Palmdale 10th Street East Roundabout Sculptures

The City of Palmdale is seeking a California-based artist to design and fabricate two sculptures for newly constructed roundabouts at 10th Street East as part of a traffic calming initiative. The sculptures will be installed in the roundabouts to enrich the environment and transform the urban landscape. Applications are open to individual or collaborative artists 18 years of age or older who reside in California.

The all-inclusive project budget is $110,000, covering the artist's fee, fabrication, welding, engineering, equipment rentals, transportation, installation, and all other project-related expenses. The selected artist will receive a $450 stipend to submit a color sketch or digital image of the proposed artworks to scale. Community survey results indicated strong support for sculptures that are both traditional and playful, reflecting Palmdale's city center character and honoring Courson Park. Suggested themes include public art that bookends the corridor and celebrates the local landscape, including the desert, Joshua trees, yucca trees, poppies, and lake.

Sculptures must be original, family-friendly designs suitable for all ages, with a maximum height of 17 feet and footprint of 8' by 8'. Sculptures must weigh no more than 3,000 pounds and be constructed of durable materials capable of withstanding harsh desert weather conditions (high winds up to 110 mph and extreme temperatures) with a projected lifespan of 20-30 years. Sculptures should not be kinetic or interactive and must not depict sexual conduct, sexually explicit nudity, or advertise illegal activities. Artists must demonstrate experience with their chosen material and provide a maintenance schedule. If selected, designs must be reviewed by a California licensed engineer and any welds inspected by a California certified welder. The selected artist must obtain a City of Palmdale business license and provide insurance as specified in the project agreement. All deliveries must be Free on Board (FOB) to the installation site.

Application deadline: September 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. MDT. Required materials include artist's resume, 6-10 examples of previous sculpture work, 3 professional references, and a statement of interest. Jury dates: September 23 - October 1, 2025.