Outposts Phase III

The Bernalillo County Arts Board solicits a call for artists to submit qualifications to create five mid-size outdoor sculptures for Phase III of the Outposts sculpture project. Phase III includes roadways in the eastern part of Bernalillo County located near the Sandia Mountains, with proposed locations along the southern part of Tramway Boulevard and North Highway 14. The established budget for Phase III is $25,000 per sculpture. Regional artists residing in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas are eligible to participate.

The Arts Board will select up to 15 semi-finalists from responses to this Request for Qualifications. Semi-finalists will be paid a stipend (TBD) to develop detailed sculpture designs and renderings. From the semi-finalists, the Arts Board will select and award five artists contracts to create and install their sculptures. Sculptures should be approximately 15 feet in height with a 7-foot pedestrian clearance, attached to a metal pipe with a 6-inch diameter set into a cuff and base provided by Bernalillo County. Each art piece should have a structural lifetime of at least 25 years and be able to withstand high altitude ultraviolet rays and sustained winds of 35 miles per hour.

Outposts is a public art trail project conceived by the Bernalillo County Arts Board to create 25 sculptures throughout Bernalillo County. Phases I and II consisted of ten sculptures installed along the Alameda Drain Multi-Use Trail on Second Street in Albuquerque's North Valley. The project aims to connect the five geographically and culturally diverse districts of Bernalillo County. Proposals should include an artist's statement, letter of intent describing design ideas and themes, 3-10 digital images of past work, an annotated image key with full name and numerical listing for each image (title, media, dimensions, year of completion), and resume. Timeline: Call opens 12/15/2023, closes 1/25/2024, proposal review February-March 2024, semi-finalists selected Spring 2024, designs reviewed Summer 2024, five finalists selected Fall 2024, fabrication Winter 2024, installation Spring 2025.