RFQ# 25/26-0007 OUTDOOR PUBLIC ARTWORK
Description of Victoria College
Victoria College (“VC”) was established as a part of the Victoria Independent School District in 1925, making it one of the oldest community colleges in Texas. Classes were initially held on the third floor of the Patti Welder High School with 51 students enrolling that first semester. In September 1949, VC moved to our present-day Main Campus on Red River Street and constructed four buildings that year. A century later, VC has grown to include 16 buildings on our 60-acre Main Campus and has expanded operations to include the Zelda L. Allen School of Nursing in Hallettsville in 1984; the Museum of the Coastal Bend in 2003; the Gonzales Center in 2006; the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Victoria in 2012; the Liberty Street Industrial Training Center in 2012; and the Emerging Technology Complex on Lone Tree Road in 2015. Over the years, VC has undergone several name changes; expanded our workforce training, adult
education, and dual enrollment offerings; and evolved into a thriving community college that now serves approximately 6,200 students each year.
Victoria College provides a friendly, tobacco-free vapor-free environment at all of its campuses and satellite facilities. No alcohol whatsoever will be permitted on campus grounds. Victoria College is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and to respecting the right of individuals who are licensed to carry a handgun where permitted by law. Individuals who are licensed to carry may do so on campus premises or in a college owned vehicle except in locations and at activities prohibited by law or by this policy. Individuals who observe a violation of this policy are required to report the incident immediately to VC Police & Campus Safety, so it can be documented and properly investigated. VC Police & Campus Safety can be contacted at 361-582-
2406. https://VictoriaCollege.edu/CampusPoliceSecurity Victoria College’s web page is located at https://www.VictoriaCollege.edu
Purpose
Victoria College (VC) is embarking on a project to improve the safety and aesthetics of the campus trail network. The project location is the VC Main Campus located at 2200 E. Red River Street, Victoria, TX, 77901-4442. The 2.5-mile trail network consists of a core 1-mile trail and four special interest trail loops. Each loop relates to the College’s mission and programming. The loops are history, STEM, physical education, and visual arts. Victoria College is seeking artists to install pieces that will be a notable element of the trail’s visual arts loop. Proposed artwork(s) should be timeless, providing students, employees and visitors a reason to gravitate
to areas in which artwork is placed and to interact with that artwork in some form or fashion. A Request for Proposals may be issued to artists who respond to this RFQ. The artist contract(s) resulting from the RFP will include an educational component benefiting Victoria College art students and a community engagement component benefiting members of the public.
Eligibility
This RFQ is open to all professional artists residing in the United States. To minimize costs and achieve the most advantageous use of funds, preference may be given to artists who live and work in the State of Texas.
Timeline
March 2026 – RFQ
April 2026 – RFP for invited finalists
April 2027 – Final artist contract negotiations
September 2027 – Artist contract begins
August 2028 – Artist contract ends
The artwork(s) must be installed within six months of the execution date of the artist’s contract. It
is anticipated that the educational and community engagement activities will occur when the artist
is on campus to install their work. All dates above are subject to change.
Budget
Funding for the final artist contract is contingent upon Victoria College securing grant funds for this project. The maximum budget for proposals will be $2,500 - $15,000 per artwork. It is Victoria College’s goal to commission between 1-6 artworks. At the College’s discretion, this may result in contracts for multiple works from a single artist or multiple artists. Proposal budgets should be commensurate with the scale and complexity of the Project Proposal.
Design and Theme
Preference will be given to artwork that is an original design that is executed during the grant period. However, VC will consider the purchase of existing artwork from an artist portfolio if it conforms to all other criteria in this RFQ. Artists proposing to sell existing work must be able to deliver and install the work during the artist contract period specified in the Timeline if chosen as a finalist during the subsequent RFP process. Additional costs for shipping, installation, etcetera,
should be specified in the Project Proposal (see Submission Requirements). Artwork may include three-dimensional work, such as sculpture; sidewalk art; or multi-purpose work, such as artistic benches or a sculptural tree. The proposed artwork must have appropriate impact as our inaugural piece(s) for the campus trail project, preferably being a substantial, vertical piece. Artwork must not contain or convey images, words, or themes that are profane, lewd, religious, or political in nature. Artists should consult the included map of the campus trail system for the potential locations of the commissioned works. The visual arts trail loop is shown in purple, with artworks to be installed at or near the locations marked with purple dots.
Artists are encouraged to consider the following thematic suggestions, and their own artistic
vision, in their creative concepts:
• Victoria College. Link to Victoria College website: https://www.victoriacollege.edu/Explore/AboutVC/VisionMissionHistory.
• Victoria and Texas Coastal Bend. Link to Victoria College’s Museum of the Coastal Bend: https://www.museumofthecoastalbend.org/.
• Time, transformation, and change. VC was established in 1925 and celebrated its centennial in 2025.
