize this engagement as the foundation for their proposals and may participate in additional engagement as needed. Deliverables will include conceptual narratives, preliminary visual materials, proposed sites, implementation strategies, and preliminary schedules and budgets.

Final Artist Selection, Memorial Development, and Installation

Following final artist selection, the selected artist will enter into a contract with the project’s fiscal agent and begin final memorial development. The artist will utilize previously collected community engagement as the foundation for the final memorial design and will collaborate with FSST–THPO, the grant committee, and project partners to refine and implement the memorial. Artists may work with qualified fabricators or contractors as needed.

Deliverables will include:

• Final memorial design (drawings, renderings, specifications)

• Final site selection

• Fabrication and materials plan

• Installation plan and coordination

• Final installation of the memorial

• Participation in documentation and project close-out

All work must be completed prior to the grant end date of October 2027.

Public Accessibility

The memorial will be located in a publicly accessible location near the Little Sioux River in Northwest Iowa. Final site selection will occur through consultation with the selected artist, project partners, and community participants.

Intellectual Property and Moral Rights

The artist retains moral rights to their work, including attribution and protection from derogatory modification. Project partners retain a non-exclusive right to document and reproduce the work for educational, interpretive, and non-commercial purposes related to the project. Cultural narratives represented in the work will remain subject to consultation with FSST–THPO and Dakota community representatives. Final ownership and stewardship terms will be defined in a separate agreement following artist selection.

Grant Timeline

All project activities, including artist selection, concept development, fabrication, and installation, will occur prior to the grant end date of October 2027.

Submission Instructions

Application materials should be submitted electronically in a single PDF to:

Inkpaduta Canoe Trail- Midwest Memory Project Committee c/o-Candida Gonzalez

candida@forecastpublicart.org

Deadline for submission:

May 15, 2026

Questions may be directed to:

Candida Gonzalez

candida@forecastpublicart.org