Playa Drain Trail

The Playa Drain Trail is a partnership of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, City of El Paso, and El Paso Water. The Health Foundation is contributing $2 million for the design and construction of the trail from Ascarate Park to Riverside High School. The City of El Paso is contributing $300,000 from the Quality of Life Bond for trail amenities like benches and shade structures. El Paso Water purchased the Playa Drain for storm water management and is allowing for joint use as a trail.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation seeks an artist or artist team to work with students in select schools in the Ysleta Independent School District to interpret and express the Health Foundation's mission, values and priorities in promoting health and preventing disease; respect and celebrate the different characteristics of communities along the Playa Drain Trail with public art appropriately tailored to each neighborhood; and showcase how high quality, publicly accessible works of art can contribute to the urban and natural landscape and create a sense of place. The selected artist will create original artwork mosaic designs and assist with fabrication oversight and installation. These works will be displayed in 2 entry-way mosaics and 14 quarter-mile marker mosaics along the trail from Ascarate Park to Riverside High School.

Eligibility: Open to professional artists living within a 100-mile radius of El Paso, Texas with prior experience working with students to develop, fabricate and install public art mosaics. The selected artist must sign a contract with the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, meet all contractual obligations including passing background checks required by Ysleta Independent School District, engage in meetings with the Health Foundation, City staff, community stakeholders and students, and adhere to a timeline to complete the project by June 2018. Submission requirements include a letter of interest, description of process for working with students, proposed budget, resume, and six images of completed past artworks. Selection will be based on vision for the project, proposed process to engage students, aesthetic merit of past projects, experience in creating public artworks in collaboration with community members and students, and project budget. Selection notification is September 30, 2017.