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. 

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 where annual average daily traffic counts were near 13,000 in 2017. Traffic in the area has increased steadily with the connection of 6th Avenue to the east and the new 7th Avenue streetscape. The area is also home to many community events that occur annually in Uptown. An area of roughly 12’ in diameter has been determined to provide for the location of the sculpture.

Additional Considerations
Artists are encouraged to create a signature sculpture that creates a sense of place while considering ideas that allow for an interactive piece that may use elements of light, movement, or playfulness to create interest. The plaza space will be active year around and will be the heart of the community. We are looking for a signature piece that embodies the spirit of Marion and our “reach higher” motto as we strive to provide a high-quality of life for community members and visitors alike.

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, emulate emergency vehicles or official road signs, or include flashing lights. To ensure the stability and longevity of the sculpture, footings will be required; engineer signed plans will be the responsibility of the artist.

Budget
The signature sculpture artwork has been allocated a budget not to exceed $60,000. This budget includes all costs related to the design, fabrication, transportation and installation of the artwork, including but not limited to design fees, material and equipment costs, professional service fees including engineered structural plans, necessary travel and lodging expenses during the design phase or installation phase, foundation, shipping, installation costs, and equipment rental for the designed art piece. 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.

A separate small stipend will be provided to those artists selected to provide a proposal.

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                                                         May 17, 2024
- Deadline for Artist Submissions                                         May 31, 2024
- Review and Selection of Finalists                                      June 1 - 14, 2024
- Finalist Notification                                                             Mid-June 2024
- Finalist Proposals Due                                                       Early August 2024
- Interviews (virtual)                                                              Mid-Late August, 2024
- Artist Selection and Notification                                         Early September, 2024

Three to five artists/artistic teams will be selected as finalists. Those selected will receive additional 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

All applications must include:

• Artist statement:
  • What is your artistic style?
  • What is your preferred medium used for outdoor sculptures in the round?
  • What makes your art unique?
• A brief statement of interest:
  • Explanation as to why you are interested in Marion's Uptown, Central Plaza signature sculpture project.
  • A short statement of conceptual approach to the project and how your style of work may be considered as interactive.
  • Your experience working on outdoor public art installations.
• Previous work:
  • Up to six (6) total images or videos of fabricated and installed artwork consisting of at least two (2) outdoor public art installations.
  • Provide information with the images/videos detailing who the piece was commissioned for, the project cost, the scale of the piece, and primary materials used for the project.
  • Do not submit images of past proposals that have not been fabricated and executed.
• 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 provide the information requested as part of the application requirements.

This project is open to professional artists at least 18 years of age residing in the United States, with slight preference given to artists or artistic teams with a tie to Eastern Iowa, living or working within the state of Colorado, regardless of color, creed, disability, familial status, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

If applying as a team, please assign a team leader to respond to the submission questions, communicate which artist(s) are responsible for each of the work samples.

All RFQ applications must be submitted through the CAFE online portal www.callforentry.org.