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You will submit this application online using PublicArtist.org.
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| Budget: $300,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Activated: 06/22/2026 Deadline: 08/03/2026 |
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| Call Summary Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment’s Art in Public Places (AIPP) program in partnership with Austin Financial Services (AFS), Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) and Austin Fleet Mobility Services Department (AFMS), seeks to commission a Texas-based mid-career artist or artist to team to work with our partners, design team and community stakeholders to design, fabricate, and install one 3D site-specific integrated artwork for the new Northeast Service Center (NESC) administrative building at 8301 Johnny Morris Rd, Austin, TX 78724. |
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| Budget Description As per City of Austin Ordinance, 2% of capital project costs are set aside to commission public art though the Art in Public Places (AIPP) program. The total award for the artist contract is $300,000 and is paid over the course of the commission with milestones at community engagement, design, fabrication, installation, and closing. AIPP recommends that selected artists or artist-led teams budget 20% for their artist design fee, 10% for contingency, and budget the remainder for all other project expenses including but not limited to: insurance, promotion, community engagement, design, all engineering, fabrication, materials, subcontractors, travel, transportation, shipping, permits and installation. |
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| Project Description AIPP in partnership with AFS, ARR, and AFMS seeks an artist or artist team to create 3D site-specific integrated artwork for the NESC administrative building lobby. The selected artist(s) will work with ARR, AFMS, other City Departments, project consultants, and community stakeholders to develop, design, fabricate and install an artwork to enhance the new NESC administrative building, see Exhibit 1 Public Art Opportunity. The public art opportunity is located on the grand staircase within the administrative building lobby. The selected artist(s) will work with the project team to integrate a suspended 3D artwork into the building design that was completed in 2025. The administrative building will be open 24/7 year around. The selected artist(s) should take into consideration users and visitors of the site, hours of operation, and note the administrative building is open to the public during business hours. Additionally, selected artist(s) are encouraged to use recycled materials. The NESC completed design in spring of 2025 and began construction fall of 2025. The selected artist(s) will be required to work with project team including but not limited to the building’s structural engineer and life safety systems (fire suppression, access clearances, etc.) throughout the design. There is an opportunity for the selected artist(s) to coordinate with the project engineer for the artwork engineering, note engineering costs of the artwork are the responsibility of the selected artist(s)’s budget. The administrative building will complete construction in the fall of 2027. The selected artist(s) must be available and capable of installing the work of art before the building opens. Installation coordination with the construction team will be a key component for delivery. |
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| Artwork Goals - A work of art of redeeming quality that advances public understanding of visual art and enhances the aesthetic quality of public places - Conceptualizes a strong overall artwork design approach that integrates with the site and surrounding natural environment - Is easily maintained and accessible for cleaning - Is permanent with an expected life span of at least 20 years The NESC is a multi-use facility for the City of Austin and the people they serve. The selected artist(s) will be asked to work with ARR and AFMS to identify artwork themes that align with their mission and vision, such as recycling, reuse, environmental stewardship, sustainability, and emergency readiness. Additionally, the selected artist(s) will be asked to create a community engagement plan the incorporates engagement with City departments and the surrounding Colony Park neighborhood community when designing an artwork concept. |
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| Artwork Location Description The artwork will be located within the administrative building lobby on the grand staircase between the first and second floors, with a clear-story window above on the roof. Please see Exhibit 1 for the artwork location, and Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3 provide general dimensions for the artwork location. The connection points and weight constraints of the site will be determined in collaboration with the design team and the selected artist(s) engineer, additionally any lighting components will require coordination with the design team. |
