Walnut Park Library Public Art RFQ

The County of Yolo and Yolo County Library is seeking permanent works of public art to be integrated into the Walnut Park Library in Davis, CA. The 12,000 square-foot building, designed by WMB Architects, will feature a large community room, study rooms, children's, young adult and adult collections, children's areas indoor and out, and a teen space. Located in Walnut Park adjacent to Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School, Peregrine School and the park's soccer fields, tennis courts and walking trails along Lillard Drive, the library will break ground in Fall 2024.

Artwork should consider one or more of the following elements: draw inspiration and context from the place and people of the South Davis community, including nearby Putah Creek and surrounding agricultural lands; be reflective of the library's role as a connector of people and ideas, hub of community gathering, and education; provide imagery that is relatable and recognizable to the general public; inspire engagement in reading and storytelling; evoke a sense of comfort for and be inviting to multi-generational visitors; and consider the design, architecture and scale of the site and building. Artwork that is inherently political, religious, or otherwise exclusive of any factor of the social stratum shall be deemed inappropriate for this project.

Three publicly accessible areas have been identified for public art enhancements: exterior wall on the south side of the entry plaza (maximum 8'x10', 1,000 lbs); interior foyer ceiling (maximum 35'x10', minimum 25'x6', 500 lbs); and interior rotating doors at the entrance to the main collection room (3 panels, 8'x8' each). The project is open to experienced professional artists or artist teams in the Western United States (Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada). A group of 3-5 artists will be selected and paid a $750 stipend to provide site-specific proposals. The Art Advisory Committee will review submissions and make a final recommendation for commission(s) to be reviewed and accepted by the County of Yolo Board of Supervisors. Applicants must submit an artist statement (maximum 350 words), resume (maximum 2 pages), 5-10 digital image files with titles, support description list (maximum 2 pages), minimum three references with contact information, and preliminary proposal (maximum 250 words). All insurance liabilities must be met by the artist(s). The selected artist will be required to comply with American Disabilities Act requirements and related federal, state and local codes.