Marion, Iowa
A vibrant community of 41,000 people, Marion is one of the Midwest’s fastest growing cities. Located just minutes northeast of Cedar Rapids, Marion prides itself on being the best place in Iowa to raise a family and grow a business. Reach higher and achieve more in Marion. 

In 2022, Marion was awarded a Destination Iowa Outdoor Recreation grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority for our Central Plaza and Regional Trail Connection project. RDG Planning and Design was hired in 2021 to progress the Central Plaza from concept to schematic design and into construction documents. As part of the Central Plaza, a signature sculpture piece location was identified to be in the northeast corner, near 7th Avenue and the newly constructed oversized pedestrian crosswalk leading to the North Plaza.

Site Considerations
The Central Plaza will enhance Uptown Marion as a destination by providing a flexible space for outdoor day-to-day use and special events throughout the year. Amenities will include areas for live performances, public seating, engaging water features, an interactive sculptural play equipment piece, an ice-skating loop, and festival lighting. The Central Plaza is under construction in the heart of Uptown Marion, surrounded by historic buildings and new construction, where Marion’s history and vision for the future meld together. 

The identified location will provide for a 360° view of the sculpture near 7th Avenue. An area of roughly 12’ in diameter has been determined to provide for the base of the sculpture. Visit our Central Plaza webpage to get a sense of our Central Plaza layout and Uptown character via the Plaza renderings.

Additional Considerations
Artists are encouraged to create a signature sculpture that creates a sense of place while considering ideas of nature/growth or people, is interactive or playful in character, or is connected to its surrounding environment. 

With the proposed location near 7th Avenue, the enhancement of lighting is encouraged but should not flash or scroll to create a distraction to vehicular traffic or emulate traffic control devices or EMS. We would allow for the sculpture to cantilever out beyond the identified perimeter, but a minimum height of 8’ from grade will be required for any part that extends beyond the 12’ diameter area.

A landscaping plan is not required to accompany the proposed sculpture but will not be refused if it is integral to the art component. Artwork is allowed to be interactive or illuminated, internally or externally, so long as it is not deemed to be an unreasonable distraction to vehicular traffic or include flashing lights. To ensure the stability and longevity of the sculpture, footings may be required; engineer signed plans will be the responsibility of the artist.

Budget
The budget to construct the Central Plaza, including enclosing the Depot is $8.3 million and will be accomplished by Rinderknecht Associates, Inc. Additional and separate funding will be allocated for owner supplied items, such as benches, tables and chairs, trash enclosures, an ice skate rental hut, and ice skates. The signature sculpture piece has been identified as an owner supplied item for the project, with an allocated budget of $60,000 for the artist commission, materials (and footings if required), labor, and engineered structural plans for the designed art piece. A small stipend will be provided to those artists selected to provide a proposal.

The construction of footings and installation of the sculpture is anticipated to be a coordinated effort between the artist, project engineer, and Rinderknecht Associates, Inc.

Maintenance & Durability
This signature sculpture will be a permanent addition to the Central Plaza. Applicants must consider long-term conservation and maintenance of the public art piece, along with time and budget. Located outdoors, this piece will be subjected to Iowa's weather, as well as being subject to the potential of vandalism. This art piece should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance material. 

The selection committee is open to a sculpture piece constructed of materials suitable for a permanent outdoor display that meets the durability and maintenance stated above.

Selection Schedule & Process
Except for the online call for qualifications deadline, the schedule is subject to adjustments.

- Call for Qualifications Opens                                               April 1, 2024
- Deadline for Artist Submissions                                           April 15, 2024
- Review and Selection of Finalists                                        April 16 - 29, 2024
- Deadline for Finalists' Submissions and Renderings          June 17, 2024
- Interviews (virtual)                                                               June 24 - July 8, 2024
- Final Artist Selection and Notification                                  July 18, 2024

Three to five artists/artistic teams will be selected as finalists. Those selected will receive more specific information regarding site details, as well as a stipend to create a proposal. The Art Selection Committee will review the proposals, interview the finalists, and select an artist/artist team and their design to be presented to the Mayor and City Council for consideration of approval.  

Application Requirements

Statement of interest: A statement briefly detailing your interest in the Central Plaza Signature Sculpture installation, your design approach, and experience working on public art projects.

Background information on artist or team: No more than 2 pages detailing the artist or artistic team, their professional accomplishments, and a signature indicating they meet the minimum selection criteria listed above.

Previous Work: Up to six (6) total images (JPG) of previously completed artwork consisting of at least two (2) public art installations. Please provide information with the images detailing who the piece was commissioned for, the project cost, the scale of the piece, and primary materials used for the project.

Professional references: Include contact information for three (3) professional references that can speak to your budgetary, time management, and project communication skills.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered, the submitting artist or artistic team must be at least 18 years of age and have previous experience creating sculpture pieces meant for outdoor installations.