Call Description

The City of San Rafael invites artists and artist teams to apply to have a sculpture installation featured in the city’s Arts District. Downtown San Rafael has been designated one of 14 California Cultural Arts Districts by the California Arts Council (CAC). The city’s goal is to enhance the aesthetic and vibrancy of its public spaces by incorporating a diverse and engaging body of public art. 

There are 2 opportunities available:

• Opportunity A: One (1) existing large-scale sculpture for a 1-year exhibition from May 2026-May 2027
• Opportunity B: One (1) existing or commissioned sculpture for permanent display to be installed in May or June 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 25, 2025; 5:00 PM PT

OPPORTUNITY A: EXISTING LARGE-SCALE SCULPTURE FOR 1-YEAR EXHIBITION

The City of San Rafael seeks existing large-scale sculptures to be considered for temporary display at City Hall or on the grounds of the Falkirk Cultural Center located behind City Hall. The sculpture must be appropriate for public open space and encourage viewer engagement. Kinetic and interactive artworks desired, but not required.

The artist stipend is $5,000. The stipend is inclusive of artist’s costs such as engineering, any modifications required to make the sculpture ready for outdoor display, transportation to and from the site, staff/labor costs for installation and deinstallation, insurance, and any maintenance or repair of the sculpture necessary throughout the duration of its year-long exhibition in San Rafael.

In addition to the artist’s stipend, the following will be provided at no cost to the artist:

●      Rental of heavy equipment for the purpose of installation and deinstallation (excluding an operator of the heavy equipment)

●      City permits, inspections, and fees

●      Signage

TEMPORARY SCULPTURE CRITERIA:

●      Artwork should comply with the City’s Public Art Review Guidelines

●      Artwork should be ready to be placed or only require minor modifications. No spec work or renderings will be accepted.

●      Artwork should engage the viewer, be accessible, and have a high-level of craftmanship/artistry. Artworks may also have an interactive component to further public engagement.

●      Artwork should be suitable for viewing from all angles, fabricated with materials suitable for long-term outdoor display, and safe for public interaction (i.e. will not tip over, no sharp edges, or components that might pose a hazard).

●      Artworks requiring electricity are welcome, but we must understand power and maintenance needs.

●      Artwork must be constructed of durable materials that are able to withstand the variable weather conditions.

●      Artwork must comply with all appropriate engineering requirements.

●      Artist or artist’s representative must be available to deliver and pick up the artwork in person. The City will not store shipped artwork prior to installation and will not store shipping containers or transportation materials during the exhibition term.

●      Artists must commit to keeping their installation on display for a period of 12 months (precise installation and strike dates will be worked out with the selected artists).

●      The City and its partners will not be responsible for damages to the artwork during the exhibition. Therefore, it is recommended the artist carries liability insurance for their artwork.

OPPORTUNITY B: SCULPTURE FOR PERMANENT INSTALLATION

The City of San Rafael is seeking sculptures to be considered for permanent display at a high-visibility entry point to the city. The sculpture may be an existing work of art or commissioned. Commissioned work must be completed and installed by June 2026. The sculpture is anticipated to be installed in May or June 2026 at a date to be determined by the city. The artwork should complement the landscape of the area, community spirit, be memorable, and appropriate for public spaces including vehicle traffic (ie. no flashing lights or installations that could be considered traffic safety hazards).

The artist stipend is up to $41,000. The stipend is inclusive of artist’s costs such as design specs, engineering, materials, sales tax, transportation to and from the site, staff/labor costs for installation, heavy equipment rental and insurance.

In addition to the artist’s stipend, the following will be provided at no cost to the artist:

●      City permits, inspections, and fees

●      Site preparation (lightning not necessarily included)

TIMING

The table below describes the estimated timeline from the application process through the artwork installation completion deadline.

*If the permanent sculpture selected is a newly commissioned artwork, additional time to complete fabrication past June 2026 can be accommodated

ENVIRONMENT/LOCATION:

Images and descriptions of both the temporary exhibit location and the permanent work are available on this CaFÉ call. These locations are the most likely for installation. Depending on the art we select, location may change to fit the specifications of sculpture installation environment (safety, visibility, anchoring - etc). The below is a map link showing location of three potential install locations.

GOOGLE MAP

Questions about this call can be submitted via email until 12pm PT on the application deadline date. Please contact info@localeditioncreative.com with the subject line: San Rafael Call For Sculptures.

Application Requirements

All applications must be submitted through CAFÉ. Applications that do not meet the requirements and are not submitted through CAFÉ will not be accepted. Artists must submit the following:

1. Statement of Interest:
   • What draws you to this project? Your artist statement is a key part of the review process. Be intentional; it does not need to be lengthy.
   • Please note in your application if your sculpture should be considered for temporary or permanent display.
   • If submitting a proposal for commissioned artwork, please explain how you would approach the design of the sculpture as well as the engineering and include a mock up with dimensions/specs.
2. Resume or CV:
   • A paragraph about you, your artistic focus, qualifications, and something about you that isn’t necessarily art-related. Provide insight to complement your resume.
   • If you are applying as a team, please include your team/studio resume.
3. Examples of work:
   • Upload 3-6 images of the artwork. Photos submitted must reflect the artwork’s current condition. If submitting a concept for a permanent sculpture, upload renderings, specs, and examples of previous work.
   • Acceptable file types: .jpg, .png, .pdf. Please ensure your uploaded images are good quality and large enough to see detail, up to 5MB.
   • Include specs, year completed, and medium.
   • You may link to a short video of a project as well (under ten seconds in length).
4. Budget:
   • For permanent sculptures, include a budget breakdown of costs

Construction Overview:

• Include an overview of addressing the artwork’s durability in regards to exposure to the elements and public safety

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS

The curatorial team comprises the City of San Rafael, the stakeholders of the Downtown San Rafael Arts District, and Local Edition Creative - the City’s public art program facilitator. Selected artists will be determined by the curatorial team based on application completeness, project criteria, and artist qualifications.

A representative from the curatorial team may call the artist/artist team to get more information or clarification if needed. Selected artists will be required to handle all logistics to/from San Rafael, CA and labor required for the setup and striking of their artwork. 

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility is open to artists and artist teams residing in the United States. Artists residing in Marin County and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area are highly encouraged to apply. Artist/Artist Team must be available to install the artwork during dates to be determined between May-June 2026.

The artworks commissioned will:

●    Comply with the City’s Public Art Review Guidelines

●    Be of the highest artistic quality in terms of originality of concept and artistic vision

●    Work with the location setting, architectural design elements, and be appropriate in scale, media, and context

●    Build upon what makes San Rafael unique

●    Be memorable and create a lasting impression of San Rafael as the arts hub of Marin County

●    Be made with durable materials that can be maintained over time. All works will be staged in public outdoor spaces for an extended time and will require rigid construction of the artwork. A construction overview of durability is required with your submission. For some structures or sculptures, it may be required to provide stamped engineering drawings.

●    Artworks that are best viewed in both the daytime and nighttime are desired.