Call Description

This project is intended to encourage reading, provide a place for people to rest, and to instill in the community an understanding and appreciation of public art. The artist chosen for this project will serve as an independent contractor of the Town of Danville. The Town of Danville shall retain ownership of the bench and the design, including, but not limited to, reproduction rights, physical maintenance, and lifespan. In all uses of the bench, the creative product will be credited to the artist. All terms and conditions will be laid out in a contract to be signed by the artist upon selection.

Project Goals

• To commission an artist (or artist teams) to design and paint a book bench; and

• To enhance the Town Green with an immersive art experience that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors to the Town of Danville

Project Description

The design should:

• Be original ideas directly from the artist; and

• Be transformative in nature, no direct copies of a book cover, nor illustrated scenes pulled directly from a book.

• Each design should cover the entire bench, front, sides, and back.

• The bench is 48 inches wide, 38 inches tall, and 38 inches deep, and weighs approximately 110 pounds. The artist must be able to physically handle moving the bench or have an assistant who can.

• A placard and/or label will be placed on the bench with the artist’s information

Artist’s Responsibilities

The selected artist(s) shall be responsible for the following:

• Arranging to pick up the bench from and return them to the Danville Community Center at 420 Front Street Danville, CA . Benches are approximately 110 lbs. and will fit in the back of a pickup truck or moving van.

• The artist must provide their own painting supplies.

• Design changes cannot be changed from the initial proposal, if the artist wishes to make changes, a new design specification must be submitted and approved.

 Compensation

• The Town of Danville will compensate the artist/artist team in the amount of $1,000.00. Compensation will be paid upon completion of the project, following submission of an invoice and a completed W-9 to the Recreation, Arts &  Community Services Director. Invoices and W9 forms are required for payment.

 Submission Requirements

1. Proposals must be submitted to the Town of Danville no later than 1:00 p.m. (PST) on October 17, 2025

2. Submissions must be made through the Call For Entry Website https://www.callforentry.org/

3. Submissions may not be exact replicas of existing books. They must be original designs and must include:

• Designs: The bench sketches provided show four angles: front, back and both sides (indicate if both sides are the same or different designs). Indicate your intended illustration on all four surfaces on four separate sheets. The sheets can be downloaded under the site plan. Please note that they will need to be uploaded as jpegs. You will not be able to upload the PDF. 

 Project Timeline

• Deadline for Submissions: October 17, 2025 1:00 p.m. (PST)

• Notification of Finalist(s) On or before October 27, 2025

• Pick up bench from the Danville Community Center (Town of Danville) December 15- 19, 2025

• Drop off completed benches January 26-30, 2025

• Book Bench will be unveiled at the Recreation Expo and Open House on Saturday, February 7 at the Danville Library and Danville Community Center

*The Town of Danville reserves the right to change project timeline as necessary.

 Selection Criteria

• Clarity of design that clearly depicts book choice

• Originality of design concept

• Vibrancy of color choices

• Design must reflect a imagery that is appropriate for all audiences

Selection Process

An Art selection committee comprised of the following will review all eligible proposals to select finalists for the bench: Arts Staff at the Town of Danville, Curatorial Committee, Arts Advisory Board, and the Parks, Recreation & Arts Commission for the Town of Danville. Any artist submitting proposals should be aware that the Town of Danville reserves the right to require changes to the design to ensure appropriateness for all audiences.

Contact for Questions or Additional Information

Recreation, Arts & Community Services Director for the Town of Danville, Jessica Wallner at jwallner@danville.ca.gov or 925-314-3454

The Town of Danville does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or selection of artists.

Application Requirements

Upload a design of unique and artistic renditions of book bench concept. The design should have up to four views: front, back and two sides views of the bench design.

Eligibility Criteria

• This project is open to all artists, including students. Students currently studying art in high school and/or secondary education institutions are welcome to submit proposals. Artist must be at least 16 years old. 

• The artist must reside in one of the nine SF Bay Area Counties.

• Be able to transport the Book Bench to their own art studio where the Book Bench will be painted, and return it to the Town of Danville by the determined due date.

• Experience with public art is preferred.

• The artist must be willing to meet all contractual obligations and adhere to the project timeline.

• The artist must agree to supply their own materials and paints for the project.

• The Town of Danville will provide a kit of clear graffiti varnish that the artist will apply to the final layer of the [dried] artwork to protect the Book Bench from the elements and from the risk of potential graffiti.