City of Lancaster - Plum Street Roundabout Sidewalk Mosaic - RFQ

The City of Lancaster is seeking an artist to create a 40-square foot sidewalk mosaic for a permanent roundabout at the intersection of North Plum and East New streets and Park Avenue. The oval-shaped courtyard will be located on the southeast corner of the roundabout in the Northeast quadrant of the City, surrounded by residences, a restaurant, convenience store, and other small businesses. The historic Hotel Fulton is located immediately adjacent to the hardscaped courtyard.

Up to three finalists will be selected to develop design concepts. Each finalist will receive a $200 honorarium to complete their design proposal. The selected artist will be paid $10,000 for creation and execution of the project, with a total project budget of $10,600. The mosaic should be no greater than 40 square feet with a smooth, even surface appropriate for walking, void of sharp surfaces and tripping hazards, and considerate of ADA accessibility. Only durable, weather-proofed materials may be used. A survey showed residents are most interested in work reflecting the culture of the neighborhood, seconded by historical themes. The selected artist will be required to submit a maintenance plan as part of the executed artist agreement.

Applicants must submit a letter of interest, artist statement, resume, and portfolio of 5-10 images of previous artwork with accompanying information (title, media, size, location) by July 17, 2023 at 5 PM EST. The selection committee will review applications and select finalists by July 21, 2023. Finalists will present proposals via Teams remote meeting August 7-11, 2023, with final selection by August 15, 2023. Selection criteria include artistic merit and technical quality, evidence of completing public artwork of similar scale and scope, experience with collaborative community projects, ability to work within budget and timeframe, and ability to work with diverse teams. The commission is open to all professional artists 18 years or older. Non-local artists are encouraged to apply and will be asked to provide hands-on mentorship experience to one local artist throughout the artistic process.