• The community college experience, i.e., a piece that resonates with college students.
Victoria College (“VC”) was established as a part of the Victoria Independent School District in 1925, making it one of the oldest community colleges in Texas. Classes were initially held on the third floor of the Patti Welder High School with 51 students enrolling that first semester. In September 1949, VC moved to our present-day Main Campus on Red River Street and constructed four buildings that year. A century later, VC has grown to include 16 buildings on our 60-acre Main Campus and has expanded operations to include the Zelda L. Allen School of Nursing in Hallettsville in 1984; the Museum of the Coastal Bend in 2003; the Gonzales Center in 2006; the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Victoria in 2012; the Liberty Street Industrial Training Center in 2012; and the Emerging Technology Complex on Lone Tree Road in 2015. Over the years, VC has undergone several name changes; expanded our workforce training, adult
education, and dual enrollment offerings; and evolved into a thriving community college that now serves approximately 6,200 students each year.
Victoria College provides a friendly, tobacco-free vapor-free environment at all of its campuses and satellite facilities. No alcohol whatsoever will be permitted on campus grounds. Victoria College is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and to respecting the right of individuals who are licensed to carry a handgun where permitted by law. Individuals who are licensed to carry may do so on campus premises or in a college owned vehicle except in locations and at activities prohibited by law or by this policy. Individuals who observe a violation of this policy are required to report the incident immediately to VC Police & Campus Safety, so it can be documented and properly investigated. VC Police & Campus Safety can be contacted at 361-582-
2406. https://VictoriaCollege.edu/CampusPoliceSecurity Victoria College’s web page is located at https://www.VictoriaCollege.edu
Purpose
Victoria College (VC) is embarking on a project to improve the safety and aesthetics of the campus trail network. The project location is the VC Main Campus located at 2200 E. Red River Street, Victoria, TX, 77901-4442. The 2.5-mile trail network consists of a core 1-mile trail and four special interest trail loops. Each loop relates to the College’s mission and programming. The loops are history, STEM, physical education, and visual arts. Victoria College is seeking artists to install pieces that will be a notable element of the trail’s visual arts loop. Proposed artwork(s) should be timeless, providing students, employees and visitors a reason to gravitate
to areas in which artwork is placed and to interact with that artwork in some form or fashion. A Request for Proposals may be issued to artists who respond to this RFQ. The artist contract(s) resulting from the RFP will include an educational component benefiting Victoria College art students and a community engagement component benefiting members of the public.
Eligibility
This RFQ is open to all professional artists residing in the United States. To minimize costs and achieve the most advantageous use of funds, preference may be given to artists who live and work in the State of Texas.
Timeline
March 2026 – RFQ
April 2026 – RFP for invited finalists
April 2027 – Final artist contract negotiations
September 2027 – Artist contract begins
August 2028 – Artist contract ends
The artwork(s) must be installed within six months of the execution date of the artist’s contract. It
is anticipated that the educational and community engagement activities will occur when the artist
is on campus to install their work. All dates above are subject to change.
Budget
Funding for the final artist contract is contingent upon Victoria College securing grant funds for this project. The maximum budget for proposals will be $2,500 - $15,000 per artwork. It is Victoria College’s goal to commission between 1-6 artworks. At the College’s discretion, this may result in contracts for multiple works from a single artist or multiple artists. Proposal budgets should be commensurate with the scale and complexity of the Project Proposal.
Design and Theme
Preference will be given to artwork that is an original design that is executed during the grant period. However, VC will consider the purchase of existing artwork from an artist portfolio if it conforms to all other criteria in this RFQ. Artists proposing to sell existing work must be able to deliver and install the work during the artist contract period specified in the Timeline if chosen as a finalist during the subsequent RFP process. Additional costs for shipping, installation, etcetera,
should be specified in the Project Proposal (see Submission Requirements). Artwork may include three-dimensional work, such as sculpture; sidewalk art; or multi-purpose work, such as artistic benches or a sculptural tree. The proposed artwork must have appropriate impact as our inaugural piece(s) for the campus trail project, preferably being a substantial, vertical piece. Artwork must not contain or convey images, words, or themes that are profane, lewd, religious, or political in nature. Artists should consult the included map of the campus trail system for the potential locations of the commissioned works. The visual arts trail loop is shown in purple, with artworks to be installed at or near the locations marked with purple dots.
Artists are encouraged to consider the following thematic suggestions, and their own artistic
vision, in their creative concepts:
• Victoria College. Link to Victoria College website: https://www.victoriacollege.edu/Explore/AboutVC/VisionMissionHistory.
• Victoria and Texas Coastal Bend. Link to Victoria College’s Museum of the Coastal Bend: https://www.museumofthecoastalbend.org/.
• Time, transformation, and change. VC was established in 1925 and celebrated its centennial in 2025.
• The community college experience, i.e., a piece that resonates with college students.