Introduction

The City of Lewisville has released a Request for Qualifications for artists who wish to work on a public art project as part of the Main & Mill Corridor beautification and enhancement project.

Main Street is the original east-west commercial corridor of the city, with some buildings still in use that were built in the 1850s. Mill Street is a north-south arterial street that intersects with Main Street at the central locus of the city’s historic downtown district, commonly called Old Town Lewisville. The city is actively trying to revitalize the historic downtown district.

In June 2002, the Lewisville City Council adopted the Old Town Master Plan to guide revitalization of the historic downtown district. That plan called for pedestrian-oriented development that included a mix of residential and commercial projects enhanced by public spaces, landscaping, and public art.

In April 2010, after significant public input, the Mill Street Corridor Plan was adopted. This plan showed Mill Street as a three-lane road with enhanced pedestrian and bicycle amenities. That same year, the city was awarded a $3 million grant from the North Texas Central Texas Council of Governments toward implementation of the plan.

The city adopted its Lewisville 2025 vision plan in 2014, reinforcing the concepts described in the Mill Street Corridor Plan and expanding them to include Main Street between the downtown district and the commuter rail station less than a mile away. Design schematics were developed in 2014-15, and finalized in September 2015. Input from impacted property owners led to some minor design changes, but the schematics now are complete and the project will go to bid this summer, with construction starting this fall.

The City is interested in commissioning an artist or group of artists to enhance the corridor project by celebrating the historic relevance of Old Town Lewisville and its significance to Lewisville.

Background and Context

 Old Town Lewisville

The broader area of Old town Lewisville includes most of the city between Interstate 35E and State Highway 121 Business. However, the Old Town Entertainment District boundaries are smaller, marked by Samuel Street to the south, College Street to the north, Herod Street to the west, and Kealy Street to the east. This area has seen significant redevelopment in the past decade, both public and private, that includes six new restaurants opening in the past 16 months; visitor attractions such as a distillery and a brewhouse; two performance theaters; and various other supporting businesses and venues.

 Medical City Lewisville Grand Theater

MCL Grand opened in January 2011 as the first public arts center in southern Denton County. Owned and operated by the city, MCL Grand drew more than 30,000 visitors in 2017 with more than 1,500 events that included almost 250 public performances and exhibits. Lewisville’s first piece of permanent public art, a contemporary metal sculpture called “Earth & Beyond” by local artist Daren Fagan, was dedicated on the grounds of MCL Grand in April 2018.

 Wayne Ferguson Plaza

This heavily landscaped gathering space at the heart of Old Town Lewisville is located across the street from Lewisville City Hall and MCL Grand and touches the north side of Main Street immediately west of Mill Street. It is the location for city festivals and concerts held throughout the year, as well as weekly yoga and Pilates classes and art demonstrations. The city’s second piece of permanent public art, a bronze sculpture of plaza namesake Wayne Ferguson{C}[DH1]{C} , has been approved by City Council and is currently being designed by artist David Iles.

 Lewisville, Texas

Lewisville was formed in 1847 and incorporated in 1925. Located north of Dallas along Interstate 35E in the bustling DFW Metroplex, the city currently has a culturally diverse population of about 100,000 residents and is a major retail and employment center for the region. Key features include Lewisville Lake, LLELA Nature Preserve, and historic Old Town Lewisville.

 Lewisville 2025

In 2014, a group of 50 resident volunteers were appointed to a committee charged with developing a vision for the kind of city they wanted Lewisville to be when it turned 100 years old in 2025. The result is a comprehensive vision plan that presents nine Big Moves, along with general and specific action steps to accomplish each of these ambitious goals.

Additional Online Resources

Mill Street Corridor Plan: https://www.cityoflewisville.com/home/showdocument?id=9370

Lewisville 2025 vision plan:  https://www.cityoflewisville.com/lewisville2025

Lewisville history timeline:  https://www.cityoflewisville.com/about-us/our-history

Lewisville Public Art Program:  https://www.mclgrand.com/the-arts/public-art-program
 

Public Art: Parameters & Goals

Specific goals and parameters have been established for this public art project with the intent of creating a unique and inspiring work of art for those who visit historic Old Town Lewisville.

Location: The art project will be located along Main Street, east of Mill Street, with specific placements described below under Project Scope.

Appropriate & Unique: The selection panel seeks a unique, one-of-a-kind art project that is appropriate for Old Town Lewisville and for the diverse community that will experience it. Considerations should include the historical nature of Lewisville and the community’s deep connection to a thriving outdoor environment. The City is interested in artists who can demonstrate experience using public art to tell a story relevant to the community.

Materials & Media: The selection panel is open to artwork in all media and materials that meet the project objectives and expectations.

Durability & Maintenance: All public art projects in Texas are exposed to weather and physical stresses, and are subject to vandalism. The artwork should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials.
 

Public Art: Project Scope

Lewisville’s Arts Advisory Board has been assigned by City Council to oversee this project and will serve as the artist selection panel. The Board has set the following parameters and expectations for the project.

Description of Pieces: The art project will consist of four uniquely designed benches, of a material and concept determined by the artist and approved by the Arts Advisory Board. These benches will replace three black decorative benches currently in the corridor plan and add a fourth bench in an area currently shown as a landscape bed. Dimensions of the benches currently in the plan are eight feet long, 28 inches deep, and 32 inches high.

Two of the benches (#2 and #4) will be eight feet long and no more than 28 inches deep. Height can vary from the current project specs at discretion of the artist but should be sufficient for the finished piece to serve as a stable seating area.

