PROJECT OVERVIEW
In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the City of Lexington, Mayor Linda Gorton identified new public art as a priority for the 2025 anniversary year. A prominent outdoor site along Main St. in downtown Lexington, at the front of the Robert Stephens Courthouse Plaza, has been selected for the artwork. This will be the largest work of public art ever commissioned by the City of Lexington.

PROJECT GOALS
The goal is for this public art project to celebrate artistic excellence in a work of art that will activate the site, and create an art space that will draw people in, engage the community, and encourage social interaction in the heart of downtown Lexington. This work of art, in a prominent city setting, will elevate a sense of awareness of our community and help to cultivate a shared cultural identity and sense of belonging. While acknowledging this important historical milestone for the City of Lexington, and working within the surrounding design of the Courthouse Plaza, the primary purpose for this art commission is to create a highly visible and site-specific work of art that is timeless and that will express a forward-looking, ambitious, positive, and hopeful gaze toward the future.

PROJECT BUDGET
The budget for artwork is up to $750,000 all-inclusive of all costs for the project, including artist fees, other consultants’ and subcontractors’ fees, insurance, engineering, materials, fabrication, and transportation, and lighting. There is an additional $100,000 allowance for site prep for the project.

An additional $50,000 will be designated to support future conservation and maintenance of the artwork.

SELECTION PROCESS
A selection committee composed of City of Lexington personnel, artists, and arts professionals, and other community stakeholders will review the credentials of professional, practicing artists and design teams who can demonstrate experience successfully executing large-scale public sculpture projects. Entries not meeting requirements will not be considered.

PROJECT SITE
Located in the center of downtown Lexington, the Robert Stephens Courthouse Plaza was built in 2001 and serves as the “front lawn” of Lexington’s District and Circuit Courts. (Refer to photos and site plan.)  The Plaza, located on Limestone Street, and running for a full block between Main Street and Short Street, is composed of grassy areas, sidewalks, stone paved walkways, small stone fences, low stone steps, and a large interactive water fountain on the Short Street end of the plaza. 

The specific site for the art commission is an open space that faces a very busy Main Street which is a primary thoroughfare in downtown Lexington. This space is highly visible to pedestrian and vehicular traffic and is directly across the street from Phoenix Park (soon to be redesigned) and the main branch of the Lexington Public Library. Restaurants and bars, and a new City Center complex, which houses corporate offices, condos, and a Marriott Hotel, are in the next block and across the street. The Pam Miller Downtown Art Center is also one door away from the Courthouse Plaza.

Current signage and architectural design elements in the Plaza will remain. Architectural elements closest to the designated art site include several low stone steps that lead up to a platform and stone signage of the Robert Stephens Courthouse. Stone pillars are located on either side of the steps. Further, there are two mature trees currently on either side of the designated space for the public artwork.

Note that a large steel frame (a previous water feature) that is located in the center of the project site, will be removed. (Refer to photos and site plan.)  This cost is not part of the project budget.

If desired, ground and low-level space may be utilized beneath the trees located to the left and right of the designated art space. Please see the attached schematics and photographs of the site.

ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS
The content for the artwork must be suitable for public consumption and should be sensitive to and respond to the existing architectural features of the Robert Stephens Courthouse Plaza.

Artwork must be made of durable and low-maintenance materials that are suitable for an outdoor, all-weather installation in Lexington, Kentucky. With safety in mind, the design should mitigate any potential hazards such as sharp or protruding edges or elements, structural damage from wind or rain, or hazards or damage created by human interaction.

The artwork should allow for open site lines and a good visual connection between the streets, sidewalks, and the artwork. The height of the artwork should be visible from multiple angles and locations.

Electricity is available on-site and the design should incorporate lighting, interior and/or exterior, to illuminate the artwork and the immediate site. Water features for the site will not be considered.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A typical night brings hundreds of people to downtown Lexington to enjoy several bars and restaurants in the immediate area. During the day, Main Street vehicular traffic and pedestrians are plentiful with people commuting to work, visiting the nearby Government Center and hotels, and visiting the District and Circuit Courts directly beside the Stephens Courthouse Plaza.

