The San Antonio River Authority (SARA), working collaboratively with Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, seeks exceptional emerging and established public artists working in a variety of media and artistic approaches for its Pre-Qualified List of Artists (List).

Budgets: $10,000-$1,000,000

Eligibility

All Professional Artists, age 18 and over, regardless of residence, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Professional Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines. Teams must include at least one visual artist or new media artist.  A Professional Artist is defined as “a practitioner in the arts with an original, self-conceptualized body of work, generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional possessing serious intent and ability.” Ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience working with budgets, materials suitable for public indoor or outdoor settings, site-specific design, and collaboration with other artists, design professionals, or community members.

Deadline: 06/30/2017 5:00 PM Central Time

Project Description
The design of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park (Park) will radically change the current experience of the creek. In addition to providing enhanced flood control and revitalizing the natural habitat, the Park will also reconnect the community to the water through the creation of a world class linear park that reflects the unique culture of Bexar County. The purpose of the List is to provide an application and selection process for artists interested in being commissioned for public art projects at the Park. Artists will be commissioned for temporary, permanent, and performance-based artwork while the Park is under construction, in newly opened sections of the Park, and to participate in planning future phases of the Park. The first section of the Park will open on May 5, 2018 as part of the City of San Antonio’s Tricentennial celebrations.

Artwork Goals
The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) seeks artists whose work advances the public’s understanding of contemporary art and enhances the aesthetic quality and user experience of San Pedro Creek. The artwork should:

• Be compelling and aesthetically excellent;
• Support the San Pedro Creek Culture Park’s mission and goals;
• Celebrate San Pedro Creek’s layered history by telling its story with an authentic voice;
• Engage the community in innovative ways; and
• Endure the climate of this area, the flooding nature of the creek, and a variety of linear park public uses.

Artwork Locations Description
Several public art opportunities and project types have been identified through the San Pedro Creek Public Art Assessment & Strategy and the San Pedro Creek Interpretive Plan. Those opportunities include, but are not limited to:

1. Large-scale murals at multiple locations (permanent or temporary);
2. Light or sound based artwork at various locations;
3. Integrated or functional artwork on bridges and pathways;
4. Large and small-scale sculpture (permanent or temporary) in landscape areas;
5. Building facades adjacent to the creek;
6. Interactive or performance-based artwork in various locations, including the amphitheater;
7. Digital projections at bridge underpasses; and
8. Serving on a design team for future phases of the project.

As the design develops, additional artwork opportunities will be identified and the Pre-Qualified List of Artists may be updated. Selected artists will be expected to review concepts with SARA, Bexar County, City of San Antonio and the project design team, as necessary, to ensure that the artwork is appropriate for the space.

Budget Description
The range of artwork budgets anticipated through construction of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park varies significantly with some projects estimated to be $10,000 and others as high as $1,000,000. Budgets must include all design fees; research and travel; models and renderings; fabrication, transportation, installation of artwork; site restoration, if necessary; insurance required by SARA and permitting; public programming and project documentation; and other project-related costs.

Application Requirements

• Resume: 4 page(s) maximum
• Work examples: 10
• Letter of Interest: 600 word maximum.  The letter should be no more than one page in length and should explain the artist’s interest in creating artwork for the San Pedro Creek Culture Park.
• References: 3

Selection Process
The process to develop the List will be implemented with the goal of engaging a diversity of artists. The List will be refreshed periodically to give ample opportunity for participation as the project progresses.

SARA will convene a selection panel made up of art and design professionals to evaluate artist qualifications. The selection panel will review the applications received, including letters of interest, images of past work, and resumes, and recommend artists to be included in the List.  From the List, SARA will initiate artist selection processes for specific artwork opportunities. A separate selection panel may be established for each opportunity.

Artists will be selected in one of the following ways:

1. Direct Selection – an artist who is uniquely qualified is awarded a commission
2. Invitational – a small group of artists is invited to interview or develop a proposal
3. Call to Artists – an RFQ is released to the Pre-Qualified List of Artists

The selected artist for each artwork opportunity will be put under a contract to coordinate with SARA and the project design team to develop a comprehensive design for artwork.

Selection Criteria
The Selection Panel will consider the following evaluation criteria:

1. Artistic merit and technical expertise (40%);
2. Demonstrated sensitivity, creativity and engagement with diverse communities (20%);
3. Expressed interest in the way that San Pedro Creek influenced the development and culture of San Antonio (20%); and
4. Demonstrated ability to successfully execute innovative projects in complex design environments (20%).

Timeline

• May 17, 2017 – Request for Qualifications issued
• June 7, 2017 – Artist Information Meeting
• June 30, 2017 – Request for Qualifications deadline
• Early July, 2017 – Selection Committee review of applications and recommendation of List
• Late July – List is posted to project website and ready for use
• May 5, 2018 – Grand Opening of San Pedro Creek Culture Park (Phase 1)

How to Apply

Apply only through PublicArtist.org  No mailed, emailed, or file transfer applications will be accepted.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Deborah Korinchock, 210-302-3224 or dkorinchock@sara-tx.org