Your response to this Request for Qualifications is not intended to be a finished design of a proposed sculpture. Rather, your response should present your qualifications for creating such a sculpture. The submission of an existing or past work is an acceptable response to this Request for Qualifications.

Project finalists will be selected based on responses to this Request for Qualifications. Only project finalists will be asked to develop a full proposal/design.

CITY OF HAPPY VALLEY

Nestled in the foothills of Mount Hood, the City of Happy Valley is a thriving, multicultural community of 26,700 neighbors. Many residents identify as Asian (26.1 percent), of two or more races (9.6 percent), and/or Hispanic or Latino (6.4 percent). Moreover, our beautiful nature areas, safe neighborhoods, and vibrant business community contribute to making our town a wonderful place to call home.

The City of Happy Valley is increasingly known for its collection of art in public roundabouts. View other roundabouts in our community here.

PROJECT BACKGROUND & SITE CONTEXT 

This summer, the City of Happy Valley will construct a small-scale traffic roundabout at the intersection of King Road and 129th Avenue. The roundabout will serve a fire station, a police station, and several nearby neighborhoods. The roundabout will also function as a transportation gateway between the City of Happy Valley and the City of Portland, providing access to employment areas, several schools, and Happy Valley’s robust public park system.

The King Road Roundabout will include a circle measuring approximately 20-ft in diameter for the placement of public art and ornamental landscaping. Artwork will be commissioned through this Request for Qualifications. RFQ finalists will be invited to submit a full proposal for consideration.

The artist or artist team selected will be tasked with creating artwork and delivering completed artwork to the project site. The artist will also coordinate with the City’s landscape architect on defensive landscaping for the artwork. The City will fund and provide artwork installation and landscaping.

Application Requirements

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) INSTRUCTIONS

Artists and Artist Teams applying must submit all of the following information by September 9, 2024. Artist Teams, please submit only one application.

1. Essential Information. Please be prepared to provide:
   • Names of participating artists, if submitting as an artist team.
   • Description of most relevant project experience.
   • Description of your interest in this project and how your artwork and art-making process would be a good fit for the opportunity.
2. Up to ten (10) digital images of completed past works of art or public art. With each image, please include title, medium, dimensions, year completed, budget and city/state. Work examples must showcase sculptures/installations in outdoor spaces or made of materials suitable for outdoor spaces. (Please do not submit images of "indoor" works of art.)
3. Demographic Information (Optional). Demographic information is not considered in the paneling of submissions. Demographic information will be used by City staff to improve public outreach for future art solicitations.

RFQ SELECTION PANEL

Submissions to this RFQ will be paneled by the Happy Valley Public Art Advisory Committee with assistance from staff and technical experts. The Committee will select up to five (5) finalists. Finalists will be selected based on the following criteria:

1. Experience: Does the Artist have experience with public art projects; using materials suitable for public outdoor settings; collaborating with artists, architects, engineers, fabricators, and municipal government staff?
2. Artist Merit: Does the Artist’s body of work demonstrate artistic excellence?
3. Locational Context: Would the Artist’s body of work enliven the proposed project location?

RFQ finalists will be invited to develop and submit a complete proposal for consideration. Finalists will have about five weeks, plus a stipend of $1,500, to develop a full artwork proposal. Finalists are encouraged to use the stipend for a site visit early in the design phase to see the proposed intersection and, as schedules allow, meet with City staff.

INFORMATION FOR RFQ FINALISTS

RFQ Finalists will be asked to provide the following information through CaFE:

1. Artwork renderings from the front, side, and rear perspective. Renderings must be submitted in JPEG or PDF formats. A physical maquette is not required but may be submitted to supplement renderings.
2. Artwork physical specifications. Physical specifications includes (1) planned dimensions, (2) estimated weight, and (3) sculpture materials. Physical specifications must be provided for each discrete sculpture included in the proposal.
3. Explanation of artwork. A brief description of how the proposal fulfills project design guidance (see “Design Guidance for Finalist Proposals” below).
4. Purchase price. The purchase price includes all artist costs to create proposed artwork and deliver completed artwork to the project site. The purchase price may not exceed $120,000.
5. Conservation maintenance information. Conservation maintenance questions will contemplate the anticipated lifespan of artwork and maintenance needs should the artwork be installed. A fillable worksheet of all questions is included in the resource toolbox below to assist in proposal development.

DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR RFQ FINALIST PROPOSALS 

The Public Art Advisory Committee seeks artwork proposals that are locally-relevant (site specific) and intended for installation within an outdoor setting. Finalists are requested to interpret one or more of the following elements:

1. Our Neighborhood: Celebrate Happy Valley’s racial and ethnic diversity through the use of a multicolored medium or multicolored design.
2. Our Backyard: Happy Valley has a robust parks and trails network. Invite our neighbors to enjoy nature by showcasing our local landscape, hills and wildlife.
3. Our Community: The project intersection supports several public services, including police, fire, schools and parks. Design a multi-sided or kinetic sculpture that relates to the adjacent land uses.

Pedestrian access to the roundabout is not desirable; therefore, the sculpture should have an immediate visual impact that does not require an “up close and personal” inspection of the art. The sculpture will be located in the line of sight for motorists and passersby.

The scale of art should be appropriate to the scale of the site. Proposals may include multiple sculptures provided the proposal complies with the spatial requirements of the roundabout design plan. Illuminated artworks and sculptures with water features will not be accepted.  

Selected finalists may present sculpture(s) within their existing inventory provided there is no other work in that edition installed within a 75-mile radius of the installation site.

PANEL OF RFQ FINALIST PROPOSALS

City staff will conduct a technical review of finalist proposals. Thereafter, the Happy Valley Public Art Advisory Committee will deliberate among finalist proposals and issue a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will receive the Public Art Committee’s recommendation and make a final award decision. The City Council is not obligated to select the Committee’s recommended proposal.

PROJECT TIMELINE

RESOURCE TOOLBOX

We are invested in your success. Provided below are a series of resources that may assist in proposal development:

• How to Apply to a Call for Entry on CaFÉ
• Other Roundabouts in Happy Valley
• King Road Roundabout construction renderings
• King Road Roundabout construction schematic
• Google Map of Project Location
• Guidance for RFQ Finalists: Conservation Maintenance Worksheet

QUESTIONS - PLEASE CONTACT

Jaimie Lorenzini (she/her), 503-886-8428, jaimiel@happyvalleyor.gov

Eligibility Criteria

This opportunity is open to all artists who reside in the United States or U.S. Territories. Artists identifying with a racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual, gender, economic, or ability minority are strongly encouraged to apply.