Shute Park Library Public Art Commission

The City of Hillsboro Public Art Program is commissioning artwork for Shute Park Library, located at 775 SE Tenth Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123. The library, recently extensively renovated, sits next to the oldest park in the city with towering Douglas fir trees. The site is identified as a gateway to the downtown area with high visibility at a curve in the road, experiencing over 17,000 cars a day and pedestrian traffic from the neighborhood, library, park, recreation center, senior center, and Latino community businesses.

The artwork site consists of landscape areas directly in front of a prominent blank wall of the library. The art selection committee has identified project goals including: establishing an inviting gateway to downtown; creating a dialog with the space through the wall or rhythm of the trees; generating excitement through form, color, or light; having a strong presence both day and night; inspiring viewers with artwork that is both lively and timeless with connections to lifelong learning and imagination; extending a welcome to all, particularly the diverse ethnic and multi-generational community; and including some form of community engagement. Community engagement is envisioned as a way for the artist to learn from neighbors and library patrons, educate them about the design process, and build excitement about the project. Hands-on participation in artwork creation is not anticipated unless the artist desires it.

Applications are due Monday, April 6, 2015, at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. There is no application fee. Selection criteria include artistic excellence, suitability for the site, durability and maintenance concerns, and strategy for community engagement. Applications must include an artist statement (not exceeding 1000 characters), options for community engagement, visual documentation (up to 10 images in 1920 x 1920 pixel format), and a current resume (not exceeding 2 pages). The preliminary schedule includes semi-finalist selection and site visit in April, community engagement element and design development in May, design proposal presentation in June, and development of final design, fabrication, and installation in July. Contact Valerie Otani, Public Art Program Supervisor, at 503-615-3489 or [email protected].