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| Site History The new Northeast Service Center will create a new state-of-the-art service center facility to better serve the customers of Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) and Austin Fleet Mobility Services Department (AFMS). The facility will incorporate vehicle servicing shop areas, warehousing, administrative office, outside storage and vehicle storage that will be merging/consolidating the current operation from various separate locations. The facility will operate 24/7 and will support key operations during emergency events. ARR is the department within the City responsible for trash collection, recycling, composting, large brush collection, and bulk items pick-up. ARR is also responsible to sweep the streets and safely dispose of household hazardous waste. ARR provides essential services that protect people and our planet and drives the transformation of traditional waste management to sustainable resource recovery. ARR requires the use of additional facilities to better service their customers, improve operational efficiencies, reduce long term operating costs, allow for staff expansion and reduce the department’s carbon footprint. ARR currently houses its entire operations team in southeast Austin on Todd Lane. The NESC will house all ARR operational staff and resources. In the event of an emergency, it is critical for these facilities to remain operational around the clock to a reasonable level of functionality for an extend period. AFMS supports the vehicle maintenance needs of approximately twenty-five departments within the City of Austin. This totals over 7,000 fleet assets for departments such as ARR, Austin Energy, Austin Water, Fire, Police, EMS, Watershed and Parks. AFMS manages a comprehensive full life cycle management program. AFMS has a number of service locations within the City and is looking to consolidate, enhance and expand their operational capacity with the development of the NESC. In addition to directly supporting ARR vehicle needs, the NESC will provide much needed and improved space to support a wide range of fleet assets from lawn mowers to watercraft to fire/police/EMS vehicles to public works trucks. More information about AFMS can be found at https://www.austintexas.gov/department/fleet-mobility-services. The vision for the NESC campus is to merge design, development, and contracting experience to create a highly functional and sustainable facility in a timely fashion on City-owned land. It is important to the City, ARR and AFMS that this project achieve an Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB”) 3-star rating or higher. Key social impact goals and creative sustainability measures to reduce waste and enhance reuse wherever possible are being prioritized. Additionally, the building must be designed and constructed for flexibility in uses and long-term durability as well as future on-site expansion. |
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| Eligibility The City of Austin's AIPP program strives to commission a broad range of artworks which contribute to the current dialogue in the field of visual art. AIPP defines “artist” as an individual recognized by critics and peers as a professional practitioner of serious intent and substantial ability. QUALIFICATIONS: - Texas-based - Mid-career: public artists are recognized in their fields and have a track record of exhibits, engaging communities, and completed projects in the public art realm. Minimum of five relevant completed projects with budgets up to $100,000. - at least 18 years of age INELIGIBILITY: Artists who have three or more permanent commissions represented in the AIPP public art collection; artists who are currently under an active contract for a permanent AIPP project; and artists who have completed a permanent AIPP project within the past year are not eligible to apply. City of Austin full-time employees, or contractors hired by the sponsor project, are not eligible. |
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| Application Requirements | ||||||||||||||||
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Resume: 3 page(s) maximum Work examples: 1 - 10 References: 3 |
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Artists are allowed to apply in teams.
Artists applying as a team must split the allotted number of work examples between themselves. |
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| Selection Information | ||||||||||||||||
| Selection Process A selection panel will review qualifications using selection criteria from all artists who meet the eligibility requirements. Three voting panelists who are working visual arts professionals provide scores to determine a short-list of applicants to discuss as a group and make the final vote for one artist or artist-led team and one alternate to be recommended for the commission. Additional community representatives and City staff advise the selection process by providing their respective knowledge and expertise about the site, the community, the neighborhood, and the sponsor project, to help select the best candidate for this opportunity. |
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| Selection Criteria - Artistic merit, creative capacity, and technical expertise of past work (30%) - Enthusiasm and ability in creating site-specific public artwork and working with local communities (40%) - Demonstrated experience in the field of public art (30%) |
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| Timeline - Call Open: June 22, 2026 - Call Deadline: August 3, 2026 - Selection Process: August – September 2026 - Artist Notifications: September 2026 - Selected Artist under contract: October 2026 - Target Installation Complete: September 30, 2027 |
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| Additional Resources | ||||||||||||||||
| https://www.austintexas.gov/arts-culture/art-public-places | ||||||||||||||||
| RFQ: NESC Suspended 3D Artwork (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
| Contact Information | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebecca Rende AIPP Coordinator Senior 5202 E Ben White Blvd. Suite 400 Austin TX 78741 United States rebecca.rende@austintexas.gov 512-694-6833 |
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