Himmel Park Library Public Art Opportunity RFQ

In collaboration with Pima County, the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is seeking a qualified Public Artist or Artist Team for commission through a Request for Qualifications application process (RFQ). This is a request for qualifications only; do not submit proposals for artwork at this time.

Pima County's 1% for Public Art program, established in 1990, is dedicated to enhancing public spaces with meaningful artworks that reflect the county's unique character and cultural heritage. The Himmel Park Library is a beloved neighborhood resource located in the historic Sam Hughes Neighborhood at First Street and Treat Avenue. The current renovation project will preserve the library's historic reading room while creating a new, expanded facility with a larger children's area, flexible multi-purpose room, computer commons, and outdoor spaces including a reading porch and staff patio. Artists are encouraged to consider work that reflects the library's role as a welcoming, intergenerational space that fosters community, imagination, and shared experience, considering the deep neighborhood roots and the vital connection between the library, park, and community members.

Sculptural work is preferred for this opportunity. Artwork should be primarily composed of durable metal or similarly resilient materials resistant to graffiti, theft, and tampering, appropriate for long-term exposure to the Sonoran Desert climate, including intense sunlight, heat, and seasonal monsoons. Potential locations include the new reading porch on the south side of the building (which could be incorporated into the fence structure), a freestanding piece in the patio area, or mounted sculptural work on architectural walls. Final placement will be determined in collaboration with the selected artist, design team, and project stakeholders. The all-inclusive budget of $35,692 must cover design, materials, production, transportation, installation, permits, taxes, insurance, soil analysis, engineering, and mounting. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2025 and last approximately 20 months. The application deadline is July 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time. Work sample requirements: minimum 6 images, maximum 10 images; minimum 0 videos, maximum 5 videos; total samples minimum 6, maximum 15.