Call Description

Crawford Hoying & Dublin Arts Council - Request for Qualifications

J Block Garage Scrim (The Ellis) - Art Installation

Dublin, Ohio

Call for Ohio-based Artists

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS – Crawford Hoying in partnership with Dublin Arts Council (DAC), is seeking to commission an artist and/or artist’s team to create a site-specific permanent public artwork installation in Bridge Park, a walkable, mixed-use community in downtown Dublin, Ohio.

This installation is facilitated as a public-private partnership between Crawford Hoying and DAC in which DAC administers the call to artists and assists with the selection of semi-finalists.

The selected original artwork will be digitally printed onto a mesh scrim and attached to the façade of a parking garage located on the southeast corner of Crawford Hoying’s latest block of development at Bridge Park. The scrim will occupy an area approximately 47’ tall by 121’ wide, on five panels of equal width (see plan for exact dimensions). The scrim will be installed on the south facade of this garage, which is prominently visible to Dublin/Granville Road (SR 161).

This installation will be the most visible piece of public art in the Bridge Street District to date. Due to its visibility to Dublin-Granville Road, the installation will be experienced both at a vehicular and a pedestrian scale. The artwork is expected to celebrate the spirit of Bridge Park and the unique identity of the district and its surroundings.

VIEW SITE RENDERINGS 

COMMUNITY CONTEXT - Dublin, Ohio is a suburban city located 20 minutes northwest of Columbus. It is home to 50,000+ residents and 4,300+ businesses, including 21 Fortune 500 Companies.

·       More than 75% of residents have a college degree.

·       Dublin City Schools has the 3rd highest immigrant population in the state and the 6th largest English Learners program, with students speaking 70+ languages.

·       Dublin is consistently ranked one of the safest U.S. cities and was named one of America’s Top 20 Creative Class Cities (2015).

The city also features:

·       20+ corporate headquarters, and an entrepreneurial hub

·       The “Dublin Link,” the world’s longest span single tower, S-shaped suspension pedestrian bridge.

·       Major annual events, including Jack Nicklaus’ the Memorial Tournament, (PGA tour) and the Dublin Irish Festival (one of the nation’s largest Irish cultural celebrations)

BRIDGE PARK

Bridge Park is a walkable, mixed-use community in downtown Dublin, Ohio. Spanning 30 acres along the Scioto River, it is the cornerstone of the City of Dublin’s long-term vision for the Bridge Street District. Owned and developed by Crawford Hoying and in partnership with the City of Dublin, this vibrant community features luxury condos, townhomes and apartments, restaurants, shops, office space, entertainment venues, thousands of free parking spaces, hotels, an events and conference center, and multiple green spaces.

Owner and Developer, Crawford Hoying, continues to add vibrancy to Bridge Park with a full calendar of events and programming including The Dublin Market at Bridge Park, Fore!Fest and 12 Days of Bridge Park, attracting thousands of visitors from all over Central Ohio and beyond to downtown Dublin.

The story of Bridge Park - and the entire Bridge Street District - is one of evolution. For more than a century, Dublin has been a small rural/suburban community. The growth of the Bridge Street District has brought generational change to this area. Dense urban development, restaurants and entertainment, and a more diverse population are all examples of this change. And yet, none of this has detracted from the historic core of the city. Instead, the two neighborhoods complement each other, coming together around the beautiful riverscape.

The built environment of Bridge Park was inspired by and constructed around nature, the main focal point of which is the Scioto River. Reminiscent of European cities, Bridge Park includes intimate pocket parks, waiting to be discovered. There is inter-connected outdoor space, walkability, and the convenience and ease of ample free public parking.

Crawford Hoying believes community is made outside, not inside. The DORA district helps integrate the outside spaces with the buildings to offer a seamless visitor experience. Streets are regularly closed and used as ‘pedestrian only’ for festivals and markets.
 

DUBLIN’S ART IN PUBLIC PLACES

Dublin, Ohio’s Art in Public Places program was established in 1988 through a partnership between the City of Dublin and the Dublin Arts Council (DAC), with the mission of enriching public spaces and fostering community connection through art. The program began with Leatherlips (1990), a limestone sculpture honoring a Wyandot leader known for his connection to the region. In 1994, DAC commissioned the now-iconic Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees)—an installation of 109 concrete ears of corn—paying tribute to Dublin’s agricultural roots. Dublin adopted its first Public Art Master Plan in 2021. Today, the collection has expanded to include more than 60 permanent, temporary, and interactive works by both national and international artists. Among the smaller-scale projects is Riverboxes™, a series of artist-created vessels inspired by geocaching and the region’s natural waterways, reflecting DAC’s commitment to accessibility, education, and creative engagement. Together, these efforts have earned the program national recognition as a model for suburban public art. DAC maintains that public art should inspire, provoke questions, invite interaction, and encourage creative discovery.

Application Requirements

TO APPLY - Interested artists must submit their application digitally. Submission is free of charge at www.callforentry.org. Uploaded material should consist of:

●      Six digital images (jpeg format preferred) Minimum 1920 pixels on the longest edge. Maximum 5MB file size each. Up to three video clips are also accepted.

●      Title of each artwork, medium, dimensions, dates, and location. Image file names must correspond to the associated artwork.

●      Resume / CV

●      Letter of interest (300-500 words) addressing the following:

○      Clearly state your interest in this specific project and site, referencing its unique context (history, culture, location).

○      Address how you engage the public, enhance the space, foster community connection, or inspire new activity through your practice.

○      Briefly describe your experience with site-specific public art projects and your ability to meet requirements and deadlines.

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY - This opportunity is open to professional artists based in the state of Ohio with the ability to produce exemplary and original large-scale artwork. Artist teams are eligible, but one lead artist will hold the contract.

SEMI-FINALIST PROPOSAL AWARD - Up to three artists will be selected to prepare a digital, high-resolution file of an original artwork, proposed for the installation. Each semi-finalist will be paid $5,000 for the development of their proposals.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - Artists will retain copyright and VARA rights.

PROJECT BUDGET - One artist will be awarded a commission of $10,000. This amount includes all artist fees and the cost of the design.

Artist will send digital file that meets the requirements of the fabricator, see “Art Submission Guide”, to Crawford Hoying by Friday, April 24, 2026. Crawford Hoying’s Vice President of Real Estate Development will facilitate the delivery of the digital files to the fabricator for printing, and with the guidance of the fabricator, will perform the installation of the artwork on site. Crawford Hoying incur expenses for fabrication, transportation, and insurance costs to deliver the scrim to the J Block Garage in Dublin, Ohio.

SCHEDULE / TIMELINE

RFQ Submission Deadline…………………………………Friday, January 30, 2026

Semi-Finalists Notified………………………………………..…Friday, February 20, 2026

Semi-Finalists Design/Drawing Due………………………Friday, March 20, 2026

Finalist Chosen……………………………………………………….Friday, April 3, 2026

PROJECT AND DELIVERY DEADLINE………………Friday, April 24, 2026