Neighborhood and Site Description:

The mural site is located along Osborne Avenue between Central Avenue and Nebraska Avenue in Tampa, Florida, is located in a neighborhood that is diverse and evolving. The area generally reflects a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial characteristics. Overall, the neighborhood between Florida Avenue and Nebraska Avenue on Osborne Avenue is a vibrant and diverse area with a range of residential and commercial characteristics.

The neighborhood of the site is Seminole Heights. Founded in 1911 by T. Roy Young, Seminole Heights is a historic neighborhood and district located in Tampa. The neighborhood has several parks, natural amenities, such as the nearby Hillsborough River, and an impressive tree canopy throughout the area. It was an early residential area of Tampa connected by streetcar, which ran from Sulphur Springs to downtown. Seminole Heights is known for its historic craftsman style bungalows from the early 20th century. Many buildings in the neighborhood existed in the early 1900s, including the Seminole Heights Methodist Church, Seminole Heights Elementary School, Broward Elementary, and Hillsborough High School. 

 Adjacent to the Seminole Heights Library, the space links South and Southeast Seminole Heights Neighborhoods. Many pedestrians walk through the space, including children who attend Memorial Middle School, as well as Hillsborough High.

Project Description:

The proposed location for the artwork are the gravity walls under the interstate, both approximately measuring 211 feet x 8 feet for a commissioned artwork.  Photos of site can be found at Tampa.Gov/Arts. The committee may select one artist for both walls or two artists. This is open to artists who work in painted murals or who incorporate tile in their work. Regional artists encouraged to apply.  It is the desire of the committee for the selected artist to engage the community in some fashion during the project.

Incorporating art in these types of spaces, can benefit the public positively by, creating a more inviting and safe environment for all roadway users, including pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. This project will also support traffic calming goals, reduce vehicular speeds and support the City and FDOT’s Vision Zero mission, which is the effort to eliminate all roadway deaths and life-altering injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.
 

Application Requirements

Application Requirements:

Artists must supply the following materials to complete an application:

1. Work Samples (required)– ten images of artist’s past work comparable to the opportunity outlined in this RFQ.
    
2. Work Sample Descriptions (optional) – upload a document describing the work submitted samples or complete the fields in the work sample uploads. For each work sample, provide information from the list below  that is relevant to your work sample.
   o Title
   o Date Completed
   o Materials
   o Name of Collaborators / Team Members
   o Location of Artwork
   o Description of Artwork
   o Commissioning Agency
   o Cost
   o Vimeo or YouTube link for corresponding piece, if relevant
    
3. Resume (required) – upload a current professional resume (limit to three pages), emphasizing professional Public Art experience and/or experience in working with public agencies. 
    
4. Statement of Interest (required) – describe why this opportunity is appealing to you and relevant to your work. This statement can be succinct or up to one page, but it should not exceed 3,000 characters

Please do not submit a proposal for a concept with your application. Artist who submit proposals will be disqualified and their submission will not be reviewed. Proposals are defined as a physical description of an artwork for the site and/or a visual illustration of an artwork for the site. 
 

Questions pertaining to application process may be emailed to: arts@tampagov.net 
 

Budget:

The project budget is $140,000; this amount is to cover artwork on both gravity walls including prep work (pressure washing and priming) and all expenses including design, fabrication, installation, travel, insurance, etc.  The Artist is expected to meet project budget and schedule. 

Artist Selection Process:

The Art Selection Committee, comprised of a Public Art Committee representative, visual arts expert, and stakeholders relevant to the project will conduct a blind review of the images submitted. The committee will then review artist resumes, and their statements regarding how they would approach this project. The committee may opt to choose a finalist directly or select multiple finalists to submit refined proposals. The artist/s will work with the committee if any adjustments to the concept/proposal are needed.

Working Project Schedule                                                    

Call to Artists deadline: Friday, January 10, 2025  

Finalists selected: Q1 2025

Contract: Q1 2025

Community Outreach: Q2 2025         

Installation: Q3 2025 

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility:

Open to visual artists with experience executing their ideas from concept to completion and working in the public realm with public agencies.  The artist will be working closely with the City’s Arts & Cultural Affairs Division, and Parks & Recreation.