EastMain Park and Plaza Public Art Master Plan and Commission

The Town of Parker Cultural Department is seeking qualifications from an artist or artist team to create a public art master plan and at least one piece of public art for the Town's new 1.4-acre EastMain Park/Plaza. The selected artist will receive a $10,000 fee to conduct stakeholder meetings and generate a narrative with accompanying renderings that identifies recommended locations and provides design guidelines for public art. The Town has committed an additional $100,000 to complete the design, fabrication, and installation of at least one artwork. The Town has a pending grant application with the National Endowment for the Arts that could provide an additional $200,000 to increase the scale or commission more artworks, with notification expected in July.

The EastMain Park/Plaza will consist of a large grass area with a band shell, ice skating trail, and fire pits, plus a smaller hardscape plaza with a spray fountain and seating. The site will be bordered on the east by the new Parker Library and on the west by a new mixed-use development. The hardscape plaza, located directly on Main Street adjacent to the library entrance, is a likely location for a monumental piece of art. Smaller and more intimate artworks may be placed among landscape plantings along the ice skating trail and on library grounds.

The master plan deliverable must include a narrative with renderings identifying recommended public art locations and offering design guidelines that complement the overall development and reflect Parker's authentic past and present. The planning process will include meetings with the park/plaza landscape designer, library and mixed-use development architects, community stakeholders including local artists and historical society members, the Parker Cultural Commission, Town Council members, and relevant Town staff. The artwork budget of $100,000 minimum must cover all design fees, travel expenses, materials, fabrication costs, architect/engineering fees, shipping, installation costs, and commercial liability insurance. A maquette or model is required for Town Council approval. Any expenses exceeding the contracted amount are the artist's responsibility. This project is open to United States artists only. Up to three finalists will be selected based on past works and experience and will be interviewed either in-person or via video. The selection committee will select the artist in mid-June. The master plan is targeted for approval in September and artwork design approval by Parker Town Council in October, with installation targeted for summer 2016.