City of San Jose - Guadalupe River Trail Public Art Commission

The City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs and the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department are seeking an artist to create an artwork for the Lower Guadalupe River Trail where it intersects with Trimble Road. This site is adjacent to the location where the skeleton of "Lupe", a Columbian mammoth, was discovered in July 2005, and will be the focus for the art project.

The art project is envisioned to be engaging to a wide variety of visitors—families, commuters, and those coming specifically to visit the location of the discovery. Selected materials and construction must be able to withstand the elements and potential vandalism. As there will be an interpretive exhibit at the nearby Children's Discovery Museum about the Lupe discovery and an interpretive panel adjacent to the artwork site, a realistic interpretation of a mammoth is not being sought for the public art project. The project budget is $150,000, which includes all expenses related to research, design, fabrication and installation of the artwork including engineering, construction documentation, fabrication, transportation and installation of materials, transportation and accommodations for artist(s), insurance, and all other project-related expenses. A 10% contingency on the construction budget is designated for unforeseen conditions.

This opportunity is open to individual artists or artist-led teams working or living in the United States. If submitting as a team, a professional artist with public art experience must be the lead team member. All applicants must have all necessary documentation and permits to work in the United States at the time of submittal. Artists currently under contract for an art project with the City of San José Public Art Program are not eligible unless their current project will be complete by December 2010 or is currently suspended. Selection will be a two-phase process: Phase I (week of November 22, 2010) will short-list 3 artists for interviews; Phase II (week of December 6, 2010) will include presentations and interviews with the Public Art Core Team. The City will pay for travel and reasonable accommodations for the lead artist. Evaluation criteria include aesthetic excellence of past projects, experience creating public artworks in collaboration with stakeholders, and experience developing artworks in outdoor environments.