Call Description

Introduction

Chandra Cerrito / Art Advisors is developing a pre-qualified Outdoor Sculpture Artist Pool for a pediatrics hospital in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay. This world-class hospital serves diverse patients from all economic backgrounds, with ages ranging from infants to young adults. The New Hospital Building (NHB) is an extension of the hospital’s existing campus and is expected to open in late 2031.

Art Opportunities

NHB has multiple opportunities for outdoor, freestanding sculptures that will be site-specifically designed for permanent installation in beautifully landscaped gardens and plazas. Sculptures will range in size from small to monumental scale. Some art locations are highly visible in public spaces while others are accessible only to those with hospital access.

The art program will help create a welcoming and healing environment. Artworks will strongly appeal to children of all ages while also engaging adult family members, hospital staff, visitors, and the broader community. Artworks may spark moments of joy, hope, delight, or wonder; promote calm, peace, and comfort; or enhance one's connection to nature and the community. Outdoor sculptures will be structurally safe, highly durable, and made of permanent materials that require minimal long-term maintenance and do not degrade over time.

Budgets

Budgets range from $90,000 to $700,000.

Scope of Work

Artist will be responsible for artwork design, fabrication, storage, delivery, and installation oversight. Artist responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Insurance per client’s requirements (such as general commercial liability, auto, and workers comp if applicable)
2. Artwork design with client input, including participation in design review meetings via Zoom, and possibly in-person in the East Bay
3. Provision of an estimated line-item budget and preliminary maintenance instructions for final designs, prior to approval
4. Collaboration with design team to coordinate artworks with the landscape design and site construction, such as determining mounting methods and lighting, where applicable
5. Artwork fabrication, including contracting and overseeing fabricators, as needed
6. Storage of artwork until site is ready for installation (expected in early to mid 2030)
7. Transportation and delivery of artwork to site
8. Oversight of installation (by others)
9. Provision of a final maintenance plan prior to project completion
10. Travel, administration, project management, and any other artist overhead

The following are outside Artist’s Scope of Work and will be provided by the client:

1. Engineering (with information provided by the artist)
2. Permits
3. Lighting, if applicable (with input by the artist)
4. Installation of footings and artworks (with artist input and oversight)
5. Identifying plaque (with information provided by the artist)

Estimated Schedules

Each of the multiple outdoor sculpture projects will have a separate schedule for artist selection, artwork design/approval, and artwork fabrication.

• Artist selections are expected in 2026 and 2027
• All artworks will be installed in 2030
• Most artworks will need to be stored by artists prior to installation (approximately 6 months to 2 years, depending on fabrication completion)
• Final fabrication and storage schedule may be proposed by the artist and approved by the client.

Artist Selection Process

For most opportunities, 2 to 4 finalists will be identified based on past works and relevant experience. Project artists will be selected after finalist interviews. Client will contract selected artists to work with project stakeholders in a collaborative process to develop artwork designs for approval prior to fabrication. 

Further Information

Short-listed artists will be provided further details, such as the institution, NHB’s specific healthcare services and design team, project location, site plans, detailed project timeline, artwork specifications, and insurance requirements. Answers to any further questions will be provided to short-listed artists only.

Application Requirements

We strongly encourage artists to apply early as this Call is limited to first 250 applications submitted.

1. 10 to 20 JPG images of past works
   • 5 to 20 completed artworks that closely relate to project’s parameters
   • At least 2 artworks that are permanently installed outdoors in a public space (preferably freestanding sculptures)
2. Image list (PDF)
   • Artist name(s), specifying lead artist, if applicable
   • Title
   • Date
   • Medium (Please be specific, such as type of metal, stone, paint finish, etc.)
   • Location
   • Commissioning agency
   • Budget or total cost for artwork (If applicable, specify if budget included installation.)
   • Brief description (1 to 3 sentences)
3. Artist resume or CV (PDF), including public art commissions or permanent outdoor artwork installations
4. Letter of interest (PDF, one page maximum)
   • Are any aspects of this project outside your previous experience? If so, please describe specifically how will you manage and fulfill those aspects.
   • If your past works do not clearly demonstrate child-friendly artworks, how would you approach creating work that relates to children, while also resonating with people of all ages?
5. Artist Supplemental Information (Optional)
   • Studio location, if different from city of residence
   • If you do not currently live or work in the East Bay, Bay Area, or Northern CA, please explain if you have a strong connection to one of those regions.
   • Community/social/cultural affiliations you are comfortable sharing, such as gender, ethnicity, veteran status, difference in physical ability, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

Professional artists of at least 18 years of age who reside in the United States are eligible to apply. Strong consideration will be given to San Francisco Bay Area or Northern CA artists and artists who have strong connections to the region. Artist must have prior public art or equivalent experience before applying (lead artist for a minimum of 2 public art commissions or permanent outdoor artwork installations).