Spokane Nelson Service Center Public Art Commission

The City of Spokane and the Spokane Arts Fund are commissioning an artist or artist team to create outdoor artwork for the Nelson Service Center grounds. The project is particularly suitable for sculptors working with durable outdoor materials.

Artist Eligibility: Artists, architects, or teams of artists residing in the Inland Northwest region of Washington and Idaho. Both emerging and established artists are encouraged to apply. Artists working as a team should submit their application as a package.

Project Details: The estimated budget is $100,000. All artwork will be outdoors and may include sculpture, relief sculpture, or other outdoor art forms. The artwork should be welcoming and enhance the visual appearance of the Nelson Service Center, appealing to a broad age range and uplifting to the spirit, intellect, and physical senses. The artwork will be located on the grounds adjacent to the building, on the building, or near the playground on the northwest corner of the facility. Themes may relate to the history of the neighborhood and city (indigenous cultures, railroad, lumber, or agricultural history), the processes of the facility, or concepts relating to the site itself.

Selection Criteria: The jury will include city staff, an architect, neighborhood representatives, and Spokane Arts Commission members. Selection will be based on artistic merit, relationship to the site and project intent, the artist or team's demonstrated ability to carry out the project, ease and cost of maintenance, and safety of the artwork. Artist selection will be completed by July 30, 2014, with artwork completion by September 15, 2015.

Application Requirements: Submit 10 images of representative past work. The application process is not intended to include designs for the project itself, but rather will be based on the experience and qualifications of the artist or team, the quality of past work, and the artist's expression of their philosophy, vision, and spirit. After initial review, a limited number of artists or teams may be invited for an oral presentation and interview.