THIS CALL HAS CLOSED.

Budget: $400,000

Activated: 11/06/2023 Deadline: 12/19/2023

Call Summary The City of Austin Art in Public Places program (AIPP) seeks to commission a professional visual artist or artist-led team to design and fabricate a site-specific artwork that enhances the interior second-story space of the Palmer Event Center located at 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, Texas 78704.

Budget Description The total budget allocated for this opportunity is approximately $400,000. This amount is inclusive of all artists’ design fees, engineering, permitting, machining and fabrication, transportation, installation, travel, shipping expenses, insurance, and other artwork project-related costs.

Project Description The artwork is intended to provide an aesthetic enhancement for an interior wall spanning the length of a narrow walkway of approximately 90 linear feet and extending upward about 20 feet. The wall is located on the 2nd level of the open lobby space running parallel to functional decorative railing that together create a walkway to the Events Center offices. The artist or artist-led team selected for this project will be expected to coordinate with staff during the implementation of the project so as to minimally impact operations. This project is an opportunity for an artist to create a tactile, visually engaging artwork on the 2nd level of the main entrance lobby space of the Palmer Event Center. The artwork should consider the surrounding natural context of the space and earthy interior finishes. The final artwork could use technology to inform, illuminate, and provide humor or narrative while visually engaging visitors and other users of the Palmer Event Center.

Artwork Location Description The Palmer Events Center is nestled near Butler Park with amazing views of the downtown Austin skyline. Over 125,000 square feet of the multi-purpose venue spans is utilized for hosting national conventions, sporting events, theatrical performances and more. The Palmer Events Center (PEC) actually dates back to 1940 when the City of Austin purchased an airplane hangar on the south shores of Town Lake. The hangar was then converted into an all-purpose City Coliseum that opened to the public in 1949. A new structure was voted on as a part of the 1998 bond election which resulted in the highly used after events center today.

Site History The Palmer Events Center is a part of the Austin’s Convention Center Department. It is a state-of-the-art energy efficient facility powered by 100 percent renewable energy from Austin Energy’s Green Choice Program. As Austin continues to receive the nick-name “Silicon Hills”, the Events Center increasingly attracts tech conventions.

Eligibility The City of Austin AIPP program strives to commission a broad range of artworks which contribute to the current dialogue in the field of visual art by broadly awarding commissions among local, state and national artists. AIPP defines artist as an individual recognized by critics and peers as a professional practitioner of serious intent and substantial ability in the visual, performing, or literary art. Artists and makers skilled in working with analog and digital technologies, creating sculptural work in ceramics, glass, carved wood, and metal are encouraged to apply. Experience creating permanent artwork is a requirement. Only one commission will be awarded for this opportunity. This opportunity is open to visual artists who reside throughout the United States. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Applicants not meeting these eligibility requirements will be withdrawn from consideration. Design professionals, including architects who do not have a consistent visual art practice are ineligible to apply as team leads, but may be a part of an artist-led team. Artists who have more than three permanent artworks represented in the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places public art collection; artists who currently are under contract with the City of Austin for a permanent Art in Public Places project; and artists who have completed an AIPP project within the past year are ineligible to apply. Artists residing outside of the United States are ineligible for this opportunity. City of Austin full-time employees, architects, designers or contractors employed by the project’s consulting firm are ineligible.

Application Requirements

Resume: 2 page(s) maximum Work examples: 1 - 10

Artists are allowed to apply in teams. Artists applying as a team must split the allotted number of work examples between themselves.

Additional Requirements

Demographics Survey: Communities Demographics Survey: Gender Demographics Survey: Pronouns Demographics Survey: Race/Ethnicity Demographics Survey: Veteran Status Short Answer Question 1 Text Short Answer Question 2 Text Short Answer Question 3 Text

Selection Information

Selection Process A five-member selection panel comprised of visual arts professionals and community representatives and advisors will review all eligible submissions. Up to five artists or artist-led teams may be shortlisted, invited to interview and submit a proposal for a fee of $1,500. The selection panel reserves the right to recommend one or more artists and one or more alternate artists at the time of the initial review.

Selection Criteria The selection panel will evaluate applications based on the following criteria: • Quality and aesthetics of past work • Experience with public art projects of a similar size and scope • Creativity and innovation in the portfolio of past work • Expressed interest in and ability to engage and include communities specific the artwork site

Timeline (subject to change) Artist pre-submittal meeting November 15, 2023 Submission deadline December 19, 2023 Short-listed artists notified January 2024 Interviews March 2024 Selected Artist under contract May 2024 Target Installation/Project close-out TBD 2025

Additional Resources

Request For Qualifications - English (PDF)

Convocatoria de Artistas - Español (PDF)

Contact Information

Ryan Runcie 5202 E Ben White Blvd Suite 400 Austin Texas 78741 United States ryan.runcie@austintexas.gov