Enrichment · Arts and Creativity

Get to yes before
you build anything.

A park, a library lawn or a bus shelter belongs to someone, and they will say yes to art that comes with answers. Build the proposal in one place: the concept in plain words, the site and dates, every material priced, the walking path left clear and who looks after it. The builder totals the budget with a 10 percent cushion, checks it against your funding and the space against a 36-inch path, and prints a proposal to hand to the owner.

Start a proposalWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 38 items.

Proposals

The worked example is made up: three student installation proposals, with made-up prices. Saved on this device only.

Loading the proposal form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$5

What you finish with
A proposal per installation: working title, site, concept, who it is for, temporary or permanent, install and removal dates, materials with quantity and unit cost, funding available, the walking path left clear and six site and permission checks. Totals the budget with a 10 percent cushion, compares it with funding, counts days on display and totals requests; flags no removal date for a temporary piece, removal before install, unpriced items, a budget over funding and a path under 36 inches. Prints the proposal.
Who it is for
Middle school, high school and college art students, art clubs and teachers proposing public or shared-space installations; community arts groups working with young artists.
Format
Browser proposal builder with a saved record per proposal. Prints the finished proposal, the planning record, every proposal in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Find out who owns or manages the site before you design.
  2. Write the concept in two plain sentences and who it is for.
  3. Price every material, and set install and removal dates.
  4. Measure the walking path that will be left and fix any flag.
  5. Print the proposal and bring a sketch when you ask the owner.

Start a proposal

How installation proposals get approved

What an owner wants to knowWhat and whyThe idea in twosentences.Who it is for.A sketch or mockup.Where and how longExact spot and size.Install and removaldates.Path left clear.MoneyEvery material priced.A cushion forsurprises.Who pays for removal.Care and riskHow it is anchored.Who checks it eachweek.What happens if itbreaks.What an owner wants to knowWhat and whyThe idea in two sentences.Who it is for.A sketch or mockup.Where and how longExact spot and size.Install and removal dates.Path left clear.MoneyEvery material priced.A cushion for surprises.Who pays for removal.Care and riskHow it is anchored.Who checks it each week.What happens if it breaks.
Answer these before anyone asks and a yes comes faster. Most proposals are turned down for missing logistics, not for the art.

Why 36 inches

The federal accessibility standards set 36 inches as the minimum clear width of an accessible route, so a person using a wheelchair can pass. Leaving at least that much beside an installation keeps a sidewalk or path usable for everyone.

Why a 10 percent cushion

Prices change and something always breaks during install. Adding 10 percent to the materials total is a common planning rule for small projects; it keeps a funded proposal from coming up short on install day.

Permits vary

Rules for art on sidewalks, in parks and on public property differ from town to town. The fastest path is to ask the city’s parks, public works or arts office what applies before you finalize the design.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Justice: 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, section 403.5.1, clear width of walking surfaces (ada.gov).
  2. Americans for the Arts: Public Art Network resources on proposals, maintenance and deaccession (americansforthearts.org).
  3. Project for Public Spaces: placemaking and temporary installations (pps.org).
  4. National Endowment for the Arts: guidance for community arts projects and budgets (arts.gov).

The worked example is made up, including prices. This is not legal or permit advice; ask the property owner and your city what applies. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.