City of Walnut Creek Seeks Professional Artists/Teams for Site-Specific Public Art

The City of Walnut Creek, CA is seeking professional artists and/or artist teams to submit qualifications to create significant, site-specific public artwork(s) as part of the new Heather Farm Park Aquatic and Community Center located at 301 N San Carlos Dr in Walnut Creek.

For the most up-to-date information and timeline, please visit bedfordgallery.org/public-art/heather-farm-park-rfq

View on Bedford Gallery's Site

View the RFQ: Public Art at Heather Farm Park Aquatic and Community Center

To respond to this RFQ, please submit materials through SlideRoom. There is no fee to submit. No mailed, emailed, faxed or hand-delivered applications will be considered. Please allow adequate time to submit your application in case unforeseen technical issues arise. SlideRoom technical support is available Monday – Saturday by email, 7am - 7pm (PT) at support@slideroom.com.

All applications must be submitted online by 12:00pm PT (noon) July 11, 2024.

Questions received:

Is it permissible for art advisors/art consultants to submit an application on behalf of an artist they represent? 
Yes, so long as the artist/artist group is aware that an arts professional is submitting on their behalf and understands that if awarded the project, the contract will be between the artist and the City.

Will you please clarify the budget breakdown for this project?
Artist(s) may propose a singular project or a cohesive series of work that utilizes the entire $953,500 budget for their project, which includes design, fabrication, installation, travel costs, etc. OR artist(s) may propose a project which only utilizes a portion of the entire budget, e.g. up to $100K or $200K for a smaller project and/or a 2D project which would not require the entire budget.

What are the dimensions of the walls where artwork might be placed?
There are three walls which could potentially accommodate artwork:

1. The North Community Center Lobby interior wall measures 9 feet, 6 inches in height by 25 feet, 10 inches in length
2. The South Community Center Lobby interior wall measures 7 feet, 6 inches in height by 35 feet, 6 inches (then meets a door) followed by 9 feet, seven inches in length
3. An exterior wall near front entrance measures 10 feet in height by 47 feet, 10 inches in length

Are you seeking applications for 2D (painted murals) in addition to 3D works? 
Yes, there are several potential locations where 2D work would be appropriate (see above) and the artist selection panel will be considering proposals for both 2D and 3D works.

Should I include examples of past projects in my application?  What if the projects were completed for a much smaller budget than what you are offering?
Yes, please include a maximum of three examples of past work in your application, regardless of the budget that was assigned to the project. 

I am planning to propose a mural, am I correct in assuming this would be for the budget option that is under $200K?
It is up to the applicant to determine which budget they think is most appropriate for their work. Project budgets may be justified by myriad factors such as time, concept, materials, fabrication, installation, travel, etc.

Can you also clarify that [as an artist] we would have to pay prevailing wages for these projects for labor and installation costs per the state of California for these sites? 
Yes, prevailing wages will likely be required, consistent with other City projects. You will need to factor in payment to professional art handlers/installers/fabricators, etc., which will come out of the overall budget. It is recommended to have bids in place for materials, fabrication, installation, travel, etc. as part of your proposal(s) to ensure the budget is feasible to support the scope of the project.

Is this application open to international artists?
Yes