Bates Street Public Art Benches

The Old Town Keller Improvements Project is upgrading infrastructure in one of the oldest areas of the city and includes amenities like landscaping, street lighting, and public art. The city aims to foster the development of Old Town Keller into an arts and entertainment district with restaurants, shops, and services. Bates Street will be reconstructed as a festival street featuring string lighting, gateway structures, and food truck accommodations, with street construction anticipated to begin in early 2022.

Artists are invited to submit up to three original bench designs. Benches must be of original design and execution with no advertising, soliciting, campaigning, or commercially-driven entries. Materials may include concrete, stainless steel, glass, and other options. Benches must be safe, able to withstand harsh Texas weather with no maintenance for a minimum of 20 years, comfortable for seating 2 adults, and contribute to the place-making goals of the project. The City of Keller will provide a 4"x6" plaque for each bench including artwork title, artist name, and year of installation. Budget is $8,000 per bench to include design, fabrication, and installation. Selected artists will receive one-half of the honorarium upon execution of contract and one-half upon delivery and installation.

Phase I submissions (deadline February 18, 2022) must include resume, artist statement with comments on process, bench description (size, composition, stability, comfort), sketches/drawings from multiple angles, and work examples/portfolio of previous site-specific public work (minimum 2, maximum 5 images). Finalists will be invited to Phase II to develop detailed working drawings, materials specifications, and installation methods. A $150 stipend will be paid for Phase II work (deadline April 14, 2022). Benches must meet specific geometric criteria: overall length 10 feet maximum, width 30-36 inches, seat height 17-19 inches. Artists will be notified by June 10, 2022 if selected. Eligible artists must reside in Texas.