Call Description

Project Overview

The City of Alexandria's Public Art Program is commissioning public art within Ewald Park—an existing a 3.88-acre neighborhood park located within the West End of Alexandria at 4452 Duke Street that is planned for renovation. The park largely serves the surrounding community, including the Wakefield Tarleton, Brookville Seminary, and Foxchase neighborhoods. The park features a playground, a basketball court, an open field, and a parking lot, and is popular for pick-up soccer and basketball games.

Ewald Park has been under consideration for renovations for several years and was recently approved for park improvements in June 2025. Anticipated improvements include the renovation and relocation of the playground, Parkour fitness equipment, and access improvements. The Park Improvement Goals are to:

• Be a safe place for children to explore.
• Be a place to create social connections.
• Be a place full of community activities.

The park has also been identified as a location for public art to reinvigorate the park and further the goals of the park renovation. Two primary public art opportunities have been identified to reinvigorate the park and further the goals of the park renovation – a gateway feature to improve the visibility of the park and draw in visitors from Duke Street and a ground mural on the existing basketball court. Both projects will embrace the diverse community that uses Ewald Park and celebrate park as a hub of activity and will be commissioned as separate projects by separate artists, although coordination between the selected artists for both projects will be encouraged. 

This public art call is specifically for the “gateway” artwork. The ground mural opportunity will be commissioned as a separate regional call to artists.

The selected artist or artist team will collaborate with the project team—including Public Art Program managers, the Public Art Task Force, the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, residents, and stakeholders—to develop a design that integrates into the plans for the park renovation. The selected artist is expected to attend public meetings in collaboration with the project team. Upon approval of the final concept design, the artist will oversee the fabrication and installation of the public art. 

For more information about the project and area, please review the project webpage.

Budget

The project budget, inclusive of design, fabrication, and installation may not exceed $150,000.

Project Goals

The program goals of the public art project are to:

• Improve the visibility of the park and create a community landmark.
• Draw visitors into the renovated park from Duke Street to have a positive and memorable experience.
• Bring exciting new artwork to Alexandria that embraces the cultural diversity of the West End, celebrates this community, is inviting, and makes visitors feel welcome.
• Celebrate motion, activity, sound and/or interaction at this city park, which has a variety of active uses from sports to parkour.
• Support the park’s goals of being a safe place for children to explore, create social connections, and encourage community activities.

Scope 

• The selected artist or artist team will work with the City to develop plans for public art within the renovation project.
• The selected artist/artist team will be required to be onsite to participate in community engagement arranged by the City of Alexandria, and the conversations may inform the final design(s).
• The artist/artist team will be required to meet regularly with representatives of the City to coordinate on the project development. Progress meetings may occur virtually.
• Depending on the design, the artist/artist team is expected to obtain professionally certified drawings prior to final approval of the public art by the City.
• The design of the artwork(s) should be appropriate for and inspire all audiences.

Selection and Review Process

Submittals will be reviewed by a Task Force comprised of representatives from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, community stakeholders and project stakeholders. 

Artist Selection Criteria

Applicants must demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Artistic merit of body of work.
• Prior public art experience with projects of a similar scale and budget.
• Experience working with communities to design engaging artwork.
• Experience in collaborating with City staff, stakeholders, and design and engineering professionals.
• Appropriateness of qualifications for the project.
• Effective communication and organizational skills.
• Probability of successful execution of the project.

Additional Information

• Artists can submit up to two applications (one as an individual and one as a team).
• Selected artists will be required to sign a contract with the City of Alexandria.
• Selected artists may be required to obtain a Certificate of Insurance for general liability coverage for the fabrication and installation of the public art.

Additional Resources

Two approved plans guide the arts in Alexandria: 

• Public Art Implementation Plan
• Arts and Culture Master Plan

Application Requirements

To apply, please include: 

• a brief letter that describes your interest in the project, how your public art approach aligns with the project goals, and the role community engagement plays in your work.
• works samples including projects of a similar scope and/or budget as the project.
• a CV/resume.
• the names, titles, phone numbers, and email addresses of 3 -5 references.

Please do not send specific proposals at this time.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists must be 18 years or older to apply and have prior public art experience.