Cohen Neighborhood Water Park Public Art Commission

The City of El Paso Public Art Program seeks to commission a professional artist or artist team to design, fabricate, and install site-specific artwork at the Cohen Neighborhood Water Park, located at 9700 Gateway North Blvd. in El Paso, TX. The proposed water park will be reconstructed in a modern format and will include a 5,000 to 6,000 sq. ft. building with offices, restrooms, lifeguard facilities, and concession areas; a four-lane lap pool; climbing wall; lazy river; zero-depth water play area; tot splash area; two water slides; sunning decks and shade areas; and associated equipment, decking, fencing, and landscaping. The park's theme, "Arroyo Cohen," incorporates adventure elements including planes, motorcycles, extreme sports imagery, a flow rider, Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course, and wave pool.

This public art project will commission an artist or artists to design and develop an interactive or functional public art piece within the water park. The selected artist will collaborate with the design team and community to develop the concept and design. The total project budget is $140,000, all-inclusive, covering design fees, travel expenses, materials, fabrication costs, insurance, engineering, shipping, and installation. The artist's scope of work includes contracting with the City, collaborating with stakeholders, conducting site research, preparing presentations, and completing fabrication and installation.

Applications will be reviewed by an Artist Selection Panel, which will select a finalist for approval by the Public Art Committee. The selected artist will then work with consultants on design proposals for review and approval prior to fabrication. Design proposals will be evaluated based on artistic merit, appropriateness in scale and form, alignment with project goals, feasibility of construction and installation, budget and timeline feasibility, and contribution to the diversity of the City's public art collection. Applicants must submit an artist statement, previous work examples, resume, and letter of interest. Work sample requirements: minimum 1 image, maximum 6 images; audio and video samples optional (0-6 each); total samples 1-6.