Public Art Gateway Project Request for Proposals

The City of Lake Oswego, through its agent the Arts Council of Lake Oswego, seeks proposals for a commissioned public art gateway at Highway 43 and Terwilliger Boulevard. This project will produce a public art work to define the Northeastern gateway (entrance) into Lake Oswego, serving as a marker of boundary as people cross from one place into another. The site is accessible from Highway 43 and Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard and is flanked by Tryon Creek State Park to the east and Tryon Cove Park to the west. Though accessible mainly by vehicular traffic, there are also bike and walking paths adjacent to the proposed site.

Proposals should include an original iconic landmark art piece of substantial scale that welcomes people into the City of Lake Oswego at the Northeastern Gateway without text, is highly visible, and invokes a sense of place. Three proposed areas are available: Area 1 (35' x 14', 490 sq. ft.), Area 2 (35' x 15', 525 sq. ft.), and Area 3 (20' x 8', 160 sq. ft.). Site constraints include ODOT regulations, no text on the piece, no light projecting into the roadway, and nothing suspended over the roadway. The Selection Committee will screen applications and may select 5 or more finalists who will be paid a modest design fee for an interview and presentation of conceptual design proposals. Submissions will be evaluated based on overall quality and merit of past works, aesthetic quality, alignment with project vision, visibility, community enhancement, sense of place, tourism potential, suitability for outdoor permanent installation, artist's ability to meet deadlines, media, and subject matter.

Work sample requirements: minimum 2 images, maximum 10 images; minimum 0 audio files, maximum 2; minimum 0 videos, maximum 2; total samples minimum 2, maximum 14. Entry deadline: May 1, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. MDT. International artists are eligible. Contact: [email protected].