Art Match: Riverbend Community Park Public Art Commission, Bend, Oregon

Art in Public Places (AiPP) seeks to commission a permanent large-scale work of art for the roundabout at Riverbend Community Park, 799 S.W. Columbia Street in Bend, Oregon. The roundabout is located in the new Riverbend Community Park, which serves as a gateway to the Deschutes River Trail. The 14-acre park borders Columbia Street to the north and the Deschutes River to the south, offering paved pathways, trails, beach and river access, and hosting community and special events.

The roundabout center area available for artwork is 48 feet in diameter. The artwork must be fabricated in durable, permanent, outdoor media that is safe, easily maintained, and has proven viability in public artworks. The scale should be appropriate to the park site. The general theme should represent the varied recreational experiences people enjoy in the region. There are no restrictions on artistic interpretation; examples of existing roundabout sculptures range from traditional wildlife representations to abstract works to kinetic sculptures.

Funds available for the commission do not exceed $75,000, provided through ArtMatch, a matching program funded by Brooks Resources and the Bend Foundation. This is an open competition for professional artists residing in the Northwest United States, specifically Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Northern California. Teams of artists may apply; one application per artist or team. Submit a current resume, 4 artwork images, and an optional statement of interest by August 3, 2008 at midnight Mountain Time. The completed sculpture becomes the property of the City of Bend. Reproduction rights will be shared copyright between Art in Public Places, ArtMatch, and the City of Bend for public relations, marketing, and educational purposes, though artists retain rights to use images of their work. Questions may be directed to Marcelene Trujillo at [email protected].