The entire Plaza is sometimes used for events such as Festival Latino, the DiverCity Festival, and the St. Patrick’s Day and 4th of July Festivals. It is the former site of Lexington’s annual Pride Festival until the event outgrew the space. It is also sometimes used as a place for public rallies, protests, and vigils. Outside of scheduled events in the Plaza, there is very little public engagement or utilization of the space.

SELECTION PROCESS
The Public Art Commission seeks qualified artists to respond to the RFQ by February 29, 2024 - 11:59 PM (Mountain Time).

After a review of all qualified RFQs, the selection committee will invite three finalists to submit a proposal for the design of a site-specific public artwork for Lexington’s 250th anniversary. Finalist proposals should represent a unique commission in ample detail. This detail shall be in the form of complete scaled drawings incorporating all structural and electrical elements. Digital or 3D models will also be accepted.

Each invited finalist will be awarded $5,000 upon receipt of completed proposals. In addition, there will be a travel allowance of up to $1,500 per finalist to visit Lexington and the selected site upon shortlisting and again to present their proposal in person.

ANTICIPATED TIMELINE
February 29, 2024 RFQ Deadline
March 15, 2024 Finalists Selected
March - April, 2024 Finalists Review Site, Meet Selection Committee & City Team Members
Late May, 2024 Presentation of Finalist Proposals
June, 2024 Artist Selected / Contracts Prepared
September, 2025 Completion of Work and Installation

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW – LEXINGTON, KY
The naming of the City of Lexington took place in June 1775, a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and 17 years before Kentucky became a state. A group of frontiersmen, led by William McConnell camped along the forks of the Elkhorn Creek and staked a claim around a “sinking spring” where they had set up camp. This spot, now known as McConnell Springs, is now a 26-acre nature sanctuary located just 2.5 miles from the heart of downtown Lexington. This city park contains the remains of a historic gristmill, restored limestone fences, trails, and the natural springs that attracted the McConnell party. 

It is suggested that while at this site, the explorers learned of the first battles of the American Revolution, fought in Lexington, Massachusetts, and so named their future settlement, “Lexington.” An influx of settlers from the east continued and then led to conflicts and invasions by the British and the indigenous American Indians. As it is currently understood, the ancestors of Kentucky’s indigenous American Indian people had been hunting and living in this region since at least 9,500 BCE. As indicated in the Native History of Kentucky chapter in Native America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia, as McConnell and other land speculators and explorers arrived in the Bluegrass Region, they viewed Kentucky as “empty” land that was ripe for settlement. Native people viewed their land use as a violation of territorial rights. Native leaders tried to determine the appropriate response to these conflicts: accommodate and stay; resist by removing beyond the frontier; or resist and fight to drive the settlers out. The result was the same, however: land cession and removal.

Lexington grew rapidly and by the early 1800s had become known as the “Athens of the West,” and as an intellectual and religious center. The first institute of higher learning west of the Alleghenies, Transylvania University, was established in Lexington in 1789. The first newspaper of the West was published in Lexington and the first library in Kentucky was established here as well. The First African Baptist Church, founded in Lexington in 1790, is the third oldest Baptist congregation of African Americans in the United States, and Christ Church Episcopal was founded in 1796 and was the first Episcopal congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains. 

Lexington also became a business and manufacturing center, which centered around hemp production from hemp grown on area farms. Increased farming and industry also led to the proliferation of slavery and Lexington became one of America’s largest slave markets from the 1820s until the Civil War. In 1860, a little under half (45%) of Lexington’s population were enslaved. At one time, 10,000 enslaved people were owned by 1,700 slave owners, including those most influential and powerful such as Henry Clay and John Wesley Hunt. Lexington’s Cheapside slave auction block served local and regional markets and resulted in the human trafficking of thousands of enslaved Kentuckians. Long known as “Cheapside Park” in the center of downtown Lexington, this area has now been renamed Henry Tandy Centennial Park to recognize an African American contractor and builder who completed the work on Lexington’s courthouse. Built in 1898, the courthouse at that time, was one of the largest in the US. A downtown African American Heritage Trail and numerous historical markers now recognize Cheapside and Lexington’s history of enslaved people.

