Alameda Recreation Center/Library Public Art Commission

The City of El Paso Public Art Program seeks to commission a professional artist or artist team to design, fabricate, and install site-specific artwork at the Alameda Recreation Center/Library, a new approximately 15,000–20,000 square foot facility (possibly two stories) located on a 4-acre site on Alameda Avenue in the Mission Valley area, south of the I-10 corridor. The facility will include a gymnasium, fitness room, public library space, classrooms, and support elements, serving a multi-generational, predominantly Mexican American population. The site is bordered by commercial and residential areas, with Alameda Avenue (a state highway) forming the northern boundary.

This public art project will commission an artist or artists to design and develop an interactive or functional public art piece within the recreation center/library. The artist will fully engage with the community in developing the concept and design. The total project budget is $200,000, all-inclusive, covering design fees, travel expenses, materials, fabrication costs, insurance, engineering, shipping, and installation. Artists must provide an artist statement, previous work examples, resume, and letter of interest. An Artist Selection Panel will review applications and select 3–5 finalists to prepare proposals. Selection criteria include experience with functional or interactive public artworks in collaboration with public entities, experience with large outdoor sculptures, and demonstrated success in previous public art projects.

Finalist proposals will be reviewed by the Public Art Committee based on artistic merit, appropriateness in scale and form, feasibility of construction and installation, budget and timeline feasibility, and alignment with project goals. The artist will then proceed to construction documents, fabrication, and installation. Work sample requirements: minimum 1, maximum 6 total samples (images and/or video combined).