DEFINITIONS

Public Artists

For the Roster, a public artist is defined as a visual artist who has past experience with the creation of artwork that has gone through a collaborative commissioning process- including planning, review and installation in a space other than a gallery, home or studio.

Emerging or Established Artist?

Artists will be asked on their applications to self-identify as an Emerging or Established Public Artist. This refers to the level of experience an artist has in working specifically on public art projects.

Emerging Public Artists: Artists who have been awarded three or fewer commissions in the public realm not exceeding $15,000 (per commission, not cumulative). This may include artists with no public art experience but who are poised to enter the public realm. Emerging Public Artists may also include mid- or late-career artists with limited or no prior public art experience.

Established Public Artist: Artists who have been awarded more than three commissions in the public realm above $15,000 (per commission, not cumulative).

Artists choosing Established Public Artist must submit work samples for the Roster documenting sufficient experience for this category. Lack of demonstrated arts experience will be considered an incomplete application and withdrawn from consideration.  

Please note: Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee a commission. In addition, the city of Sugar Land may release additional open calls for artists that include artists beyond those listed on the Roster.

ROSTER PURPOSE

The city of Sugar Land will use the Roster in the following ways:

1. As projects are identified and budgeted, staff may develop a shortlist of pre-qualified artists from the Roster and invite them to indicate their interest and availability for the commission.

If they are interested and available, artists may be invited to participate in an interview or other selection process with project stakeholders.

2. Staff may also identify one or more pre-qualified artists from the Roster and invite them to submit a paid conceptual proposal for a project or commission that has been identified and budgeted.

3. Staff may use the Roster to connect artists and others to resources and opportunities.

4. Staff may make the Roster available to public agencies, private businesses and other organizations seeking to commission artists for projects in the public realm.

In addition, all Roster artists will be notified of open calls not using the Roster that may be available for artists through the city of Sugar Land’s Cultural Arts Program. 

Note: Artists whose body of work is juried through another city of Sugar Land opportunity using a selection panel to review work samples and qualifications may be invited to join the Roster.

ARTWORK GOALS

This program is designed to respond to the goals established in the city of Sugar Land’s Public Art Plan adopted by the city council in 2016.

The Goals for Public Art specified in the plan are to:

• Create memorable, meaningful places that are focal points for civic and community life,
• Anchor activity centers,
• Create whimsy and delight in everyday places
• Enhance the appearance of infrastructure,
• Enhance the appearance of civic facilities, and
• Reflect Sugar Land’s history and heritage.

PROJECT BUDGET RANGE
The range of artwork budgets anticipated through upcoming projects for the Roster is projected to be $1,000 - $150,000 or more.

In general, the total award for an artist contract will include design, fabrication and installation, engineering fees, travel and shipping expenses, insurance, and all other project-related costs.   

Application Requirements

HOW TO APPLY

Interested artists must submit an application at CAFÉ (www.callforentry.com) by creating a free account and searching for the opportunity.

Visual arts applicants must supply the following information and materials in entirety for an application to be considered complete.

Artist information

Please provide the following:

• Name and pronoun(s)
• Business or studio name (if applicable)
• Email address
• Phone number
• Mailing address
• Artist website (if applicable)

If applying as a team, the above information must be submitted for each member (up to two others), as well as a brief description of each member’s role on the team.

If applying as a business, the above information must be submitted for the business owners (primary contact plus up to two others).

Letter of Interest (not to exceed 2 pages, 12 point Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins all around)

A statement describing your creative practice, approach to projects, qualifications and interest in creating public art. This document may also be used to provide information, such as select previous commissions and budgets, to support a designation as an Established Artist.

If applying as a business or team, please describe your project approach, experience working together and the roles of each member.

Bio and Statement (200 words max)

A brief bio or CV.

Businesses or teams may submit a group bio and statement, or individual team member bios and statements (up to three statements total).

References

Please provide three references. These should be professional contacts associated with projects completed within the past five years.

