RAGBRAI: Public Art

The Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation is seeking professional artists to submit qualifications for a public art commission on Southwest 5th Street in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The project will commission a major public art work to honor John Karras and Donald Kaul, who founded RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), the oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world. The artwork will be located in a plaza adjacent to and north of the Jackson Street Bridge, which spans the Raccoon River and connects to a popular trail system linking downtown to Gray's Lake Park.

The selected work should be visible and appealing for both drive-by and pedestrian viewing while considering public safety. Materials and structure must be suitable for outdoor environments and withstand local climate extremes of hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters, with minimal maintenance requirements. The estimated budget for artistic design, fabrication and installation is not to exceed $100,000. This RFQ is open to experienced professional public artists, including sculptors or other visual art professionals qualified in design, implementation, and management of installation costs for public art projects. Artists must be at least 18 years of age.

The selection process involves four phases. Phase 1 requires submission of a current resume/CV, statement of availability, three professional references, and four digital images of recent work with title, media, dimensions, project budget, completion date, and description (100-word limit). Phase 2 finalists will be selected by June 30, 2017, and will each receive a $3,000 honorarium and $2,000 travel stipend upon submission of concept proposals. Phase 2 finalists will develop concept designs with stakeholder input during summer 2017, with presentations in early fall 2017. Phase 3 involves selection of the artist/team and design development in fall 2017. Phase 4 covers fabrication and installation in 2017-18. The entry deadline is May 31, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. MDT.