Summer Sculpture Season Starting

Opportunities for Sculptors with these Call for Artists

Below are 9 Call for Artists with deadlines in the next 10 days. These sculpture opportunities include art-on-loan programs as well as commission possibilities of varying size and scope. Check them all out and apply for the one, or several, that best suits you and your work as a sculptor.

There are still a few active Call for Artists in our last post. Click here to see those calls and scroll to the bottom (we do our best to put them in chronological order within each post.)


ADOT I-10 Pedestrian Bridge

Tempe, Arizona

Summary: The City of Tempe invites artists to submit qualifications to create enhancements for two pedestrian bridges that will cross the I-10 connecting residents between the east and west side of Tempe along the freeway. ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) is currently working to design two bridges, one located at Alameda and one connecting the Western Canal. The ADOT aesthetics team has determined a standard bridge cage for these areas. One artist or artist team will be selected to work with the ADOT team on the aesthetics of both bridges with a focus on enhancing the pedestrian experience.

Budget: $400,000

Deadline: 5/29/19

How to apply: Submittable

Eligibility Requirements: This Call to Artists is open to a professional artist or artist team residing and eligible to work the United States.

Special Notes: Some possible areas of artistic enhancements include: 

  • Bridge spans
  • Fence or railing treatments or attachments
  • Truss finish treatments or attachments
  • Pavement / walking surfaces (Approaches, ramps, stairs, bridge deck)
  • Bridge barrier

This is a fast track project that requires an artist or artist team with significant past experience working on highly complex design team projects.

Artists must demonstrate that they have experience with creating construction drawings, fabrication and installation, and have knowledge of durable materials appropriate to the Sonoran Desert climate.

Selected artists must be able to attend regularly scheduled meetings in Arizona with the ADOT aesthetics team throughout the design process, attend public meetings in Tempe as needed, and be available throughout the bid process to respond to requests for information.

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply


ACLU SoCal Inaugural Artist-in-Residence

Los Angeles, California

Summary: The ACLU of Southern California inaugural Artist-in-Residence program will embed an artist into the ACLU SoCal for a year-long collaboration. This unique opportunity will create a platform for the artist to work closely with the ACLU SoCal in developing, implementing, and promoting creative strategies through the lens of the artist’s practice.

Budget: $15,000: The AIR will be given an honorarium of $15,000 as an artist fee. Costs associated with the execution, production, and installation of engagement and activations will be negotiated with the ACLU SoCal.

Deadline: 5/31/19 11:59pm Pacific time

How to apply: email, see link below for instructions

Eligibility Requirements: This residency is open to established and emerging professional artists who live or work in Southern California.

Special Notes: The AIR must be available to participate in onsite meetings with ACLU SoCal staff members in their office in Los Angeles during the duration of the residency.

Click here to read more about this call for artists including application instructions


Art on the River 2019

Dubuque, Iowa

Summary: Work must be of the highest-quality design incorporated into its construction and be able to withstand adverse weather conditions (high winds, rain, heat, snow and freezing temperatures) and an unsupervised general audience. Unstable, fragile, dangerous, inappropriate or small, lightweight works will not be accepted.

All artwork must be for sale and will remain on display for the time frame noted in the Artist Agreement Form. The City of Dubuque will coordinate all financial transactions relating to the sales of artwork. 

During the course of the year, special events will be held to promote the idea of public art and to encourage the public to purchase the sculptures. The City will receive 25% of the sale price of all sculptures that are sold during or as a result of the show and use the proceeds to expand and provide long-term funding for the Art on the River program. Any unsold artwork must be removed by the artist at the end of the exhibition period.  

The City is interested in large-scale pieces of considerable mass that can be mounted at ground level. 

Budget: no details provided

Deadline: 5/28/19

How to apply: CaFÉ

Eligibility Requirements: no restrictions provided

Special Notes: Event Dates: 8/2/19 – 7/1/20

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply


Orlando International Airport South Terminal C Iconic Art Piece

Orlando, Florida

Summary: The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (“Authority”) seeks one or more artist(s) or artists’ team(s) to develop an Iconic Art Piece for South Terminal C. The selection process will involve two steps:

Step 1: Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Process to select up to four (4) shortlisted artist(s) or artists’ team(s) and

Step 2: Request for Proposals (RFP) for those artists or artists’ team(s) shortlisted; stipends included for all shortlisted artists or artists’ team(s) in this step.

The Iconic Art Piece will be located in a signature area of the multistory glass enclosed perimeter with a potential 60 feet wide by 80 feet tall footprint near the vertical circulation which is part of the Arrivals Experience at the South Terminal. See the attached Concept Package.

Budget: not clearly stated, “stipend will be included in the information for Step 2”

Deadline: 5/31/19

How to apply: CaFÉ

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Artists must have a national or international reputation
  • Art must have a strong relationship to the outdoors or demonstrate sincere sensitivity to the natural environment
  • Artists must have completed other public commissions on a similar large scale

Special Notes: Note: this call was previously listed with deadline of May 24, but the deadline has been extended to May 31.

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply


Prospectus #252 Large Scale Purchase Inititative

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Summary: The objective of the Large Scale Purchase Initiative is to diversify the state’s public art collection by purchasing artwork from artists in all stages of their career.

All media in all genres, suitable for both interior and exterior display, will be considered. Artwork must be durable, permanent, low-maintenance, and in compliance with ADA guidelines upon installation.

Artwork will be purchased for publicly accessible buildings throughout the State of New Mexico. The facilities encompass a broad range of use including, but not limited to: amphitheaters, animal shelters, community centers, courthouses, educational institutions, fire stations, healthcare facilities, recreation complexes, rest areas, senior centers, etc.

Participating sites will have a total budget equal to 1% of recent capital outlay funds appropriated for new construction or major renovation projects.

Budget: $35,000-$125,000, all-inclusive. Purchase contracts will be a $35,000 minimum for each artwork.

Deadline: 5/31/19

How to apply: CaFÉ™

Eligibility Requirements: The project is open to artists who reside in, and galleries that are locate in, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah

Special Notes: Museum quality framing, installation, and project plaques must adhere to AIPP guidelines.

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply


Public Art at Burke Branch Library

Alexandria, Virginia

Summary: The City of Alexandria’s Public Art Program is inviting artists to create an original, permanent public artwork for the Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library (Burke Branch Library), a key community venue serving almost 100,000 residents and visitors in Alexandria’s west end. The artwork is expected to be in the Seminary Road side of the library, making the library more visible from the road and serve as a landmark for the west end. 

Budget: The maximum budget for the artwork is $100,000.

Deadline: June 2, 2019 at 11:59pm Mountain Time

How to apply: CaFÉ

Eligibility Requirements: no restrictions provided

Special Notes: The Project Task Force will review artist qualifications and, based on the Artist Selection Criteria listed above, choose up to three (3) semifinalists. The semifinalists:

  • Will receive a $1,200 honorarium to visit Alexandria, take a tour of the site and have an interview with the Project Task Force.
  • Post-Interview Statement: After their interviews and site visit, the three semifinalists must clearly describe, in 1000 written words or less, their thoughts about the potential for public art at Burke Library.

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply


Public Art Gateway Project Request for Proposals

Lake Oswego, Oregon

Summary: This is an opportunity to be the first artist or artist team to create a public art Gateway of a size and scale that has never before been done in the City of Lake Oswego!

The City of Lake Oswego through its agent, the Arts Council of Lake Oswego, seeks proposals for a commissioned public art gateway at Highway 43 and Terwilliger Boulevard. This project will produce a public art work to define the Northeastern gateway (entrance) into Lake Oswego. This art work will be a marker of boundary as people cross from one place into another and shall invoke a sense of place and be associated with the identity of Lake Oswego

Budget: Total project budget is $275,000.

Deadline: 6/3/19, 5pm Pacific time

How to apply: CaFÉ

Eligibility Requirements: no restrictions provided

Special Notes: The Selection Committee will screen the artists’ applications and may select 5 or more finalists who will be paid a modest design fee for an interview with the Art Selection Committee and presentation of conceptual design proposals. Contracts and final budgets will also be discussed at that time. 

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply


Cedar Park Sculpture Garden Call for Entries

Cedar Park, Texas

Summary: The Park, Arts and Community Enrichment (PACE) Advisory Board would like to invite you to become an exciting part of Cedar Park by submitting your work for a year-long period of display in the Cedar Park Community Sculpture Garden

Budget: $400

Deadline: 6/3/19

How to apply: see link below

Eligibility Requirements: The City’s Parks, Arts, and Community Enrichment (PACE) Advisory Board will accept entries of large scale, free standing and interactive sculptures and welcomes all artists- professional, amateur and student.

Special Notes: The garden will feature plaques placed next to each selected piece, providing information about the piece and its creator and brochures with pictures and information about the selected pieces will be produced and distributed throughout the area. The garden will also be promoted on the City’s website and social media pages.

Please visit https://www.cedarparktexas.gov/sculpturegarden to learn more and to download an application form.


Public Sculpture Project

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Summary: Six sites in the City of Fredericksburg, VA have been selected for the display of large-scale outdoor sculpture from October, 2019 to September, 2020.

Ideally, work will fit on our precast 5ft x 5ft concrete pads, or be anchored directly to the ground.

Budget: $12,000 ($2000 per sculpture)

Deadline: 6/7/19

How to apply: please see link below

Eligibility Requirements: Large-scale sculpture that will last in excellent condition for one year out of doors in Central Virginia.

Special Notes: The invitation is open to artists working independently or in a collaborative group. A maximum of three works can be entered per artist or group. There is no entry fee.

Click here to read more about this call for artists or to apply