San Antonio Seeks Artists for Future Public Art

The City of San Antonio seeks professional qualifications from area, state, national, and international artists for potential public art projects. The 2021 Pre-Qualified List is used to select public artists for upcoming commission opportunities.

BUDGET: Varies by project

ELIGIBILITY: Professional artists over 18

DEADLINE: January 18, 2021

View full RFQ here.

The Department of Arts & Culture’s Public Art Division manages public art projects and programs that express the vibrancy and diversity of the community through art and place-making for the City of San Antonio. The Public Art Division has selected projects throughout San Antonio that increase connectivity within neighborhoods and citywide, advance equity, leverage funds and partnerships, have transformative potential for communities and places and community support, and meet project feasibility requirements. Art project opportunities are diverse in scope, and include 2-Dimensional, 3-Dimensional, Environmental, Functional, and other temporary and permanent commissions.

Once approved by City Council, all pre-qualified artists remain eligible for contract opportunities over a three-year period. Artists added to the 2021 Public Artist Pre-Qualified list will be considered for public art opportunities funded through the 2017-2022 Bond Program.

Once approved for the Pre-Qualified Artist List, artists will be considered by selection panels comprised of curators, commissioners, subject matter experts, and community members. Selection panels will recommend artists based on their suitability for a specific project opportunity. Selection panels will be asked to consider The Public Art Division’s Curatorial Goals are to develop new projects and commissions that are:

• Connective: Artworks connect to environment, sense of time, communities and individuals.
• Artist-driven: Projects elevate the role and vision of artists, allow artists to lead interdisciplinary projects. The Public Art Division strives to nurture and support diverse artists.
• Accessible: Projects are physically and conceptually accessible to a wide audience – they embody openness and generosity to the public.
• Dynamic: The collection offers variety and changing experiences. Artworks could promote a sense of calm, stimulation, playfulness, introspection, or collectivity, etc.
• Innovative: Projects embrace experimentation and expand expectations of publicly commissioned art.
• Experiential: Artworks engage the senses and bring heightened awareness to the space, moment, and broader social and spatial context of the work.

WHAT TO PROVIDE

1. Resume with qualifications
2. Images of past work
3. Technical capacities statement
4. References

HOW TO APPLY

Apply ONLINE ONLY via https://sanantonio.gosmart.org; complete the 2021 Call for Public Art Qualifications: Public Artists Application.

QUESTIONS? Contact PublicArt.SanAntonio@sanantonio.gov