Calling all artists!
The City of Bedford is seeking a qualified artist or artist team to design and install an outdoor sculpture that will be permanently located in Generations Park at Boys Ranch. This community park is an important landmark that is located in the heart of Bedford. Families and individuals frequent this park for a multitude of activities including walking, jogging, fishing, disc golf, or sitting at the park benches to admire the view of the lake and natural wildlife.
This project will be the second sculpture at Generations Park at Boys Ranch and will be the next step in the City of Bedford’s overall goal to create a sculpture park at this location.
The sculpture should:
- be site specific and original;
- create a space that intrigues viewers and promotes a place to gather;
- encourages engagement, exploration, and contemplation;
- connect to the surrounding environment with elements of natural flora and fauna that are native to the area;
- utilize organic forms – not sharp or geometric;
- integrate color;
- possibly integrate seating components and/or interactive elements; and
- have the ability to illuminate at night with solar powered lights (the site does not have access to electricity).
Three artists will be chosen by a selection committee to proceed to the request for proposal stage (RFP) and will each receive a $1,500 stipend for their design proposal. The selection committee will then select one artist to move forward with this project.
Location: Generations Park at Boys Ranch, 2801 Forest Ridge Dr, Bedford, TX 76201.
The site-specific sculpture will reside in the middle of the rock circle, which is located between the Boys Ranch Pavilion and the walking trail. This rock circle, which is sometimes referred to as “Bedford Stonehenge,” is a mystery to many visitors of the park. The exact origins of the rocks are unknown, but it is presumed that many years ago an individual asked Bedford Parks and Recreation to help move the rocks off a property. One of the parks staff suggested creating a Stonehenge for Bedford, so they placed the rocks in a circular formation near the Boys Ranch Lake. This rock formation is now a popular gathering spot for park visitors to enjoy. People often take pictures with friends, carve their names on the rocks, and some visitors can even be found practicing yoga on the rocks.
Please view the project webpage for site images and measurements.
Eligibility: This request for qualifications (RFQ) is open to professional artists or artist teams, age 18 and over, with experience in the design, fabrication, and installation of public sculptures. Emerging artists with little or no public art experience who are interested in entering the public art field are also encouraged to apply.
Artists with experience in producing permanent, exterior sculptures in similar scale and complexity to this project must demonstrate:
- a history of professional activity and achievement as an artist;
- experience producing a permanent project of this complexity including technical competence with fabrication and installation procedures; and
- professional capacity to plan, coordinate, and execute a public sculpture in collaboration with the City of Bedford.
Artists with no public art experience must demonstrate:
- an interest in learning about and working in the public art realm;
- artistic merit and a history of achievement as an artist; and
- prior experience or knowledge of fabrication and installation procedures.
Selection: A selection committee will meet to review the submissions and identify the three most qualified candidates based on the selection criteria listed below.
Selection Criteria: Three artists will be selected to proceed to the request for proposal stage (RFP) based on the following:
- Interest in the project and ability to create a sculpture that is unique to the site;
- Experience in public art and design in the public realm;
- Quality of portfolio that is directly related to this public art specialization;
- Demonstrated proficiency and technical knowledge of materials and techniques;
- Proven ability to deliver project requirements on time and within budget;
- Experience and success in creating public artwork in collaboration or cooperation with fabricators and/or design teams under the auspices of a public agency.
The selection committee will then use the following criteria to evaluate the winning artist:
- Artistic merit, originality, and creativity as evidenced by prior and proposed artwork;
- Professional experience delivering projects of similar scale and scope;
- Demonstrated ability to undertake the design, creation, and installation of the artwork within the timeline and budget;
- Public sculpture that requires little or no maintenance;
- Proposed budget appropriate to scope of the project.
Budget: The budget is a not-to-exceed figure of $40,000. The budget includes all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: artist’s design fee, materials, fabrication costs, travel, documentation, and transportation and installation of the work.
Design Stipend: The three artists or artist teams selected to produce a design proposal will each receive a $1,500 stipend. Half of the stipend will be paid to the artists up-front, and the other half will be paid to the artists after submitting their design proposals.
Timeline:
- RFQ submission deadline – 01/26/24 at 5:00 p.m.
- Selection committee reviews and selects the finalists – beginning of February 2024
- Finalist RFPs due – 03/29/24 at 5:00 p.m.
- Selection committee reviews and selects the winning artist – beginning of April 2024
- Meeting(s) with artist and staff to discuss final details of design and installation: mid/late April 2024
- Installation – begins in June 2024
Submission Materials:
- Statement of Intent: Think of this as your cover letter. Describe why you are interested in this opportunity and highlight any relevant experience. Outline your approach to public art, your interest in this specific project, what you bring to the project as an artist, experience with other projects of similar scope, any other comments that might help differentiate you as a candidate, and your name, address, phone number, email, and website/socials (if applicable). Not to exceed one page.
- Professional resume/CV: If submitting as a team, a resume/CV should be submitted for each team member.
- Descriptive narrative: Describe the possible aesthetic directions you would take with this project. NOTE – this is not a proposal (that is the RFP stage). No renderings or concepts are required at this time. Instead, tell us about how you would approach this project, thoughts on materials, what you would like the viewers to learn or experience from the sculpture, and points of inspiration.
- Images of past works similar in scope and size: Included in your image list, please provide a short description of the piece and any aspects of the work that may not be obvious in the images, or any other relevant information. Artists should also include the following for each artwork:
- Title
- Date of completion
- Medium
- Dimensions
- Project budget
- Professional references: Professional references from past projects (if applicable) with contact information.
Submissions: Please send all inquires and submission materials to Jessica Green at [email protected]