Simpson Park Public Art

The City of Alexandria, Virginia invites established professional artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for a public art project as part of the Simpson Park Playground and Passive Space Renovation. The selected artist will join an interdisciplinary design team and work collaboratively to integrate public art into the overall renovation design. The artist will attend public meetings and present a minimum of three concept designs, refine the chosen design based on public comment, and oversee fabrication and installation of the public art.

The artist fee is $30,000, with a budget of $65,000 for fabrication and installation. Simpson Park, located at 425 E. Monroe Avenue, is a 15-acre open space in the Del Ray neighborhood. The restoration project is at the northwest corner of the park near the intersection of Leslie and E. Duncan Avenues. Artists must demonstrate artistic merit, experience working with communities on engaging artwork, experience collaborating with city staff and design professionals, and probability of successful project execution.

Applicants must submit an artist statement (maximum 1000 words), letter of interest (maximum 1000 words), and resume (maximum 4 pages). Three semifinalists will be selected to visit Alexandria for interviews and site tours, and will submit a post-interview statement (maximum 1000 words). The artist will be required to sign a contract with the City of Alexandria and obtain a Certificate of Insurance for general liability coverage. Deadline: November 8, 2015 at 11:59pm MDT. Submit questions to Matthew Harwood, Public Art Manager, at [email protected].