City of Fairhope, Alabama Public Art Sculpture RFQ

The City of Fairhope, Alabama is seeking qualified artists to submit credentials for the creation of two distinct, high-profile public sculpture projects. This Request for Credentials (RFQ) is led by the Committee on Public Art, a committee of the 501c3 nonprofit Eastern Shore Art Association, Inc.

Sculpture #1, located at the roundabout intersection of Veterans Dr, Scenic 98, Hwy 104 and Section St, adjacent to the Nature Preserve Park and the Flower Clock, will serve as the northern gateway to the City downtown district. Sculpture #2, located at the roundabout intersection of Hwy 13 and Hwy 32, with close proximity to the Fairhope Airport, Sports Complex, and surrounded by agriculture, will serve as a southern and eastern gateway to the City. The total artist budget for Sculpture #1 is $100,000 - $125,000. The budget for Sculpture #2 is $75,000-$100,000. These budgets are inclusive of all artist-related costs, including design, materials, fabrication, installation of sculpture, protective coatings, insurance, travel, and any other project-related expenses.

Artists must submit 8-10 images of completed relevant works, particularly including examples of large-scale public sculpture, along with a letter of interest (1-2 pages), artist statement, and professional résumé. Design proposals are not required at this stage. Semifinalists (5 for each project) selected to participate in the Request for Proposal (RFP) will receive a $500 stipend to develop detailed conceptual proposals. Finalists (2 for each project) selected will each receive a $1000 stipend to create a detailed maquette of the sculpture and provide further scope of work details and a final, comprehensive budget. This call is open to professional artists or artist teams residing in Alabama, Mississippi or Florida with demonstrated experience completing comparable public sculpture projects. Artists formerly local to the Mobile Bay Area that demonstrate a strong, familiar, and meaningful connection to the Alabama coastal region will also be considered. Artists must legally be able to work in the United States.