N. Palm Avenue and Cocoanut Avenue Roundabout Artwork Design Competition

The City of Sarasota, Florida is sponsoring an outdoor landmark sculpture for placement within a future roadway roundabout at the intersection of N. Palm Avenue and Cocoanut Avenue in a downtown location. This project is part of a new public art initiative focused on acquiring public works of art for roundabouts to be constructed over the next decade. The City intends to construct approximately 16 new roundabouts by 2025 which will incorporate public artwork in the center islands. This Call to Artists is only for the roundabout at N. Palm Avenue and Cocoanut Avenue; additional calls will be issued for other roundabouts in the future as needed.

The design competition will proceed in stages. First, the Public Art Committee will review application materials to identify three finalists. The three selected artists will be invited to present their proposals in person to the Public Art Committee and will receive $1,000 honorariums. Finalists must include a site-specific maquette and other visual depictions of the proposed artwork. The Public Art Committee will rank the three proposals and make a recommendation to the City Commission, which grants final approval. Only one of the three finalists will be offered the commission.

The commissioned work will become part of the City's permanent public art collection. The project budget does not exceed $150,000 and must cover all costs including design, engineering, production, transport, installation, site preparation, lighting, travel expenses, and required insurance. The roundabout will feature a single-lane design with a center island of 24-foot diameter. Artists have a maximum area of 12 feet in diameter for the sculpture, which must not exceed 20 feet in height. The artwork must be a high-quality, free-standing outdoor sculpture of original design, require minimal maintenance, and meet specific design criteria including structural soundness per Florida Building Code standards for 150 MPH winds, compatibility with Sarasota's subtropical climate, and various safety and aesthetic requirements. Submissions must include a written description of the proposed artwork with title, media type, dimensions, weight, and fabrication information; up to 8 images; a resume; a proposed budget estimate; images of previous artwork; and 3 or more professional references.