Introduction: 

The City of Florence is pleased to invite emerging, mid-career and established artists to submit work to the Public Art Committee’s program, Art Exposed, a rotating outdoor art gallery. Florence is offering artists an opportunity to display their work throughout Florence’s Old Town district for a two-year period.

Florence’s Old Town is host to over one million visitors a year, with popular restaurants, galleries and shops along the Siuslaw River. The Art Exposed program generates community pride, provides artists a display with high visibility, stimulates conversations about art, promotes Florence as a destination to view public art, and creates a sense of place for our community members and visitors. 

The City of Florence’s Public Arts Committee is a dedicated group of volunteers composed of local artists, business owners, and long-term supporters of the arts. The Committee, since its inception in 2015, has installed fifteen pieces of art, including a large-scale mural at the Highway 126 Gateway entrance to Florence.

Currently, the Art Exposed program has five pieces of art that are on display, which are to be replaced in Fall 2022. In the 2022 call-to-artists, the City of Florence will be expanding the program to eight locations. Each location has specific dimensions and particular requirements. While on display, the pieces are for sale to locals, as well as Florence visitors. It has been one of the most successful programs of the Public Arts program, providing members of the local artist community and national and international artists with an opportunity to display their art.The City has been successful in selling the pieces on display.

Artists are offered a stipend of $1,500 to provide their work for a maximum of two years. During the two-year period, the art would be offered for sale, with the City of Florence keeping a portion of the sale proceeds to support the future of the Public Arts Program. The artist also has the opportunity to replace any sold art with a new piece during the two-year time frame.

General Project Information:

• Eight (8) locations for art have been selected by the Public Art Committee, located within the Old Town district of Florence. Details of the locations are listed in the Location Information section below and visuals are included in the downloadable Supplemental Materials document.
• Artists are allowed to submit one entry for each of the 8 locations.
• Each piece submitted will be part of a new application, and a $25 fee will be applied.
• Each artist will be provided a stipend for their piece of $1,500.00.
• Art displayed as part of the Art Exposed program must be available for sale to the public and be available for two years from date of installation.
• Should art be purchased prior to the completion of the contract timeline, the artist shall be given first opportunity to replace art with a suitable piece to be approved by the Public Art Committee. If the artist chooses not to replace the work, the Committee will decide whether to open the space to a new artist through a new call-to-artist.
• The City of Florence provides bases for the art to be installed upon (Description / Drawings of Base on City of Florence's website) and Public Works crews are available to support installation with direction of the artist.
• All costs associated with transportation of the artwork to Florence, Oregon will be the responsibility of the artist.
• All artwork must be the original design and artwork of the artists and suitable to be viewed by all ages.
• All artists must be over the age of 18 to apply.
• Selected artwork will be scheduled to be installed in October 2022. The schedule of installation will be adjusted based on location and artist, depending on the situation.
• The deadline for submission is July 15, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. MST (9:59 p.m. PST)
• The Committee determines by vote which location is most appropriate for the submitted piece, while also taking into account the artist’s preference in location.

General Application Timeline:

• May 2022 – June 2022: Call To Artists available for application through Call For Entry (CAFÉ)
• July 15, 2022: Call-to-Artists closes for applications
• July 2022: Public Arts Committee narrows applications and chooses finalists for each space at July committee meeting
• August 2022: Public Arts Committee decides on final artist for each space at August committee meeting
• September 2022: Artists are notified of committee decisions and current art is uninstalled by September 30
• October 2022: New art is installed by artists, with assistance from Florence Public Works as needed

Application Requirements

Submission Information and Requirements:

• When submitting artists must specify the location in which they are submitting their piece of art to be installed at (Please note that all locations have unique requirements, including thematic preferences)
• Artists are allowed to submit one piece per location (Up to Eight pieces of Art)
• There is a $25.00 entry fee for each artist. Please use Coupon Code F100RENCE for any additional art submittals. Artists are encouraged to submit up to eight pieces of art.

Artists Must Submit the Following Information for Each Piece of Art: 

• Preferred Location Number and Name (Please reference Location Information section)
• Title of Work
• Date Created
• Short Description of Work
• List Price (Please note, the City of Florence collects 30% of proceeds the piece is purchased while on displayed)
• Detailed list of materials used
• Height
• Width of Widest Point
• Width of Base
• Total weight of the piece
• Artist’s history using these materials
• Recommended Maintenance Procedures & Schedule (repairs of possible damage and cleaning)
• An artist statement for use in marketing materials and signage
• Other Pertinent information (Including Veteran Preference for Location #1)
• Resume and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility and Design Guidelines:

• All artists must be over eighteen (18) years old to be eligible
• There is no required theme for most locations; creativity and innovation of designs are encouraged.
  • For Location #1 - Veterans Memorial Park - preference will be given to an artist who has served in the American Military or a piece of art that honors American military veterans.
• Artwork must submit photographs of the specific art that is being entered. Work-in-progress must be at least 75% completed and photographs of the work in progress must be submitted.  Mock ups, models, drawings, or concepts are not accepted for this Call.
• Entries must be the original design and artwork of the entrant. Designs must not include any breach of intellectual property, trademarks, brands, business names, corporate or organizational brandings or imagery of violence, drugs and alcohol.
• Entries must be suitable for viewing for all ages.
• Artwork submitted may not be used for advertisement or to promote a business, product or viewpoint.
• Artists may submit work on their own or as part of a team.
• Artwork can be of any medium but must be able to withstand coastal weather conditions including wind and seasonal rain, as well as resistance to theft, vandalism, excessive maintenance and repair costs.
• Artwork cannot exceed 500 pounds in total weight.
• Artwork must include a thirty-six-inch (36”) diameter plate on the bottom with four (4) one-inch (1”) diameter bolt holes to accommodate 3/4th inch bolts on 22 inch spacing to be used to attach to the base provided by the City of Florence for installation (See Supplemental Materials document and diagram entitled Art Base Installation Information).
• Each work will be evaluated to require that it does not present a hazard to public safety and must conform to ADA standards