A. PROJECT GOALS: The City of St. Augustine (City) is seeking an artist or team of artists to create an original design, outdoor, permanent, large-scale, site-specific civic art installation for the roundabout at the intersection of May Street and San Marco Avenue. The artist(s) selected for the commission will be responsible for the design, fabrication, and installation of the outdoor public art installation, including the structural design and related permitting through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and City staff. Experience in large scale installations, civic content, and the southern coastal climate is preferred. The artwork should be a signature piece for the St. Augustine community, and although no specific narrative or representational content is required, the artwork should reflect some aspect of the City's multifaceted culture taking into consideration the unique characteristics of the site and its neighborhood. The artwork should appeal to a broad audience and should be site-responsive, and properly scaled to the surroundings. The materials used must be able to withstand extreme weather and heavy traffic and must be structurally sound and require low upkeep and minimal maintenance costs. The City of St. Augustine intends this public art to reflect civic content and be a form of symbolic speech of the municipality, therefore no logos, words, symbols, or statements should be included.

B. LOCATION: The outdoor art installation will be located within a traffic roundabout at the intersection of May Street and San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine, Florida.

C. SITE CONSTRAINTS:
- Outdoors, located in a southern coastal environment. This includes consideration for salt air, heat, sun exposure, and wind velocity. Tree coverage at maturity must be considered in relation to the artwork.

- Within a traffic roundabout. The art installation must meet all FDOT requirements, including non- reflective paint, no movement or mobile component, placement outside of sight triangle for traffic, and otherwise not obstructing traffic signalization. The art installation will not be accessible to the public but must be viewed from external sidewalks or the public park across the street from the roundabout.

- One primary site, with the possibility of additional elements within the grassed center of the roundabout.

- Primary site dimensions are specific: the artwork must fit within a roughly circular surface 7.8’ radius (15.6’ diameter, 191 square feet area), and may not exceed 25’ in elevation above the road.

- The art installation must be capable of being permanently anchored in place and stabilized. The artist should provide details of means and methods, suitability of materials for the environment, and specifications.

BUDGET: The budget for this project is $250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand dollars) and is inclusive of all costs associated with this project, including but not limited to: artist expenses, administration, subconsultants and engineered drawings, travel and lodging, conservation assessment, artwork fabrication, storage, transportation and installation, related permits, licenses, taxes, and insurance. The selected artist will be responsible for submitting an artwork maintenance manual upon completion.

E. TRAVEL STIPEND: The City will only provide a stipend to the finalists, to defray the cost of travel, accommodations, and preparation for the public meetings. The stipend may not exceed $5,000 (five thousand dollars) total per artist or artist team selected as finalists. The stipend is inclusive of reimbursement for travel and accommodations not to exceed $4,000 per artist or artist team as a whole, and $1,000 for preparation for the finalist artist or artist team.

F. SELECTION PROCESS:
Phase 1: The artist’s statement and qualifications will initially be reviewed and ranked by the Public Art Committee. The Public Art Committee will then invite up to three finalists from the RFQ submissions to visit the site and take part in a public forum in St. Augustine.

Phase 2: Drawing from conversations and engagement with the Public Art Committee and the community, artists will develop their proposal.

Phase 3: The Public Art Committee will invite the finalists to present their proposals at a public meeting in St. Augustine and will rank the final proposals.

Phase 4: The City Commission will determine the final ranking of the proposals and City staff will proceed to negotiate and finalize an agreement with the top ranked artist. The City does not guarantee that any commissioned artwork will result from this call.

Phase 5: The selected artist will design, permit, construct, and install the outdoor public art installation on site in St. Augustine.

G. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE (all dates subject to change):
2024
February  2 - Call for Artists RFQ issued by the City
February 29 - Deadline for artist questions
March 5 -City deadline to respond to questions
April 1 - 5 p.m. deadline for completed submittals
April 2 - Opening of responses by City Purchasing Dept.
April 26 - Public Art Committee selects up to three finalists to visit St Augustine and produce more detailed scopes of work.
May 13-20 - Finalists visit to St. Augustine for site visit and public outreach meeting (town hall/community meeting format)
June 28 - 5 p.m. deadline for finalists to submit a site-specific proposal
July 9 - Finalists present their proposal to Public Art Committee at public meeting
July 30 - Public Art Committee recommended ranking of finalists’ proposals
August 12 - City Commission determines final ranking and instructs City staff to negotiate an agreement with the top-ranked artist
Fall - Artist presents to Corridor Review Committee for permitting approval, and thereafter commences fabrication and installation.
 
