Tampa Convention Center Renovation - Public Art Commission

The City of Tampa is seeking professional artists for public art commissions as part of the Tampa Convention Center renovation. The Convention Center is located on the waterfront in downtown Tampa and covers over 600,000 gross square feet with 200,000 square feet of exhibit space. The facility hosts approximately 300 event days annually with around 300,000 visitors per year.

Four site opportunities are available: (I) Large-scale two-dimensional artwork for three elevated bays, approximately 10' x 30' each, with a budget of $250,000 per 10' x 60' bay; (II) Suspended artwork in a rotunda space overlooking the Garrison Channel with a budget of $400,000; (III) Reworking of entrance locations for East and West Halls with a budget of $50,000 each; (IV) Purchase of existing artwork for multiple areas with a budget of $450,000. Artwork content should relate to and be appropriate for its location, with interest in pieces addressing the region, quality of light and environment, cultural heritage, diversity, and traditions of the area.

Commissioned artists are expected to work with city staff and design teams, create conceptual and final design proposals, participate in design reviews, implement approved designs, create maintenance manuals, provide content for interpretative signage, and collaborate on educational content. The anticipated project schedule includes notification of selected artists in Q2 2022, design development through Q2-Q3 2022, implementation from Q4 2022 through Q2 2023, and artwork installation completion by Q2 2023. Applications must include contact information and website, 10-15 work samples, work sample descriptions, a resume (limit three pages emphasizing public art experience), and a letter of interest (not exceeding 3,000 characters). Artist teams may submit joint applications with resumes for each member. Do not submit proposals or visual illustrations with your application. Eligibility is open to professional artists with experience executing ideas from concept to completion, meeting specified budgets and timeframes, and working in the public realm with public agencies.