Sculpture Garden Public Art Project

The City of Santa Clarita is seeking three sculptural art works for its Public Art program. Artist(s) are invited to submit portfolios of past work for consideration. Up to five artists will be invited to submit site-specific proposals for sculptural art works to be permanently located on concrete pads along the Canyon Country Community Center walking paths. The City intends to select one artist to design and fabricate three art works. The all-inclusive budget for this project is $60,000 in total for three art works.

The three sculptures will be located on outdoor walkways surrounding the Canyon Country Community Center, which features a 'California Rustic' theme. Sculptures should reflect a connection to the Canyon Country Community Center and surrounding community. Art work must be an original design suitable for viewing by all ages and may not be created for advertisement or to promote business, product, or viewpoint. Designs must not include any breach of intellectual property, trademarks, brands, business names, corporate or organizational branding, or images of drugs. Art work can be of any medium, but artists should consider materials that can withstand desert climate conditions (high winds, extreme temperatures) and uncovered weather, with inherent resistance to theft, vandalism, and excessive maintenance costs. Artists must describe their experience working with the proposed material and provide a suggested maintenance schedule.

Art work must fit on a pre-determined concrete pad measuring 6' by 6' with usable corner-to-corner space of 8-1/2' by 8-1/2'. Art work should be no less than 8' and no more than 15' in height including the base. Weight must scale per height: 15' maximum 1,675 pounds; 12' maximum 2,200 pounds; 10' maximum 2,800 pounds; 8' maximum 4,000 pounds. Art work must be installed with sufficient anchoring to prevent removal, tipping, breaking, or overturning due to wind or earthquake. Power is not available onsite; if required, solar components are suggested. Each art work must comply with standard engineering practices, not present a hazard to public safety, and conform to ADA standards.

Up to five artists will be invited to create site-specific proposals and will receive a $1,000 honorarium plus $400 accommodation allowance. Semi-finalists must present a 30-minute PowerPoint/PDF proposal to the Artist Selection Committee addressing design guidelines, maintenance and conservation, and project budget. The selected artist is responsible for all design, fabrication, transportation, delivery, and installation expenses, as well as travel and hotel accommodations. The artist must provide installation instructions and a maintenance guide, and is required to include insurance coverage for the installation period only.

Eligibility: Artists 18 years of age or older, located in the U.S., may submit individual or collaborative applications. Application deadline: November 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Required materials submitted through CaFE: cover letter, resume or CV, artist statement, and portfolio of up to ten images of previous sculptural work (at least one must be existing public art). Image descriptions must include materials, dimensions, previously shown location and dates, and maintenance information. Evaluation criteria include visual impact, interpretation and creativity, composition and design, craftsmanship, durability of materials, clarity of project-specific intent, past public art experience, and feasibility. Tentative timeline: February 2021 selections made; March/April 2021 Arts Commission and City Council review; May/June 2021 selected artists notified.