Project Objective and Scope of Services Background

The City of Tustin Parks and Recreation Department’s Public Art Commission invites artists and artist teams to apply with their qualifications for inclusion in an Artist Database for notification and potential commission of one or more future public art commissions.

Consistent with Tustin’s Public Art Policy and long-term strategic vision, the Public Art Commission has been focused on public art projects, specifically murals.  These projects enliven where we work and live, help boost foot traffic for businesses, and add color to areas that often go unnoticed.  The Tustin Public Art Commission continues to advance public art across the City and enhance the impact for residents and visitors.  This could include murals, sculptures, memorials, mosaics, integrated architecture or landscape architectural work, painting of crosswalks, etc.  These art projects should capitalize on Tustin’s history, culture, and uniqueness and be visually and physically accessible to the public. 

RFQ Purpose

Open to artists of all experience levels, this RFQ aims to build an Artist Database for future commissioned art projects.

Artists with prior public art experience should demonstrate:

• Innovative approaches to materials, methodologies, and public engagement
• Prior work done with or in affiliation with the City of Tustin
• Professional and technical capacity to plan, coordinate, and execute a public artwork in collaboration with City representatives, contractors, and the general public
• Ability to respond to the built environment

 Local artists with little or no public art experience interested in entering the public art field are encouraged to apply as well. Artists working in any media may apply individually or as an artist team. Artists with no public art experience should demonstrate:

• An interest in learning about and working in the public art realm
• An interest in or prior experience working on community-centered projects
• Artistic merit and conceptual strength
• Respect and acknowledgment of the social and/or historical context of the local community

Application Requirements

Interested artists may apply online via callforentry.org.  Register at www.callforentry.org and follow the directions for registration and submitting materials for this Public Art Request for Qualifications.

The application process will prompt for all necessary documents and information.  This includes up to 10 images of previous work, a CV/resume or personnel qualifications, a Statement of Interest, Public Outreach Approach, and references.

Personnel Qualifications: Should the applicant not have a CV or resume, the following is required:

• A brief description of the artist or team, organization structure, and location of the artist or each member of the team
• A qualification summary containing a description of the artist or team’s qualifications and the resumes of all the personnel who may work on the future project.  If applying as a team, provide a history of the team’s history working together on similar projects.

Statement of Interest: The applicant shall prepare a one-page Statement of Interest in creating a public art project.

Public Outreach Approach: The applicant shall prepare a one-page statement of their approach and philosophy to public outreach, including any creative approaches.

References: A minimum of three (3) separate references from past projects should be provided.  The references should:

• Provide a demonstration of success on projects, including a brief project description and a contact name and address for reference
• Be in relation to projects completed within the past five years

Timeline and Questions

Any questions regarding this RFQ shall be submitted via email to publicart@tustinca.org by September 15, 2023.  

Artists selected for inclusion in the Artist Database will be informed via email by October 3, 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to artists of all experience levels, this RFQ aims to build an Artist Database for future commissioned art projects.