Bates Street Public Art Bench Project

The Old Town Keller Improvements Project is upgrading infrastructure in one of the oldest areas of the city, including landscaping, street lighting, and public art. The city aims to develop Old Town Keller into an arts and entertainment district. The Bates Street public art bench will be installed on a recently reconstructed festival street featuring string lighting, gateway structures, and food truck accommodations. The ideal bench should be useful, aesthetically pleasing, and contribute to the place-making goals of the improvements project. There is no theme requirement. The bench must be family-friendly and appropriate for public display. The City of Keller will provide a 4"x6" plaque for each bench to include artwork title, artist name, and year of installation.

Artists are invited to submit up to three original designs. Benches must be of original design and execution with no advertising, soliciting, campaigning, or commercially-driven entries. A variety of materials may be used including concrete, stainless steel, and glass. Benches must be safe and able to withstand harsh Texas weather with no maintenance for a minimum of 10 years, and should be comfortable and able to seat 2 adults. All applications will be reviewed by the Keller Public Arts Board and judged on craftsmanship, creativity, durability, safety, interactivity, and overall aesthetics.

Phase I submissions (deadline March 15, 2024) must include resume, artist statement with process comments, bench description (size, composition, stability, comfort), sketches/drawings from multiple angles, work examples/portfolio of previous site-specific public work (2-7 images), and references. Phase II finalists will receive a $150 stipend per design to develop detailed working drawings, materials specifications, and installation methods (deadline May 15, 2024). Selected artists will be notified by June 17, 2024. The budget is $8,000 to include design, fabrication, and installation. The selected artist will receive one-half of the honorarium upon contract execution and one-half upon delivery and acceptance of the completed project. Eligible artists must reside in Texas. Geometric criteria: overall length 6-7 feet, seat length minimum 40 inches, overall width 30-36 inches, seat height 17-19 inches.