CITY ISSUES CALL TO ARTISTS FOR PUBLIC ART AT FUTURE ROUNDABOUT
Sarasota, FL: A Call to Artists is underway for the creation of an original landmark sculpture to be placed at a future roundabout at Orange Avenue and Ringling Boulevard and will become part of the City’s permanent public art collection.
Specific details about the project, including budget, the application process, and selection process are posted at www.CallForEntry.org
Artists with a proven track record of creating significant outdoor public art commissions, which can withstand the Florida elements, are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submissions is June 5, 2016.
While there is no central theme or stylistic preference for the sculpture, design criteria will help guide the selection of the piece by the Public Art Committee with final approval by the City Commission. Included in the overall design criteria:
- The piece should be high quality and free standing
- Complement the Orange Avenue/Ringling Boulevard roundabout location
- Require minimal maintenance (no water features)
- Must be an original design
- Can be appreciated from a distance (does not draw people toward it)
- Must not exceed 20 feet in height
- Must not display messages or contain signs, flashing lights etc.
The project budget cannot exceed $150,000.
Artists are required to submit qualifications, digital images and a brief description outlining their initial concept for the project.
Images of completed works within the City’s public art collection can be reviewed at: www.SarasotaGov.com
Three finalists will be invited to present their proposals to the Public Art Committee. The Public Art Committee will make a recommendation to the City Commission, which will have final approval.
The current timeline for the roundabout sculpture, which is subject to change, is as follows:
- Submission Deadline: June 5, 2016
- Submissions Review by Public Art Committee: July 2016
- Finalists’ Presentations to Public Art Committee: September 2016
- Recommendation Presented to City Commission: November 2016
- Artist Under Contract: December 2016
- Installation: November 2017
Staff members with the Neighborhood and Development Services Department, which oversees the public art program, are coordinating this public art project far in advance of the construction of the Orange Avenue/Ringling Boulevard roundabout, to ensure the sculpture is ready for installation when the roundabout opens. Construction on the roundabout is expected to begin in Summer 2017.
For more information visit the Call for Entry website: www.CallForEntry.org or contact David Smith, Neighborhood & Development Services General Manager: 941-365-2200 ext. 4175.
About the City of Sarasota: Distinguished by Google as a Digital Capital in the U.S., the City of Sarasota is a diverse community located on Florida’s Suncoast with 53,000 year round residents, several internationally recognized cultural arts venues, stunning sunsets along Lido Beach, a 45-hole municipal golf course at the historic Bobby Jones Golf Club, and Major League spring training baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. Learn more about us at www.SarasotaGov.com
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