Call Summary:

The City of Ocala Cultural Arts is placing a call for entries for the 7th Biennial Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition. Ten works will be selected for a two-year outdoor exhibition in Tuscawilla Park located in Ocala, Florida.

Budget:

Each artist selected for the exhibition will receive a $2,000 honorarium to cover transportation, installation, and de-installation of the sculpture.  Any additional costs are the sole responsibility of the artist.  Honoraria checks will be presented to the artist at the time of installation.

Awards:

Best in Show: $2,000

2nd Place: $1,000

Honorable Mention: $500

People’s Choice: $500

Grand Total $24,000

Eligibility:

This call is open to artists currently working and residing in the United States with experience designing, fabricating, and installing large outdoor Public Art.

Deadline:

August 30, 2023

Description:

The City of Ocala Cultural Arts creates opportunities for public art to transform ordinary spaces into destinations. The goal of our Public Art Program is to foster creativity, discovery and thoughtfulness among our citizens and visitors. The selected works will be on exhibit in Tuscawilla Park, considered the “crown jewel” of Ocala’s parks, the 45-acre green space is an extension of the downtown and the adjacent Tuscawilla Art Park, hosting arts events throughout the year.

Timeline:

Postmark Deadline for Entries:  August 30, 2023

Notification of Acceptance/Decline: Week of October 15, 2023

Install Accepted Sculptures: January 8 - 19, 2024

Tuscawilla Park Sculpture Stroll and Beginning of Bolted Art (BOBA) Brunch: Saturday, February 17, 2024

Deinstallation of Sculptures: January 2-5, 2026

Sculptures MUST be installed no later than January 19, 2024 as scheduled with the City prior.  Any sculpture that cannot be installed by that time will be disqualified, and an alternate will be chosen.  Sculptures must be removed by January 5, 2026.  Sculptures cannot be removed prior to the end of the show.

Selection Criteria:

All work must meet the following criteria to be eligible for consideration:

•Be able to withstand a high traffic, public, family park environment for a period of two years, while taking into consideration the safety of the audience and other outdoor elements.

•Be capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions common to the state of Florida (high humidity, high temperatures, heavy rain, frequent thunderstorms, high winds, etc.)

•Be maintenance free for the duration of the two-year exhibition.

•Work must have been completed within the last five years (2018 or after.) 

•Be built in a manner to allow fastening to a concrete pad with anchor bolts measuring 5/8” (unless an optional anchoring system is provided by the artist and approved by the City prior to installation.)

•Work may not have been previously displayed within Marion County, Florida, or entered into this competition.  

Only entries that have been completed, or that are guaranteed to be completed three months before installation, are eligible. If a proposal is submitted and proof of completion is not received by three months prior to installation the work will be disqualified.

Application Requirements:

Artists may submit up to three different works

•Three professional quality digital images of each work in jpg. format with a resolution of 180ppi., preferably from different angles (Ensure photos are only of the piece and do not have people in the image).  Label each image with the last name of the artist and the name title of the work.  Printed photographs, drawings, or slides will not be accepted.  

•Professional resume (word document or PDF)

•Artists statement (word document or PDF)

•Word document with the following information

1. Name

2. Address

3. Phone number

4. Email

5. Title of work

6. Material(s) of work

7. Date

8. Dimensions (in ft and in: h x w x d)

9. Weight

10. Value of work

Incomplete or lost applications are not accepted.  Submission constitutes agreement to the rules and details as published in this call for entries.  All entrants will be notified of the results of the selection process.  Please do not contact this office about the status of your application.  Submission materials will not be returned.

Submission Address: 828 NE 8th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474

Overnight and express shipping is not allowed. 

Important Additional Information:

Artists may sell the work during the project period.  However, the work must remain on site for the duration of the exhibition.   If a selected work is sold prior to exhibition, it is expected to be exhibited and stay for the duration of the show. The City shall retain 30% of revenue collected from sale of Artwork, whether the sale was made from the online exhibition or the physical exhibition. Artist shall handle all sales, unless otherwise noted by an authorized representative of the City and is responsible for notifying the City of sale.

The City of Ocala will supervise, assist, and supply equipment (such as a bucket truck), if necessary, for installation of all sculptures.  Concrete pads are constructed by the City of Ocala personnel based on the mounting specifications provided by the artist at the time of acceptance. Any information related to significant weight load requiring additional depth to footers or the like, must be conveyed in these specifications.

The City of Ocala will provide insurance for a maximum claim of $15,000 during the exhibition.  The City of Ocala will not be held responsible for damage due to inherent vice or poor construction materials.

The City of Ocala reserves the right to photograph the work and/or the artist for documentation, education, and publicity purposes without additional compensation.  A printed brochure and cell phone tour will be produced for the exhibition.

The selected artist must contract with the City of Ocala for this project.

The selected artist must sign a hold harmless and add the city to a general liability insurance policy that will cover the duration of this project.

Accepting a proposal from an artist does not constitute any form on contract or agreement with respect to the project.

This office reserves the right to request additional information from artists and make changes/clarification to the call for entries if necessary. Limitations include the right to cancel, amend to alter the call for entries, its contents, or the selection process.

Selection Process:

The ten works for exhibition will be selected by a jury composed of art professionals, arts & culture agency representatives, community representatives and artists.  This year’s Merit Juror will select the Best in Show, Second Place, and Honorable Mention award winners once they are installed.  The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be determined by a simple majority vote of the attending public at the Tuscawilla Park Sculpture Stroll on Saturday, February 17 2024.

The 7th OOSC Merit Judge will be Jade Powers, Curator of Contemporary Art - The Harn Museum of Art.

Works will be selected based on the following:

Quality and strength of work

Ability of work to meet selection criteria

Resources for Questions:

Ocala Cultural Arts Office

352-629-8447

artinfo@ocalafl.org

Application Requirements

Artists may submit up to three different works

•Three professional quality digital images of each work in jpg. format with a resolution of 180ppi., preferably from different angles (Ensure photos are only of the piece and do not have people in the image).  Label each image with the last name of the artist and the name title of the work.  Printed photographs, drawings, or slides will not be accepted.  

•Professional resume (word document or PDF)

•Artists statement (word document or PDF)

•Word document with the following information

1. Name

2. Address

3. Phone number

4. Email

5. Title of work

6. Material(s) of work

7. Date

8. Dimensions (in ft and in: h x w x d)

9. Weight

10. Value of work

Incomplete or lost applications are not accepted.  Submission constitutes agreement to the rules and details as published in this call for entries.  All entrants will be notified of the results of the selection process.  Please do not contact this office about the status of your application.  Submission materials will not be returned.

Submission Address: 828 NE 8th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474

Overnight and express shipping is not allowed. 

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to artists currently working and residing in the United States with experience designing, fabricating, and installing large outdoor Public Art.