The Equity Fountain Project

The Equity Fountain Project seeks artists to design a public art installation for a 20-foot square space in Hill Park, Helena, Montana, where a fountain was removed in summer 2017. The project is a privately funded initiative to create a new work of art celebrating equity and equality, diversity and respect, generosity, compassion, tolerance, service, peace and justice. The City of Helena has agreed to allow the new installation to utilize the existing pump and plumbing from the former fountain.

Interested artists should submit a letter of interest, CV with description of experience and training, contact information, and images of past projects by April 1, 2018. The committee will select at least three artists to develop designs by June 1, 2018. Each selected artist will receive a $1,000 stipend for design work. Final designs must be submitted by September 15, 2018. A committee of approximately seven artists and architects will review qualifications and designs, with final selection made by the head of the Equity Fountain Project. The selected design becomes the property of the City of Helena; the artist may retain images for their portfolio.

Designs must incorporate water as a key element and consider setting, sound, color, climate (water will only be present 5-6 months annually), lighting, and materials. Designs should ensure full inclusiveness, with any inscriptions flexible enough for transcription into native languages as well as English. The tentative minimum budget is $75,000. Artists whose designs exceed this budget should justify the additional costs. Installation is expected during the 2019 construction season.