Pleasant Oaks Recreation Center Public Art Project

The Public Art Program of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs requests submissions of qualifications from artists or artist teams to design, fabricate and install a work of public art at the Pleasant Oaks Recreation Center (PORC), 8701 Greenmound Ave, Dallas, TX 75227. The project budget is $79,000.

Pleasant Oaks Recreation Center is located in Southeast Dallas in the Pleasant Grove community and features multiple athletic fields, a tennis court, a newly renovated playground, large picnic area with shade trees, a walking trail, and a large pool open during the summer. The neighborhood is diverse and home to many families who visit and attend activities at the center. The area is known for its natural beauty, numerous oak trees and parks. Pleasant Grove was first settled in the 1840s and was flourishing by the early 1900s. The first school was built in 1916, and by 1937 Pleasant Grove had its own school district. In 1954 Pleasant Grove was annexed by Dallas.

Artwork should reference and celebrate the area's natural environment, be visible in the landscape, and welcome visitors to the recreation center. Artwork should also reference the area's history, diversity and family life, require little maintenance for an expected lifespan of 20 years, and be free of safety hazards. Up to three artists or artist-teams will be selected and contracted to develop a site-specific concept design. Each selected artist will receive a $1,500 stipend to cover costs of producing a site-specific public art concept proposal, including site visits, community meetings, site research, production of the concept, and travel to present the proposal.

Submission deadline: March 27, 2018. Required materials: recent professional resume, up to 6 images of previous projects with comparable budgets, image information identifying title, date, location, materials, dimensions, budget and commissioning entity, letter of interest, and three professional references. All professional artists are eligible to apply except those currently under contract with the City of Dallas Public Art Program, City of Dallas employees and their spouses, members of the Public Art Committee, consultants under contract for any phase of the project, and undergraduate students. Local artists are strongly encouraged to apply.