This RFQ will be available to view on the City of St. Augustine’s website at www.citystaug.com, on the commercial service DemandStar at www.demandstar.com

I. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, April 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm

J. DELIVER SUBMITTAL TO:
Physical Address: City of St. Augustine, Attn: Purchasing, 75 King Street, 4th Floor, Lobby D, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.

Or Electronic Submittals: / and complete electronic submittals may be submitted through the CaFE website portal at www.callforentry.org/

K. SUBMITTAL OPENING:
Physical Address: City of St. Augustine, General Services Conference Room, 75 King Street, 4th Floor, Lobby D, St. Augustine, Florida 32084 at 10:00 am.

2.0 SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS:
2.1 Artists who wish to be considered for this project must submit the materials described below at the City.

Incomplete or illegible submissions will not be considered.

The following documents are required:

2.1.1 A current professional resume of no more than two (2) pages for each submitting artist and an artist’s statement.

2.1.2 A list of exterior sculpture/artwork installations completed in the last 5 years. Please include owner contact information.

2.1.3 A maximum of 8 digital images of completed exterior art installation/sculpture/artwork. The images shall be in .JPG format. Any masking or borders should be black, not white. Image files must be properly labeled each with artist's last name and a number (1-8) assigned per image list.
(e.g.:smith_1.jpg, smith_2.jpg). Artist’s name should NOT appear on the image. The first five artworks presented should be those that are most related to this call. Provide details, close-ups or multiple viewpoints of large or complex artworks. Paper versions of the images should be submitted along with a digital flash drive.

2.1.4 Image ID sheet, explain the content and context of each image.

2.2 The following documents are optional:

2.2.1 A written description of the artist’s initial reaction and possible narrative of the artist’s concept for this project. If images are submitted to convey the design intent of the proposed artwork, they will be counted towards the 8 image maximum. This is optional and will not be part of the preliminary competitive selection for the finalists.

2.2.2 Scans of publications, reviews or other items that may assist the City in evaluation of the artist’s capabilities. (No more than 3 items of this type should be included in the submission.)

3.0. Finalists’ Proposals: If selected as finalists, the finalists’ proposals must include a narrative of the proposal, detailed sketches, three-dimensional renderings, maquette, or other means of conveying scaled information of the proposed art installation. The finalists’ proposal must include the name of all artists, subcontractors, and other consultants or specialists involved in the proposal, a detailed and complete budget must be provided including all permitting, materials, labor, fabrication, travel, installation, and contingency costs itemized. The finalists’ proposals must address all site and permitting constraints, and provide specifications of means and methods, materials, and any requirement of this project. The project is for an original artwork, at fixed price, all inclusive, for a complete on site art installation. No additional costs, or cost overruns will be considered.

3.0.1 Selected Artist: An agreement will be negotiated with the selected artist. The agreement will require the artist to provide the complete artwork and meet all related costs such as travel, materials, fabrication, transportation, insurance, and installation of the work within a mutually agreed time period and for a fixed fee. Progress payments are made over the course of the contract in accordance with a mutually agreed upon schedule. Compliance with financial arrangements between the artist and any subcontractors is the responsibility of the artist. The artist selected must also agree to transfer of certain artist’s rights. See Exhibit “A” Commissioned Artwork Agreement.

3.0.2 If an agreement cannot be successfully negotiated in a timely manner with the top-ranked artist(s), the City has the option to negotiate with the artist(s) next in order of ranking, or it may terminate the process for all respondents.

4.0 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION/CLARIFICATION:

4.1 Any artist requesting additional information, interpretation, and/or clarifications relating to this Call shall make a written request addressed to: Danielle Falkner, Procurement Specialist III, City of St. Augustine, 75 King Street, 4th Floor, Lobby D, St. Augustine, Florida 32084, dfalkner@citystaug.com.

