Submittals are requested from artists and/or artist teams interested in providing permanent artwork to be installed at the City of Sugar Land’s Festival Site Overlook.
Budget: $151,500
Eligibility: National. Artists are allowed to apply in teams. Artists applying as a team must split the allotted number of work examples between themselves.
Deadline: 08/10/2017 9:00 AM Central Time
Description of Opportunity
Opened in March 2017, the Sugar Land Festival Site is adjacent to U.S. Highway 59 and the Brazos River and includes 52 acres of beautiful, open land. The site will be used for large-scale events such as the City’s Fourth of July celebration, Cultural Kite Festival, large-scale civic events, and possibly commercial festivals. It is expected that this site will be bringing in many attendees locally, regionally, and beyond to experience an array of events.
The City of Sugar Land Cultural Arts Division proposes that a permanent artwork be installed at the Festival Site Overlook, which will be a location for large outdoor events and gatherings. The Overlook serves as a link between the Brazos River Park and the Festival Site. At the top of the Overlook is a long retaining wall and colonnade, which would be highly suitable for an applied artwork, in a material such as mosaic or ceramic tile.
Project Background
In 2014, the City of Sugar Land City Council approved a Cultural Arts Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide, which recommended the development of a Public Art Plan. In December 2016, the City of Sugar Land adopted its first Public Art Plan. The Sugar Land Festival Site Overlook project is identified as a two-year project beginning in FY17, which is the inaugural year of the city’s Public Art Program.
City Overview
The City of Sugar Land, Texas, located 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston, has a population of approximately 80,000 residents. Founded as a sugar plantation in the mid-1800s and later a company town for Imperial Sugar Land, the City incorporated in 1959 and is now the largest city and economic center of Fort Bend County – as well as a major population and business center within the Houston metropolitan area. Sugar Land also boasts one of the most affluent and diverse populations in the State of Texas, with a median household income of $93,025 in 2010 and with an Asian population – including, among others, Chinese, Indian and Pakistani residents – representing more than 35% of its residents. The City continues to receive awards and recognition as one of the safest and best places to live and raise a family in America.
Site History
The Overlook is located within the Brazos River Park, a multi-phase series of sub-parks. The Brazos River flows through Sugar Land along a nine-mile corridor. The City has acquired approximately 1,200 acres of land along its banks, and ultimately hopes to own almost 3,600 acres for parks, open space, and conservation along the corridor.
The Overlook provides a link between the Festival Site and Brazos River Park. The 52-acre Festival Site is an event venue location that will play a large role in attracting residents to the Park and will help boost Sugar Land’s economy. The Park and Festival Site include a parking lot, meadows, and an Overlook plaza that connects the Festival Site to the Park. It will accommodate multi-day festivals, cultural celebrations and large-scale events like the City’s annual Fourth of July celebration. Additionally, it provides access to trails, play areas, and the river.
Artwork Goals
Create a signature artwork that:
Budget Description
The public art budget is $151,500. All costs associated with the public art project including, but not limited to, artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, installation equipment, building or above and beyond site modifications, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, and any other costs related to the project are covered by this budget. The city is prepared to provide modest site preparation, landscaping, lighting and signage.
Application Requirements
How to Submit
You may submit your materials by 9am on August 10, 2017 in a number of ways:
Selection Process
The first phase of the artist selection process will be an Open Competition, wherein artists should submit evidence of their qualifications and interest for a specific project. This RFQ serves as the Open Competition.
A Selection Panel will be established to review the artist credentials and evidence of their qualifications. The panel will consist of five people who represent various stakeholders for the project, as well as art and design professionals.
Artists/artist teams that are short-listed after the RFQ Open Competition process will be provided with an $800 stipend to develop preliminary project design concepts as part of the subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
Selection Criteria
The panel will use the following criteria—equally weighted—when reviewing submittals:
Timeline
The city proposes that this project be designed by the end FY17 fiscal year (September 2017), and that fabrication and installation begin at the start of FY18 fiscal year (October 2017).
Additional Resources
http://www.sugarlandtx.gov/culturalarts
Review the full RFQ and apply at PublicArtist.org
QUESTIONS? Contact:
Lindsay Davis
Cultural Arts Manager
P.O. Box 110
Sugar Land TX 77487 United States
ldavis@sugarlandtx.gov
281-275-2969