Website: https://srcity.submittable.com/submit
(707) 543-4512
Santa Rosa, CA, Unknown
The City of Santa Rosa, California, is seeking an artist to create a work of public art for Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square.
Budget: $280,000 (artist fee $42,000; fabrication/installation $224,000; contingency $14,000)
Eligibility: Professional artists residing in the United States
Deadline: 01/13/2020 5:00 PM Central Time
Site History
Santa Rosa is the largest city in Sonoma County with an estimated population of 177,586. The city operates as the county seat and serves a wider county population of 500,000.
Old Courthouse Square is a central public plaza in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa. The approved Old Courthouse Square Master Plan identifies an area along 4th Street, at the terminus of Mendocino Avenue, to be dedicated to public art. The square is seen by many as the heart of the downtown and even of the city and is regularly used for a variety of special events and community gatherings. The public art installation should take into account the existing and proposed future amenities at the square, including landscaping, hardscape, lighting and public art.
Old Courthouse Square gets its name from the first courthouse on the site, dedicated by General Vallejo in 1884. The 1906 earthquake destroyed that building and much of Santa Rosa. Another courthouse was built on the site in 1908 and served as the county courthouse for another 58 years before being demolished in 1966. From 1967 to 2016, the square was bisected by a major thoroughfare connecting Santa Rosa Avenue and Mendocino Avenue.
Old Courthouse Square was reunified in 2017. Granite slabs that served as the steps of the 1908 courthouse were saved and incorporated to form the frame around the lawn which is representative of the footprint of the original courthouse on the square. Reclaiming this public square in the center of downtown Santa Rosa was a statement by the community of its value on the importance of a communal, public gathering space. It also offers a chance to make a statement about how art plays a specific role in reflecting a community’s identity and in inspiring its aspirations for the future.
Project Description
The artist or artist team selected for this project will create a dynamic public art installation that contributes to a vital, thriving space to connect with each other and with the space. The public art should be forward-thinking and express the innovation, diversity, and engagement of the community. The public art should help create a sense of place for Old Courthouse Square.
The selected artist(s) will have access to responses to a community survey to assess initial aspirations for the public art
Artwork Goals
The goal of this completed project is to provide the entire Santa Rosa community with a prominent artistic symbol that reflects the uniquely Santa Rosa values of innovation and cultural inclusivity. This art installation should inspire people living in, and visiting, our city to reflect on what is special about our community and encourage them to gather downtown to experience it first-hand. Projects that are interactive and engage visitors are encouraged.
Artwork Location Description
The “canvas” for this project can include any portion identified in the attached site diagram, including all surfaces, existing or to be newly constructed as a part of this project.
Timeline
Selection Process
Applications will be prescreened by the Arts Coordinator and then presented to the Selection Panel. The Selection Panel will identify and recommend three finalist artists based on the project criteria. Art in Public Places Committee (“APPC”) members will have access to review all applications during this time. The finalists will be invited to submit a specific proposal for which they will be paid an honorarium. All finalists will be expected to attend an orientation to learn more about the project site and materials prior to developing a specific proposal for the project. Using the project criteria, one artist will be selected to complete the project.
The APPC will approve the final artist recommended by the Selection Panel, and the final artwork design. The Art in Public Places Committee also reserves the right to decline any or all applications, or artist(s) recommended by the selection panel, and to reissue the RFQ for additional artist candidates.
Selection Criteria
For Artist Qualifications:
For Artwork Proposals:
What to Submit
How to Submit
Submit online only at https://srcity.submittable.com/submit
Select ‘Imagine Art in Old Courthouse Square’ and complete the Submittable online form. Once submitted, a follow-up email will notify the applicant that their application has been successfully received via the email provided in the online form.
QUESTIONS? Contact Tara Thompson, tthompson@srcity.org or 707-543-4512