In the developing decades of the late 1700s and early 1800s, Lexington was also growing other industries that are intrinsic to Lexington: horse racing and bourbon production. Around 1780, early settlers established Lexington’s first racecourse and by 1830 the Kentucky Association, a group of prominent locals that included Henry Clay, built a Thoroughbred racetrack in Lexington’s east end. Later, in 1875, Lexington’s Red Mile was constructed in Lexington, serving a “new” breed of horses: the Standardbred. Keeneland race course, considered one of the most beautiful, and respected racetracks in the world, was opened in 1936 and serves the industry through international race meets and the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house. Today, there are over 450 horse farms in and around Lexington ---- many of which were established in the 1800s and which are still held by ancestors of the original founders.

Bourbon production also began in the late 1700s, making the most of the freshwater that is naturally filtered by the area's limestone. Distilleries sprang up in Lexington --- along the banks of the Town Branch of the Elkhorn Creek. Good corn production and Kentucky’s four full seasons also contribute to the best-in-the-world bourbon production. Lexington was home to the first registered distillery in Kentucky, located on Manchester Street. This area, known as the Distillery District, is now the revitalized home of numerous distilleries, music venues, restaurants, and shopping. 

History, storytelling, tradition, legacy, and a deep sense of place are integral to the people of Lexington but so are progressive ideologies, diversity, inclusivity, adaptation, craftsmanship, and creativity. Today, genuinely considered a progressive small city, Lexington’s contemporary success is still closely tied to our historic past, and business development and tourism highlight these connections. 

Lexington’s beautiful countryside of rolling bluegrass, historic stone fences, antebellum architecture, and horse and bourbon industries continue to generate new opportunities and international travelers for bourbon festivals, trails, and rides; world equestrian events and horse farm tours and experiences; concerts and arts festivals in non-traditional venues such as Keeneland and the Red Mile Racetracks; and other unique events. A continually evolving and growing community, the city’s metro population of 350,000 is the second largest in the state. Lexington is represented by over 150 languages, robust research, manufacturing, and healthcare industries, and amenities that serve all of Central and Eastern Kentucky. This all contributes to a dynamic community that embraces its past and looks toward the future.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
City of Lexington - https://www.lexingtonky.gov/. 
City of Lexington/Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/LexingtonKyGov/.   
Lexington / Fayette Co. demographics - https://datausa.io/profile/geo/lexington-fayette-ky. 
VisitLex - https://www.visitlex.com/about/history-of-lexington/. 
Lexington History Museum - https://www.lexhistory.org/resources/. 
National Park Service - https://www.nps.gov/state/ky/index.htm?program=all. 
Native America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia, A Native History of Kentucky - 
https://heritage.ky.gov/Documents/Native_History_KyTeachers.pdf. 
History of Lexington KY- https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/historyoflexingt00ranc/historyoflexingt00ranc.pdf. 
Tripadvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g39588-Lexington_Kentucky-Vacations.html. 
 

Application Requirements

• A professional resume / CV: Not to exceed three pages.
• An Artist Statement: Please outline your relevant art background and areas of focus. Detail your experience with and approach to public art and your role in other projects of similar scope.
• A Letter of Interest: Describe your interest in this specific project, what you bring to this project as an artist, sources of inspiration presented by the project, your previous projects of similar scope, and any other comments that might help differentiate you as a candidate.
• Images of Past Works: 5 Minimum - 10 Maximum of previously completed artworks. Each image must include a brief description of each project including the title, size, location, budget, and detail of the applicant’s role in the project. Design team applicants must detail each member’s role in past projects.
• Professional References: At least three professional references from past projects with contact information.

Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at https://www.callforentry.org/uploading-images-audio-and-video-files/.

Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists and design teams must be professional and practicing artists who can demonstrate experience in successfully executing large-scale public art projects. Artists must be legally able to work in the United States and be at least 18 years of age. Artists not meeting these requirements will not be considered.
We are committed to a policy of providing opportunities to people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate based on race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.