The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) has selected Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), who has partnered with Civic Projects Architecture and Room for Magic, to facilitate this process. The specialized teams will help to identify design themes through a community engagement process, steward the artist proposal process, and support the implementation and fabrication of the memorial.

The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) followed state procurement guidelines for professional services. In order to reach outside the state, a Request for Qualifications was posted on multiple websites to reach companies all across the United States. Responses were received and reviewed by a committee of Commission staff, an AHC Commissioner, and a Black Heritage Council representative. Once Ralph Appelbaum Associates’ proposal was selected, the contract was reviewed and approved by the Legislative Oversight Committee and the Governor.

Outreach will include Africatown residents and Clotilda descendents. In-person and virtual meetings will be open participation. The team is seeking assistance from local organizations to distribute invitations to participate.

Please use the Contact Us form found on this site, or reach out via theclotildamemorial@gmail.com. Our community liaison, Theo Moore II, is based in Alabama and monitors this inbox.

The artist Request for Qualifications will be shared online. The team will work with Africatown residents, local and national organizations, and internal networks to ensure that the call is distributed widely to residents of Africatown and Alabama, as well as the broader national and international diaspora.

The selection criteria will be co-created by the jury and our internal experts, more can be shared as this is developed.

We will work with a jury panel and our internal experts to develop the rubric for judging proposals and participate in the evaluation process. There will be community representation on the jury panel, the details of which are still being worked on.

Our community engagement will help inform the framework and focus of the memorial. In future sessions, we will ask questions about the overall experience design, because it is important for us to know what will resonate with community members and descendants before having answers to these questions. The outcomes of the engagement sessions will inform the Artist proposals. We believe that the memorial is a singular part of a broader ecosystem that will help to preserve the meaningful legacies of the Clotilda survivors.

There is not a prescribed name—it is possible that the artist could work with community members to name the project or the or the name could be inspired by the project’s evolving themes and framework.

Tours and other interpretive elements could become part of the expansion of the project and contribute to the strategic development and economic growth of the area. These initiatives would come directly from community members and partners. The team can suggest an approach to long-term visitor experience, but our scope does not currently extend to that execution.

An artist will be selected in this calendar year 2026.
Design and fabrication of the memorial is intended for 2027.
The installation timeline will be determined by the location and weather appropriate for install.

The final location of the memorial has not been chosen. We are in the process of understanding community feedback to integrate into the final parameters set by the Alabama Historical Commission.

It will be archived with the Alabama Historical Commission as part of preservation efforts.

The idea grew organically out of conversations during community meetings while the Clotilda wreck was being investigated and identified.

The memorial can exist to serve and preserve histories as a focal point of remembrance. We understand that it is a singular element that will be part of a larger ecosystem of creation, support, energy, and care that the community aims to maintain and cultivate while actualizing their long-term goals. The memorial could exist within this unique ecosystem and offer local, national, and international context. The project can become part of larger tours, legacy trails, and growth in and around the community.

Each component of the project is broken down below:

Community Engagement: We will hold a series of free, public, community meetings. Attendance is voluntary to ensure a breadth of voices are heard.

Call for Artists: There will be an open Request for Qualifications to allow from a broad pool of artists to submit for this open competition. A small subset (through a juried process) will be asked to submit a proposal. Each team submitting a proposal will be provided with a stipend.

Artist Proposal: The selected artist team will have an allocated sum for the design and fabrication of the memorial itself.

It is designed to be a repository of community memory.

$4 million. This is expected to cover fees for the management of the project, artist labor, fabrication, engineering costs, and any other incidentals that support the execution of this project.

As of now, yes.  If the state enters proration, the funding could be reduced or taken away.

Yes, the call is national and international.

The artist lead cannot be enrolled in school at the time of applying. If other members are currently enrolled in a school program, it needs to be conveyed that they are not the lead artist and that they have the bandwidth to manage a project of this scale in their proposed role.

Please submit one synthesized letter of intent per artist or artist team.

The objective should be to provide the most cohesive examples to express why you and your team are qualified for this project.

We are asking for 6-10 work samples.  That can consist of 6-10 individual projects or multiple images of the same project. Please submit work that best communicates your qualifications.

Artists are welcome to include both still and video works.  The video is not obligatory, but rather an option for artists who wish to share documentation in this format.

Details of the selected site will be shared during the Request For Proposal with the finalists.

This will be an outdoor installation. Artists and organizers across disciplines are welcome to apply and suggest supplementary components to strengthen the public understanding of the work. The installation does need to have a physical presence and/or form. There are no pre-existing walls.

At this time, we are accepting applications for a sculptural installation. We encourage you to consider applying collaboratively with a visual artist if that is of interest.

The artist will work directly with the engineers hired for the project by the Alabama Historical Commission.

While the Alabama Historical Commission cannot make specific recommendations, artists are encouraged to work with local businesses and communities attached to this project’s history whenever possible.

Artists are encouraged to thoroughly read the documentation and outline their preferred approach in their letter of intent

Descendants of the Clotilda survivors, subject matter experts, and the supporting local and diasporic community.

The findings from the community engagement process are intended to serve as inspiration and guidance for the final memorial. Consideration and expression of the themes will directly impact resonance with the community.

This information will be provided to the finalists selected to develop proposals.

Information summarized from community engagement sessions will be provided to the finalists during initial concept development. The selected artist will be required to travel to the area north of Mobile, Alabama and will be introduced to the community by the supporting project team.

Engaging and understanding the community is paramount. A participatory component is not necessary, but is welcome as long as it is durable and managed respectfully.

The selected artists are invited to determine the most effective and culturally sensitive way to express their concepts and ideas.  Feedback can and will be provided to guide the process.

Yes, the supporting project team will meet regularly with the selected artist to review and advise on historical symbolism and interpretation throughout the design process.

It is important to balance the dignity, respect, and humanity of the individuals forced aboard the Clotilda while also communicating the weight and hardship they endured. Please consider this in any figurative depictions and identify if a more abstract or sensorial expression would be more honorable.

A jury panel has been developed to support the Call for Artist phase that can be engaged if necessary. Otherwise, the artist will receive creative direction and guidance from the supporting project team.

The finalists will be responsible for developing a proposed budget that accounts for these considerations. The supporting project team will help develop solutions to issues like this one.

Fabrication location is flexible, but the significance of resourcing labor and outcomes of investing in local economies should be considered.

Sustainability, cultural significance, and ecological effect should be considered alongside durability. Preferred and prohibited materials will be determined with the selected artist for the project.

The Alabama Historical Commission

Yes.

The Alabama Historical Commission, supported by recommendations from the engineers and subject matter experts working on the project.

This is a unique and nuanced piece of history that holds indelible value to the understanding of the transatlantic slave trade. The specificity that the Clotilda, as an artifact, provides the descendants groups with context for their ancestors’ experience. This enshrines this memorial as a meaningful and important effort in place-based historical preservation.

This project should provide ongoing recognition of a major catalyst in national and global history.

Please refer to the “Creative Objectives” and the “Community Aspirations” portion of the RFQ (also found on the Call for Artists page). These points are products of community engagement and feedback that specifically prioritized this question.