Murphy Road & Third Street Roundabout Public Art Commission

Art in Public Places (AiPP) invites artists to submit qualifications for a public art installation in a roundabout at Murphy Road & Third Street in Bend, Oregon. This new roundabout at the south end of town provides highway access into the city off Highway 97. The selected public art sculpture will be the first sculpture many people see as they exit the freeway and drive into town. Third Street, which starts at this intersection, is the main thoroughfare through town.

The roundabout borders numerous businesses, two shopping centers, and the edge of a residential area. The roundabout is a true circle with a circumference of 285 feet. The area available within the roundabout for a sculpture is almost true center, with the hardscape (truck apron) wrapping the available space roughly 20 feet wide. The roundabout requires a large scale work of art or multiple sculptures.

This is an open competition for professional artists residing in the Northwest and Southwest United States, specifically Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Artists must demonstrate experience with public art projects, materials suitable for public outdoor settings, site-specific design, and collaboration with other artists, architects, engineers, fabricators, and city staff. The committee will evaluate submissions based on artistic excellence, innovation, interactivity, originality, and the work's ability to enhance the natural landscape and enliven this public space. Kinetic or solar-powered elements are welcome, and a variety of mediums and techniques are considered provided the work is durable, weather-resistant, and vandal-resistant.

Submissions must include six digital images of completed past works with title, medium, dimensions, date completed, project budget, location, and commissioning agency; a letter of interest; current resume; and two references. The total project budget shall not exceed $100,000, including permit fees, stamped engineering drawings, transportation, and installation. Finalists will submit an itemized budget. Application deadline: June 8, 2015. Notification of finalists: Mid-Late June 2015. Artist presentation of models/proposals: Mid-July 2015. Public comment and presentation of models: August 2015. Selection: Late August 2015. Installation: Spring 2016.