4.2 If it is deemed necessary, an addendum to this Call for Artists may be issued through City Purchasing.

5.0 RISK:
5.1 Persons responding to this Call do so at their sole expense and risk. The City reserves the right to change or cancel this Call at any time.

5.2 No proposer is guaranteed the award of an Agreement or any work as a result of being selected for this project.

5.3 Any changes made to this Call shall be made by means of a written addendum. It shall be the responsibility of the Artist to assure that all addenda have been received prior to submitting a proposal.

6.0 PUBLIC RECORDS ACT:
6.1 Pursuant to Florida Statutes, sealed responses to this Call to Artists are exempt from the public inspection requirements of the Public Records Act until such time as the announcement of a decision based on the proposals or within 30 days after proposal receipt date, whichever is earlier.

L. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
Location specifications: The May Street and San Marco intersection is a recently completed modified roundabout adjacent to the St. Johns County Library Main Branch, the Waterworks Cultural Center, Davenport Park, and several neighborhoods. It is also the entry to the Vilano causeway (Francis and Mary Usina Bridge/SR A1A), Hospital Creek, and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. The site is located within a Florida Department of Transportation roadway and the artwork will have to meet all FDOT requirements and have signed and sealed engineering plans. The center of the roundabout is landscaped with trees that may affect the visibility of any art installation on the site when the trees reach maturity. As a busy traffic interchange, the location is highly visible to vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. The site is not directly accessible to pedestrians. A public park with a children’s play area is located adjacent to the roundabout and next to the public library. Immediately north of the public park is the entrance to the Waterworks Building where an interpretive panel may be located by the sidewalk. The project has one primary site. The artist will provide an outdoor public art installation to be located at the primary site. The primary site is not accessible to the public and the art installation must be visible from afar. The artist may also include some design component to be located within the grassed center of the roundabout, which is the top of bank area around the dry retention pond where the primary site is located and potentially some components may be placed within the dry retention pond, accounting for episodic flooding, while maintaining the functionality of the dry retention pond intact. PRIMARY SITE (REQUIRED): The primary site for the art piece is a stabilized dirt and grassed surface, roughly circular 7.8’ radius (15.6’ diameter, 191 square feet area), within a dry retention pond. The bottom of the dry retention pond is at 5’ elevation, tapering up to 6’ elevation at the top of bank, with the stabilized dirt platform for the artwork at 7’ elevation. The site includes conduits in place for electrical and water connection. The primary site includes trees that may impact the visibility of the artwork at maturity. The artist may suggest additional elements at the top of bank of the dry retention pond, or within the dry retention pond itself. Impact on the functionality of the retention pond, sight distance, drop zone, and other safety requirements may limit the design options available for potential additional elements beyond the primary site.

- INTERPRETATIVE PANEL: The City may separately enter into an agreement for an interpretive panel to be located near the Waterworks Building sidewalk north of the roundabout. The artist will collaborate with the City on the design of the interpretive panel but will not be responsible for fabrication or installation of the interpretive panel. This will be the only location accessible to the public and may present an opportunity for the artist to suggest design elements, materials, and a narrative in an interactive format accessible to the visually impaired.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL ELEMENTS: electrical conduits, as well as water, are available at the primary site. Optional design elements may include a water feature such as a fountain component to the primary artwork. The grassed center of the roundabout must remain a functional dry retention pond, but could include additional artistic elements. Lighting of the primary art installation is expected. The artist should include lighting specifications consistent with its location inside a traffic roundabout. All lighting must comply with FDOT safety specifications. The artists should study and understand the primary and secondary site design. See Exhibit “B” FDOT scaled drawing, conceptual plan, aerials. The site is located within an operating traffic roundabout. See Exhibit “C” FDOT requirements. The site includes trees and the artists should consider the height of the artwork in relation to the future mature tree canopy. See Exhibit “D” conceptual line of site with tree canopy.

The artists should familiarize themselves with touch interactive panels. See Exhibit “E” TouchStAug examples.