Teams must submit one reference for each artist. Work samples must be divided among the team for a total not to exceed 10 images. 

Work Samples

JPG, MP4, MOV, or WMV files only 

Five (5) to ten (10) images and/or video samples, total. If applying as a business or team, it is recommended that you submit samples of artwork that were created collaboratively.

Images should be in JPG format. Please name files using the following naming convention:

Artist Last Name, Artist, First Name-Name of Artwork

(Example:       “Hampton, James-Third Heaven.jpg”)

Video or audio sample links to major third-party hosting sites (YouTube, Vimeo) but files in MP4, MOV, or WMV format will also be accepted.

In addition to sharing the link to your work, please remember to set videos to “Public” so the selection panel can view your submission.  Links to privately listed videos will not be considered.

Panelists will only review up to three minutes of video or audio for each work sample. Artists are advised to edit each sample to three minutes or less. Panelists will be instructed to review only the first three minutes of any sample.

APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are asked to identify their areas of expertise and primary media. Applicants who select more than the indicated maximum will have their applications returned to them for revision.

1. What are your areas of expertise and artwork types? (select no more than two)

• Digital / lighting / projection art
• Environmental and landscape art
• Sculptural art
• Site-specific and integrated art
• 2-D art, including murals, mosaic, photography, etc

2. What are your primary media? (select no more than three)

• Assemblage, including found objects, multimedia
• Audio / sound recording
• Carving, including wood, stone, other materials
• Ceramic / glass
• Digital / photography
• Fabrication, including wood, metal, glass
• Illustration / comics / graphic novels
• Kinetic art
• Landscape design
• Metals / Jewelry
• Murals
• Painting / works on paper /printmaking
• Textile / fabric / weaving
• Other. Please be specific.

3. Are you a teaching artist / workshop artist?

Yes or No

If yes, what age range(s) or specific audience(s) do you teach?

5. Do you provide fabrication services for other artists or designers? E.g. Work for hire to implement another artist or designer’s vision.

Yes or No

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY AND REVIEW CRITERIA

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements:  
• Practicing visual artist or artist team;  
• At least 18 years of age;  
• Living in the United States and/or territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa) and,

• Currently permitted to work in the United States.   

Full-time, permanent city of Sugar Land employees and project consultants and their employees are ineligible to apply. Artists and artist teams under current city of Sugar Land contracts are eligible to apply. 

Applications not meeting all eligibility criteria will be withdrawn from consideration. 

Review Criteria

Artists will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Past work shows a strong, consistent, unique and clear artistic voice
• Experience
  • For the Emerging Artist Roster: Significant experience creating studio-based artwork and demonstrated interest in the creation of artwork in the public realm
  • For the Established Artist Roster: Experience fabricating and installing temporary or permanent artwork in the public realm
• Strength of past work in the self-selected areas of expertise and media indicated in the application
• Letter of interest
• Materials and themes are suitable for indoor and/or outdoor public settings.
• Ability to engage with a site and/or community
• Ability to work within a given budget and designated timeframe
• Demonstrated skill in technique

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Responses to questions received about this opportunity will be added to this resource as they come in.

• https://sugarlandgov-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/pholley_sugarlandtx_gov/EqHvekJeuGBHnWua6BzS_rABwM-6DA6etHoefJWAtVMkEQ?e=0kQFfx

For questions contact culturalarts@sugarlandtx.gov.

NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS

Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision by email by March 31, 2023. Inclusion in the 2023-2026 Sugar Land Pre-Qualified Artists Roster does not guarantee a commission of artwork. Future opportunities to apply to the Roster will be announced in 2026.

The City of Sugar Land reserves the right not to select any of the applicants for commissions.

This timeline is subject to change.

TIMELINE
Tentative Schedule (Subject to Change)  

CONTACT INFORMATION

Sha Davis - Cultural Arts Manager

Patty Holley - Cultural Arts Coordinator

City of Sugar Land

Sugar Land, TX 77479

CulturalArts@sugarlandtx.gov