Lomaland Recreation Center/Library 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 Lomaland Recreation Center/Library, located in the Mission Valley area between the I-10 corridor and the Rio Grande River. The Lomaland park is approximately 10 acres in size and will serve a predominant Mexican American population. The recreation center will be approximately 15,000–20,000 square feet and may include two stories, with a gymnasium, fitness room, classrooms, and support elements.

This public art project will commission an artist or artists to design and develop an interactive or functional public art piece within the Lomaland Recreation Center/Library. The project provides the opportunity for the artist to fully engage with the community in developing the concept and design of the artwork. The total project budget is $200,000 to include design, fabrication, and installation. This budget is all-inclusive and must cover design fees, travel expenses, all materials and fabrication costs, insurance costs, engineering expenses, shipping and transportation to the site, and installation.

Artists must provide an artist statement, previous work examples, resume, and letter of interest. Applications will be reviewed by an Artist Selection Panel comprised of representatives from the design consultant, community, City departments, a visual art professional, and a member of the Public Art Committee. The Panel will select 3–5 finalists to proceed to the proposal phase. Selection criteria include experience with functional or interactive public artworks in collaboration with public entities, experience with large outdoor sculptures, and review of resume, letter of interest, and previous successful public art projects. The selected finalist will be placed under contract to provide design proposals for review and approval prior to fabrication and installation.