Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square Public Art Commission

The Bernalillo County Arts Board solicits a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for an innovative, signature work of public art for Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square, the home of Bernalillo County government offices. The selected artist or artist team will create an architecturally integrated piece that is responsive to the site and will become an iconic landmark that identifies Bernalillo County and welcomes the public to the facility. The work may be integrated into the exterior or interior architecture of the building and should reflect the diverse cultures and landscapes of Bernalillo County. The budget for this project is $200,000.

Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square is located at 415 Silver Avenue SW, Albuquerque, and is a newly renovated eight-story building centrally located in downtown Albuquerque. The building is LEED and Fitwel certified and houses approximately 800-1,000 county employees. Recommended sites for the public art project include the exterior facades of the tower and atrium, interior of the atrium, vertical and horizontal walls in the building's lobby, courtyards and walls near the main entrance, the exterior walls and underside of the second-floor bridge, and the exterior walls of the east side of the building. The slanted, south facing part of the building (the "Woof") is not available for the public art project.

Eligible artists or artist teams must reside in the United States and demonstrate an understanding of Bernalillo County and its history and population, successful design of projects of similar scope and budget, ability to effectively engage with design professionals and community stakeholders, artistic merit and superior craftsmanship, strong conceptual skills with innovative approach, ability to design artwork sensitive to social, environmental, and historical contexts, ability to translate artistic concepts into materials appropriate for public space with consideration for maintenance and longevity, willingness to collaborate with county staff and New Mexico-based professionals, and effective communication and organizational skills. The Arts Board is considering proposals in various media including sculpture, mural art, mosaic, and light and digital projection. Applicants must submit an artist statement, statement of interest, résumé, questionnaire, and 3-10 images plus up to 1 video via www.callforentry.org. There is no application fee. The deadline is January 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Three finalists will be chosen to prepare detailed concepts and designs for presentation to the selection committee in a public meeting.