Community Overview: Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African American origin in the United States. Forty-two years before the English colonized Jamestown and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the Spanish established at St. Augustine this nation's first enduring European settlement on the shores of an area already populated by Indigenous people with a rich history of their own. The project site is near numerous historic sites including archeological Indigenous middens, the site of the original landing of the Spanish expedition (Fountain of Youth Archeological Park), the site of the free Black settlement and fort (Fort Mose), and the site of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. The greater St. Augustine area includes a number of significant sites, sculptures, architecture, streetscapes, and landscapes informing the artist. The people of St. Augustine and its region span continents and experiences, from the Gullah Geechee to the Menorcan, colonial French, British and Spanish, intersecting with Indigenous peoples whose stories have yet to be fully told, all woven into a contemporary fabric altered and informed by more recent migrations and populations from across the United States, Greece, Italy, Asia, the African diaspora, and Latin America. The community embraces contemporary performing artists and poets, theater, plein air competitions, museum and gallery exhibits, music festivals, and historic reenactments.

See Exhibit “F” maps, images, and links to our dynamic, multi-cultural community.

Application Requirements

2.0 SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS: 2.1 Artists who wish to be considered for this project must submit the materials described below at the City. Incomplete or illegible submissions will not be considered.

The following documents are required:
2.1.1 A current professional resume of no more than two (2) pages for each submitting artist and an artist’s statement.

2.1.2 A list of exterior sculpture/artwork installations completed in the last 5 years. Please include owner contact information.

2.1.3 A maximum of 8 digital images of completed exterior art installation/sculpture/artwork. The images shall be in .JPG format. Any masking or borders should be black, not white. Image files must be properly labeled each with artist's last name and a number (1-8) assigned per image list. (e.g.:smith_1.jpg, smith_2.jpg). Artist’s name should NOT appear on the image. The first five artworks presented should be those that are most related to this call. Provide details, close-ups or multiple viewpoints of large or complex artworks. Paper versions of the images should be submitted along with a digital flash drive.

2.1.4 Image ID sheet, explain the content and context of each image.

2.2 The following documents are optional:

2.2.1 A written description of the artist’s initial reaction and possible narrative of the artist’s concept for this project. If images are submitted to convey the design intent of the proposed artwork, they will be counted towards the 8 image maximum. This is optional and will not be part of the preliminary competitive selection for the finalists.

2.2.2 Scans of publications, reviews or other items that may assist the City in evaluation of the artist’s capabilities. (No more than 3 items of this type should be included in the submission.)

3.0. Finalists’ Proposals: If selected as finalists, the finalists’ proposals must include a narrative of the proposal, detailed sketches, three-dimensional renderings, maquette, or other means of conveying scaled information of the proposed art installation. The finalists’ proposal must include the name of all artists, subcontractors, and other consultants or specialists involved in the proposal, a detailed and complete budget must be provided including all permitting, materials, labor, fabrication, travel, installation, and contingency costs itemized. The finalists’ proposals must address all site and permitting constraints, and provide specifications of means and methods, materials, and any requirement of this project. The project is for an original artwork, at fixed price, all inclusive, for a complete on site art installation. No additional costs, or cost overruns will be considered.

3.0.1 Selected Artist: An agreement will be negotiated with the selected artist. The agreement will require the artist to provide the complete artwork and meet all related costs such as travel, materials, fabrication, transportation, insurance, and installation of the work within a mutually agreed time period and for a fixed fee. Progress payments are made over the course of the contract in accordance with a mutually agreed upon schedule. Compliance with financial arrangements between the artist and any subcontractors is the responsibility of the artist. The artist selected must also agree to transfer of certain artist’s rights. See Exhibit “A” Commissioned Artwork Agreement.

3.0.2 If an agreement cannot be successfully negotiated in a timely manner with the top-ranked artist(s), the City has the option to negotiate with the artist(s) next in order of ranking, or it may terminate the process for all respondents.

Eligibility Criteria

WHO MAY APPLY: Visual artists experienced in media compatible with large-scale, permanent, civic outdoor public artwork, at least 18 years of age are eligible to apply. Candidates must be United States residents and legally authorized to work in the United States. City of St. Augustine staff, Public Art Committee members and their family members are not eligible to apply.