Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden

The Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden is a Request for Qualifications for professional artists and artist teams to design an urban art garden celebrating Isaac Murphy, one of the greatest race riders in American history and a pioneer for African American athletes. The garden will honor Murphy's accomplishments and those of other prominent African American jockeys who contributed to Lexington's horse racing legacy.

The project site is located at the intersection of Third Street and Midland Avenue in Lexington's East End, approximately one-third acre with high visibility from both pedestrian and vehicular traffic (averaging 20,600 vehicles daily on Midland Avenue). The garden will serve as a railhead to the Legacy Trail, connecting downtown Lexington to the Kentucky Horse Park. Eligible applicants must be professional artists or artist teams with a track record of successful public art installations exceeding $100,000, demonstrated ability to work with design professionals, and comfort with community engagement. Submissions must include a letter of interest (maximum 2 pages), resume/curriculum vitae, professional references, and visual documentation of past projects on CD in JPEG format. Up to five finalists will be selected to submit fully developed proposals and will be compensated up to $1,500 each, with limited funds available for travel and lodging assistance. The postmark deadline for qualifications is January 6, 2010. Finalists will be selected by January 13, 2010, with the selected artist(s) announced April 9, 2010, and dedication scheduled for September 17, 2010. Questions may be directed to LexArts at 859.255.2951 or submissions may be sent to LexArts, 161 North Mill Street, Lexington, KY 40507.