Artists Wanted For New Dove Springs Rec Center; Open To Austin, Neighboring County Artists

City of Austin Announces New Public Art Opportunity for Dove Springs Recreation Center. $44,000 Project Open to Artists in Austin and Neighboring Counties

AUSTIN —Art in Public Places (AIPP), a program of the City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division of the Economic Development Department, seeks to commission a professional visual artist, or artist team, to design and fabricate artwork for the Dove Springs Recreation Center located at 5801 Ainez Drive, Austin, Texas 78744.

The City requests qualifications from professional visual artists, or artist teams, who live and work in Williamson, Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Burnet and Blanco counties. Artists currently under contract with the Art in Public Places Program at the time of the application deadline are ineligible to apply. The total budget available for this project is $44,000.

Submission deadline is 5:00 pm on Thursday, September 14, 2017.

Located in District Two in southeast Austin, the Dove Springs Recreation Center offers youth, adult and senior programs, as well as sports leagues and special events. The AIPP program seeks to a commission a contemporary work of art for the Center that is both interactive and family-oriented.

The selected artist, or artist team, will work closely with the project’s design team to develop a comprehensive design for the artwork. The project’s fast-tracked schedule will require the selected artist, or artist team, to begin work immediately and to complete their installation by September 2018.

The goals of this specific public art project are to:

• Create an iconic artwork that heightens awareness of the facility Illustration of new building extension by Limbacher and Godfrey Architects
• Demonstrate an interest in sustainable materials and build upon the vision of the on-site wildlife habitat
• Integrate educational elements that promote an investigation of the natural environment (Educational elements can be physically or visually interactive.)
• Consider the diverse community served by the Center and the surrounding neighborhood
• Enrich or add to the depth/breadth of the City of Austin’s public art collection

Applications must be submitted by 5:00PM (CST) on Thursday, September 14, 2017, through www.PublicArtist.org, the online application system used by Art in Public Places.

An Artist Information Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 5:30-6:30PM, at the Cultural Arts Division offices at 201 E. 2nd Street (Austin, TX). AIPP staff and project representatives from Public Works and Parks and Recreation Department will be available to answer questions.

AIPP staff will also be available to assist applicants during Open Office Hours on Friday, August 11, 2:00-4:00PM at the Cultural Arts Division. Parking for both meetings, which AIPP will validate, is available in the Convention Center Garage located on Brazos Street between Cesar Chavez and 2nd Streets.

To view the complete Request for Qualifications, visit http://tinyurl.com/AustinAIPP.

The Cultural Arts Division of the Economic Development Department provides leadership and management for the City’s cultural arts programs and for the development of arts and cultural industries. The Cultural Arts Division is responsible for the Cultural Arts Funding Programs, Art in Public Places Program, community-based arts development, and programs to assist the development of film and creative industries in Austin.

The Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) acquires and maintains works of art for City facilities and parks through commissions, donations, and loans for the cultural enrichment of Austin’s community. For more information, visit www.austincreates.com.