Headquarters Lobby & Terrace Public Art Commission - Public Works Campus, Bend, Oregon

The City of Bend in partnership with Art in Public Places invites professional artists to apply for a public art commission for the new Headquarters Building on the Public Works Campus in Bend, Oregon. The commission is for a large-scale work of art on three prominent walls in the public lobbies and outdoor terrace of the main Headquarters Building. The work of art should be one continuous idea that spans between the three walls. The lobby is a 2-story vaulted space with the work of art continuing up to the third-floor lobby wall and outside to a third-floor terrace. The project timeline is 2024-2025 with a project budget of $185,000.

Artists must reside in one of the following states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, or Texas. The City of Bend actively encourages individuals from Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQIA+ artists to apply. Local artist participation is also valued and supported.

The work of art should draw inspiration from the unique contributions of Public Works departments, the natural environment and topography of Central Oregon, or the Native history of the location. The work can be abstract, integrative, discoverable, and employ a variety of materials, colors, and lighting. The work will be mounted to concrete shear walls at the first and third floor lobby spaces and to a metal stud-framed wall with rusted metal panel finish at the terrace. Maximum weight is 15 pounds per square foot. The main floor lobby wall is 9' wide by 30' tall; the third floor lobby wall is 9' wide by 14' tall; the terrace wall is 16' wide by 14' tall. Materials used for the terrace must be durable to weather and UV conditions in Oregon. Applicants must submit 6 images. The selected artist will work with a conservator, the City of Bend, and the architectural design team on material selection and design revisions.