The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo’s Art in Public Places Program has partnered with the City of Toledo’s Parks Department to commission a new work of public art integrated into Inez Nash Park. 

Renovations to the park will include a quarter mile walkway, shelter, main event plaza, and a system of pathways and plazas that ultimately serve to connect several areas designed to encourage a variety of play, including the site of this public art project: a shoot-around court with five hoops designed for freeform play. The court measures approximately 50’-0” x 29’-9”, or 1170 square feet. 

A Design Review Board (DRB) plans to select three artists/teams to propose complete designs for the surface of the court and each of the 5 backboards. Finalists will be paid a stipend of $2000 to participate in the concept proposal process, which will include touring Inez Nash Park and meeting the Design Review Board and community members prior to developing a proposal. We are looking for artists that have experience with integrating public art into park/court environments as well as incorporating community input and engagement into the creative process. Submitted qualifications will be judged on a competitive basis.

The artist / team selected for the commission shall collaborate closely with the project management team through in-person meetings and other necessary means of communication when developing conceptual designs for artwork, including site integration, content, media, and application.

Three finalists will be paid $2000 to develop proposals for the site. 

Up to $1000 will be reimbursable for expenses related to site visits, including travel, lodging and food. 

The overall budget for commissioning, designing, and creating the artwork is $60,500, including but not limited to expenses related to project completion, site preparation, additional design fees, materials, equipment, documentation, transportation, installation and travel.

Download a PDF of the RFQ here

Application Requirements

Artists interested in this project must prepare and submit the following:

Letter of Interest - This letter should be no more than one page and should explain the artist’s interest in the project.

Current Resume - If submitting as a team, a current resume for each team member should be provided.   

Visual Support Materials - Submit 5 digital images of your most recent professional work. 

Annotated image list - The image list must include the artist’s name and a brief description of image stating its title, date, medium, size, location and if a commissioned project, the commission budget.

References - A list of at least three professional references that have an intimate knowledge of their work and working methods. The list must include complete emails and telephone numbers.

Eligibility Criteria

The project is open to all artists in the United States of America, age 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines.