City of El Paso TouchCity Digital Wall Public Art Commission

The El Paso Museum of History is commissioning an artist to design and develop the housing encasement for a TouchCity 3-D digital wall as an integral public art piece. The wall is a multimedia installation consisting of four multi-touch plasma screens with a total span of approximately 36 feet, featuring advanced technology created by the Gibson Group (New Zealand). This will be the only installation of its kind in the United States and will inform, connect, and engage both El Pasoans and visitors by storing thousands of historic digital images provided by individuals and surrounding communities.

The artist will design the digital wall housing with approximate dimensions of 40' (L) x 8' (W) x 10' (H). The housing must be accessible to all visitors and serve as a welcoming feature to the museum. The proposed artwork should be interpretive to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and may include a nighttime presence through the use of lighting. The total project budget is $50,000 to include design and design development, covering design fees, travel expenses, insurance costs, and engineering expenses. The design shall not exceed a total construction budget of approximately $240,000.

This project is open to artists working or living in the United States who have previous public art and design team experience and an understanding of public and community interaction. Selection will be based on artistic merit, context, relevant experience, permanence/maintenance, technical feasibility, budget, original vision, creativity, conceptual skills, experience in the public realm, experience working with architects and engineers on complex projects, aptitude for interpreting architectural and landscape drawings, understanding of materials and construction techniques, demonstrated interest in the project, and communication skills. An Artist Selection Panel will review applications and select a finalist to proceed to the next phase. Finalists will be notified by April 8, 2014.