Senate Art Committee lays out procurement, budget and timeline to commission busts of Elizabeth Freeman and Abigail Adams

Senate Art Committee members and staff on Oct. 11 agreed on next steps to commission two busts — of Elizabeth Freeman and Abigail Adams — for placement in the Massachusetts Senate chamber, focusing discussion on materials, artist-selection methods, procurement rules and a draft budget range.

The committee said it will pursue a limited competitive solicitation (an RFQ/RFP) and asked staff and committee members to draft and circulate documents ahead of a follow-up meeting in June to finalize the solicitation and a shortlist of artists.

The conversation centered on four interlocking decisions the committee must make to start the commissioning process: whether one artist should create both busts or two separate artists should be selected; what materials should be permitted (marble or bronze were favoured but culturally significant alternatives were discussed); how to structure procurement under Senate rules; and setting a budget that will inform the procurement path.

Bianca Hoffman, Senate counsel's office, summarized the procurement threshold that will shape the process: "If the cost of a goods and services is under a hundred thousand dollars, the Senate can solicit bids from at least three potential vendors," and if the cost exceeds $100,000 a competitive process determined by the Senate chief financial officer will be required. Hoffman urged committee members to be mindful of conflicts of interest when recommending artists.

Susan Cross, senior curator at MASM OCA and a committee member, described three realistic approaches to finding artists: a broad open call, using an artist registry service (she named CAFE), or handpicking invited artists. Cross said open calls typically generate many submissions and require more staff time to process; she added, "I've talked to artists who work in this mode, and they suggested maybe $75,000 is kind of a low baseline." The committee discussed setting a "not to exceed" budget per bust that would be communicated to all candidates.

Susan Greendike, curator of the State House art collection, urged conservatorship considerations: "We would very, very much not like to see experimental materials ... it would present a burden to us to care for them and preserve them for the hundred and fifty years that some of the others have been there." Greendike noted that pedestals and long-term care need to be included in project planning; she said current pedestals are carved with sitter names and that the Frederick Douglass bust is temporarily seated on another pedestal.

Billy Rinaldi of the Senate Business Office described practical contracting limits: "You can buy art supplies, but you definitely cannot buy busts or procure other things like that," and said the office would adapt standard competitive processes to this unique project, seeking at least three proposals where feasible and managing invoicing in phased payments.

Committee members and staff narrowed preferences for the solicitation: prioritize Massachusetts or New England-based sculptors where feasible, allow two separate artist commissions so more artists can be featured, require portfolios/CVs/artist statements as part of submissions, and build a scoring rubric to standardize evaluation. Members asked that invited artists be offered the opportunity to visit the Senate chamber and see existing busts and niches before submitting final proposals, with the caveat that all applicants must receive the same information to preserve fairness.

On procedures, the committee agreed that staff (Susan Cross and representatives from the Senate Business Office and counsel) will draft an RFQ/RFP template, circulate it for track edits among committee members, and present a revised draft at the next meeting. The group asked committee members to propose names — "at least three for Abigail Adams, at least three for Elizabeth Freeman" — for an initial shortlist. The committee also discussed payment milestones and standard commission practice: phased invoicing tied to design approval, model approval and final delivery.

No formal vote on artist selection or a final contract was taken. The committee set a work plan: draft RFQ prepared by Susan Cross with Billy Rinaldi and Senate counsel, internal circulation and edits, then a public discussion at the next committee meeting (targeted for June) to finalize the solicitation and shortlist. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

The commissioning effort builds on the recent placement of a Frederick Douglass bust in the chamber (originally a loan that became permanent) and will require pedestal work and conservation planning in addition to artist selection and contracting.