City of Oakland, CA: Entrance Gates for the Gardens at Lake Merritt

San Francisco Bay Area artists are invited to submit their qualifications to design, fabricate and install two public art entrance gates at the Gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. The project goal is to create beautiful and inviting entryways that identify and celebrate the gardens. Preference will be given to artists or artist teams that specialize in metalwork design and construction; however, artists working in other permanent, durable media will be considered.

The Gardens at Lake Merritt, situated in the heart of Oakland as part of Lakeside Park, consist of a collection of smaller theme gardens including the Japanese Gardens and Koi Pond, the Golden State Bonsai Garden, the Show Gardens, the Flower and Herb Garden and the Vegetable and Fruit Demonstration Garden. A total of $86,000 has been allocated to commission an artist or artist team to design, fabricate and install two entryway gates. Both custom-made gates will be double-opening, attached to existing chainlink fencing, and must be extremely durable, low-maintenance and able to withstand frequent daily use. Gate 1 is located adjacent to the Lakeside Park Garden Center at 666 Bellevue Avenue; Gate 2 is located across from the Lake Merritt Boating Center at 568 Bellevue Avenue.

This project is open to practicing, professional artists residing and/or working in the Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma. The budget of $86,000 includes all artist fees, fabrication, installation, and artwork integration oversight, separated into soft costs (artist/subcontractor fees) of $17,200 and hard costs (materials/fabrication/installation) of $68,800. Applications must be submitted online through CaFÉ with no application fee. Required materials include an artist statement, resume (two pages maximum), ten images of past work, and detailed descriptions of past work. Submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. MST on March 12, 2010. For more information, contact Christin Hablewitz at [email protected] or 510.238.2105.