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Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location. 

REFERENCE MATERIAL TO COMPLETE APPLICATION: Review the photos, videos and reference material of the available site locations on The Woodlands Arts Council website HERE. 

TIMELINE AND DEADLINES 

AWARDS:

Up to three (3) semi-finalists will be chosen for each location in a preliminary selection process. 

One (1) finalist for each location will be chosen to construct an art bike rack. 

Each of the ART BIKE RACK finalists will receive $6,000 for the bike rack selected and installed ($3,000 upon execution of Artist Agreement and the final $3,000 when the bike rack is delivered and accepted).

Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location.

BIKE RACK LOCATIONS

DESIGN DURABILITY & MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES:

ART BIKE RACKS

Bike Rack Materials

The Art Bike Racks must be constructed of materials known to last for the stated minimum duration of ten (10) years, with minimal maintenance. Materials may include, but are not limited to iron, steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, bronze, natural stone, glass, HDPE plastic, fiberglass, concrete, wood or a combination of these materials. Any other material proposed for Art Bike Rack construction must be approved in writing in advance of the construction of the Art Bike Rack by The Woodlands Township.

Wood materials must be durable and suitable for high-humidity, high-temperature outdoor environments. All wood material must be made weatherproof, water resistant and capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions with minimal maintenance for a minimum of ten (10) years.

Screws, bolts, nuts and other materials for fabrication of Art Benches must be made of stainless steel or be galvanized.

Bike Rack Design Standards

All Art Bike Racks shall be of a kind and nature reasonably acceptable to be displayed in a family-oriented, public setting, giving due regard to the colors, structural design, contextual design, and functional design for intended use as a bicycle parking rack.

Each Art Bike Rack must be capable of allowing one or more bicycles to be locked to the Art Bike Rack, using each of these generally commercially available locking systems: (1) cable with lock; (2) chain with lock; and (3) a U-Lock (sometimes also called a D-Lock). 

Designs should take into account that cyclists in The Woodlands are of all ages and must allow for securing of bicycles of different sizes (e.g., a child’s bicycle as well as an adult’s bicycle)

The Art Bike Racks are intended to be functioning artwork and must be safe for use by the general public on a daily basis. The design should be completely free of sharp edges. 

The Art Bike Racks must be designed and fabricated to be surface mounted with anchor bolts onto appropriate sized area into a 4-inch-deep impervious surface, such as concrete or brick pavers, by means of 1/2-inch Drop-in Anchors.

Each artist will supply The Woodlands Township with necessary information for proper conservation. If maintenance work becomes necessary for an installed work the Township will contact the artist to discuss a course of action.

Artists are encouraged to work conceptually with the chosen site and the underwriter’s vision. (Underwriters questionnaire for each site is found on The Woodlands Arts Council website page for Public Art. See link below). 

REFERENCE MATERIAL TO COMPLETE APPLICATION: Review the photos, videos and reference material of the available site locations on The Woodlands Arts Council website HERE.

JURY:

Jury selections will be made based on a review of applications submitted by deadline by a Selection Committee including TWAC Board members, representatives of The Woodlands Township, The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau, and an architectural design representative from Howard Hughes Corporation. The Committee will select up to three semi-finalists for each location. If the jury requests more information, or if an artwork is considered for a different site, the Committee reserves the right to contact the artist to request additional information or explore alternate placement. 

Semi-finalists will be notified by May 1, 2023. The selected semi-finalists agree to provide additional information or design clarification in time specified if requested by the selection committee.  Semi-finalist design proposals will be presented to the Underwriter for each specific location by May 15, 2023. Finalists will be notified of selection to move forward by June 1, 2023. Delivery and acceptance must be completed by September 15, 2023. Installation ceremony will occur in October 2023. 

General Information:

Through a partnership with The Woodlands Township and the generous funding of underwriters, twenty-nine Art Benches and one Art Bike Rack have been commissioned and installed along The Woodlands Waterway and in the Hughes Landing commercial area adjacent to Lake Woodlands. Designed by local, national, and international artists, these one-of-a-kind art benches add beauty to our community while serving a practical function. The Art Bicycle Racks being created in this phase of the Public Art program will be the first Art Bicycle Racks installed in The Woodlands and are intended to expand the presence of public art in the same general areas as the Art Benches.

The Woodlands, Texas, is an award-winning, master-planned community of more than 100,000 residents. Located 40 miles north of Houston, The Woodlands has a strong history of public art. The Woodlands is an aesthetically unique district, with its natural landscapes and waterway backdrop. We challenge the artists to conceptualize work that can highlight their vision in conjunction with both the underwriter and these unique chosen sites. 

The Woodlands Arts Council, Inc. (TWAC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to provide regional, cultural, and educational enrichment opportunities that encourage, support, and promote the performing and visual arts.

For more information contact: David Mayes at david@thewoodlandsartscouncil.org 

Application Requirements

REFERENCE MATERIAL TO COMPLETE APPLICATION: Review the photos, videos and reference material of the available site locations on The Woodlands Arts Council website HERE.

APPLICATION INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: 

ITEM 1) Artist’s Statement of Intent: briefly describe your interest in The Woodlands Public Art Bench project. Include a general description of the artistic approach you will take if selected to create a design. Include enough information to the Committee about how your work will result in a viable project, but it need not include detail of the design.

ITEM 2) Proposed Build Plan: This is a general proposal for build plan. If selected as a semi-finalist, a detailed plan may be requested. This proposal must include the proposed site location and how your vision fits within the underwriter's vision. 

ITEM 3) Professional Resume of your experience as an artist. Artists in all stages of their career are encouraged to apply.  

ITEM 4) Professional References:  Provide three references from people who have worked with you in the past five years. Describe your relationship, as well as, the scope and medium/genre of the work.

ITEM 5) Design Images: Submit FOUR high-res images of proposed design. One image must be a mock-up preview image of the proposed design in the chosen location. Also include One Front View, One Detail View, and One Additional of the design. JPG files only, minimum of 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side and a 5 MB maximum. Images and video of each site location may be viewed HERE. 

OPTIONAL ITEM 6) Portfolio Images:  Submit up to six (6) high-res digital images of previously completed artwork. List images with artist’s name and corresponding image identification number, the medium, dimension, and date created. JPG files only, minimum of 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side and a 5 MB maximum.

APPLICATION FEES:

Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location. 

• TO ENTER ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: checkout and submit the first application, then return to "Apply to Calls" and choose APPLY AGAIN TO THIS CALL. Repeat the process for up to THREE applications per site location.
• Partial or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• APPLICATION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Eligibility Criteria

All artists, including, but not limited to, sculptors, architects, and other builders are eligible to submit up to three applications per location site. There are no geographic limitations. Artists from any state or country are encouraged to respond to this Call to Artists. Artists are encouraged to visit the artwork location but are not required to do so.