Two of the benches (#1 and #3) will use the same dimensions except for the length, which shall be extended to 10 feet in order to add a bicycle accommodation (such as a bike rack) that is integrated with and compatible with the rest of the bench.

Placement of Pieces: All four art benches will be placed on Main Street east of Mill Street, three on the south side and one on the north side. All four benches will face away from the street toward a standard 6’ concrete sidewalk.

The currently designed base for each bench consists of two concrete pads, each measuring eight inches wide, 32 inches long, and 12 inches deep, running perpendicular to the bench alignment and placed on either end of the bench location. This can be changed if required by the accepted bench design and composition.

Bench #1 (10-foot length) will be on the north side of Main Street approximately 20 feet west of Kealy Street, immediately west of an ADA pedestrian ramp to cross Main Street. Adjacent plantings include Spiderwort to each side and Texas Sedge behind it to the curb line. The bench is partly shaded by a Mexican Sycamore tree that will be planted approximately five feet to the west. The bench faces the patio area of an 1880s brick commercial building converted into a restaurant, J2 Steakhouse.

Bench #2 (8-foot length) will be on the south side of Main Street approximately 120 feet west of Kealy Street, immediately east of an existing commercial driveway. Adjacent plantings include Spiderwort to each side and Texas Sedge behind it to the curb line. The bench is partly shaded by a Mexican Sycamore tree that will be planted approximately five feet to the east. The bench faces a two-story red brick building, Royal Affairs Ballroom.

Bench #3 (10-foot length) will be on the south side of Main Street approximately 20 feet west of Kealy Street, immediately west of an ADA pedestrian ramp to cross Main Street. Adjacent plantings include Spiderwort to each side and Texas Sedge behind it to the curb line. The bench is partly shaded by a Mexican Sycamore tree that will be planted approximately five feet to the west. The bench faces a two-story red brick building, Royal Affairs Ballroom.

Bench #4 (8-foot length) will be on the south side of Main Street approximately 30 feet east of Kealy Street, immediately east of an ADA pedestrian ramp to cross Main Street. Adjacent plantings include Soft Rush to each side and Sweet Flag behind it to the curb line. The bench is partly shaded by a Mexican Sycamore tree that will be planted approximately five feet to the east. The bench faces the patio area of a historic home converted into a restaurant, Tierney’s Café & Tavern.

Artistic Intent: It is the desire of the Arts Advisory Board that the four benches be used to tell a single coherent story related to the history and development of Old Town Lewisville. This could be an actual story from the city’s history (ex. The 1946 incident in which the high school football team chased down a bank robber) or can describe key elements of Lewisville history (ex. The four main crops when Lewisville formed as a farming community, or depictions of the railroad that brought commerce to the city in the 1880s).

The artist is encouraged to review Lewisville history and heritage to identify a suitable story, and to submit one or more options to the Arts Advisory Board for consideration. The final selection will be made by the Board.

Application Details

In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit eight digital images, a résumé, and a statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters via www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™). From these applications, the selection panel will choose up to six semifinalists for telephone or online interview. Semifinalists will receive more specific information regarding the project site to help them prepare an art project proposal. From the interview, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission and recommended to Lewisville City Council for approval. The selected artist or artist team for the commission will collaborate with the Arts Advisory Board and City staff on final design and placement.

Can a team apply?

Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. In the case of teams, please submit a single résumé for the whole team with 1-2 pages per team member.

Budget

The budget for this commission is up to $60,000 USD which will be allocated to a single artist or artist team. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: the artist’s design fee, other consultation fees such as structural engineering consultation, insurance, tools, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, travel to and from the site (minimum of 3 visits; pre-design, installation, dedication), per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs.

Tentative Timeline

June 29, 2018 - Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)

July 2018 - Semifinalist Selection

August 2018 - Finalist Selection and Notification

April 2019 - Project Completion and Installation (subject to change)

Eligibility

This project is open internationally to all artists, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical handicap. Artists working in any media are eligible to apply. Artists are not required to have previous experience in public art. Emerging artists are welcome to apply for this commission.

Maintenance & Durability

All applicants are expected to consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, and address those issues along with time and budget. These projects are located in the public realm and may therefore be exposed to weather and physical stresses, as well as be subject to vandalism. Public art projects should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials. Semifinalists are encouraged to consult with a professional conservator prior to the submission of a final proposal. Artist proposals awarded contracts will be reviewed by the City to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as ADA standards. All finalists are expected to stay on budget and to complete work in an approved time frame. 

Materials to be Submitted 

Please read this section carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. The applicant’s name must appear on all materials submitted.

All materials must be submitted online, via the CaFÉ™ website (www.callforentry.org). There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system.

Digital Images—In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit eight digital images of previously completed artworks through the CaFÉ™ system.

Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at www.callforentry.org/imaging_tips.phtml. Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available during regular business hours by calling 303.629.1166 or 888.562.7232, or via email at cafe@westaf.org. Artists without access to a computer can call 972.219.8446 to make arrangements to use a computer at the city’s MCL Grand art center.

Statement of Interest—Please submit a statement briefly outlining your interest in the Lewisville Main & Mill Corridor project and experience working on projects of this kind (2,000-character maximum) via CaFÉ™.

Résumé—Submit a current résumé (maximum of two pages) via CaFÉ™ that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Please name your résumé file accordingly: Last name.First initial (i.e. Smith.J.pdf). Résumés that are more than two pages will not be downloaded. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with 1-2 pages per team member.

Please direct all questions about the project to Denise Helbing at 972.219.8478.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria