The City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department Public Art Program seek to commission a professional artist or artist team to design, fabricate and install site-specific artwork or artworks at the Eastside Regional Neighborhood Water Park. Materials selected must be appropriate for a high-use environment, weather resistant, and low maintenance.

Budget: $150,000
Eligibility: (not specified)
Deadline: 09/26/2018 5:00 PM Central Time

Project Description
This public art project will commission an artist(s) to design and develop public art within the Neighborhood Water Park, developed within the “Hueco Tanks” theme boundaries. The project will provide the opportunity for the artist to fully engage with the community in developing the concept and design of the artwork.

Artwork Location Description
The Neighborhood Water Park will be located inside the Eastside Regional Park, a 92-acre complex at 13501 Jason Crandall Dr. in Far East El Paso. The first phase will span across 10.6 acres and includes two additional projects:

• An indoor natatorium with a 50-meter competition ready pool, a diving well with 1 and 3 meter diving boards, spectator seating, warm-up and cool down pool, office, training room and lockers.
• A multigenerational community center with a gymnasium, spectator seating, multipurpose classrooms, kitchen, dining area, reading room, computer center, indoor running track, and fitness area.
• Other amenities including parking, entrance plaza, walking path, landscaping and public art.

The Neighborhood Water Park will consist of a family pool, toddler pool, lazy river, water slides, artificial wave surfing feature, climbing walls, food concessions, shaded areas, changing rooms, and other amenities. The park will also offer rental cabanas and nighttime programming. The project will have a “Hueco Tanks” theme, giving guests the joyous feeling of having a great, big backyard on the edge of a desert oasis.

Artist’s Scope of Work

• Contract with City of El Paso to fulfill the artist’s services
• Collaborate with City and stakeholders to generate artwork proposal(s)
• Conduct research, which includes examining the site, reviewing pertinent documents and plans, meeting with City staff, members of community, and neighborhood associations.
• Prepare verbal, written and visual presentations to show schematic and final artwork proposal(s) to stakeholders
• Preparation of construction documents
• Fabrication and installation of artwork

Artwork Goals
Public Art in El Paso will:

• Give voice to the City’s creative spirit
• Shape the look and feel of the City
• Define places that anchor the community
• Contribute to El Paso’s evolution as a dynamic urban place

Selection Process
This is an open competition.  Applications will be reviewed by an Artist Selection Panel (ASP). The ASP will review all complete, eligible applications received by the deadline shown on the schedule. The Artist Selection Panel (ASP) will select a finalist to proceed in the next phase of the project. A finalist will then be selected and presented to the PAC for approval. The approved finalist will be placed under contract to work closely with the master plan design consultant and to point out potential artwork integration possibilities.  The selected finalist will provide design proposals (concept design) for the project for review and approval prior to implementation.

Timeline (subject to change)

• Artist Selection Panel Review: October 2
• Public Art Committee Review: October 9
• Notification to Selected Artist: October 10

Selection Criteria

1. Meets the definition of Artwork.
2. Demonstrates artistic merit, including excellence in aesthetic quality, workmanship, innovation and creativity.
3. Demonstrates appropriateness in scale and form.
4. Meets the project’s goals as outlined in the Individual Project Plan.
5. Demonstrates feasibility of construction and installation.
6. Demonstrates feasibility in terms of budget, timeline, safety, security, durability, operation, maintenance, conservation, legal and ethical issues.
7. Builds the diversity of the City’s public art collection.

How to Apply

All artists will be asked to provide artist statement, previous work examples, resume and letter of interest.

Submit information ONLY through this link:  https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=5798