Las Cruces Public Art Mission Statement 

Las Cruces Public Art (LCPA) commissions and cares for a collection of contemporary public artworks, promotes the community’s access to and engagement with public art, and supports the growth of public art practice in Las Cruces 

 Project Intent 

LCPA seeks an artist or artist team to create a site-specific outdoor project to be designed and installed on the new Fire Station Three building tower (see attached images).  The artwork can be made of a single or a mixed media, which must be durable, long-lasting (life of the building), safe and low maintenance.  The artwork must include three sides of the tower. The artwork should meet the following environmentally safe criteria:  UV/sun resistant, non-glare, no blinking lights, no distracting sounds, and no water. 

·         Artwork should be large enough in scale and scope to provide a focal point for Fire Station Three.

·         The art’s theme should be inspired by firefighting, services of a fire station, or the station number, and it may be conceptual or representational.

·         Selected artist will be awarded $40,000 to design, fabricate and install the artwork within six months of signing the contract with the City of Las Cruces. 

·         The $40,000 project amount should include all fees and expenses associated with the project, e.g., ladders, scissor-lift, scaffolding, materials, equipment, labor, certifications and permits, engineering documents, insurance, taxes, shipping, identification plaque, and written and professional photographic documentation of the completed project.  There is no other funding.

·         No solely painted mural concepts will be accepted.

·         The artwork can be made of a single or a mixed media, which must be durable, long-lasting (life of the building), weather and wind resistant, safe and low maintenance.

·         The artwork should meet the following environmentally safe criteria:  UV/sun resistant, non-outgassing, non-toxic, non-glare, no blinking lights, no distracting sounds, and no water.

·         Semi-finalists will be required to present a schedule for installation and propose how installation can proceed with the least disruption to a working day. 

Las Cruces Fire Station Three Site Information 

The three sides of the fire station tower to be covered by the project at beginning approximately 28’ above ground level, have the dimensions of 8’ 10” high by 11’ 8” wide front facing, 8” 10” high by 8’ 0” wide on south side and 8’ 10” high by 11’ 8” wide on north side. The proposed art piece must fit within these dimensions but does not have to completely fill the space. See diagram for more details.

The new Las Cruces Fire Station Three will feature a prominent tower with art installed on three sides beginning approximately  28 feet above ground level; areas for art are all 8'10'' tall, front side (west) is 11'8" wide, north side is 11'8" wide, and the south side is 8' wide. The proposed art must be contained within these areas but is not required to fill or fully occupy the space.  Art may be attached to the building and project out dimensionally but must withstand local high wind conditions.  See diagram for details.

Project Amount 

$40,000.00 is available to the artist or artists team for the completed and installed project.  Project amount includes all fees and expenses associated with the project, e.g., ladders, scissor-lift, scaffolding, materials, equipment, labor, certifications and permits, engineering documents, insurance, taxes, shipping, identification plaque, and written and professional photographic documentation of the completed project.  There is no other funding. 

 Submission Requirements 

Eligibility for qualification is open to all artists or art teams working in the United States through the CaFE call.  Artists submitting qualifications should demonstrate a level of expertise and professionalism that is commensurate with the project scope and budget.  No member of the current City Art Board, Art Selection Committee, or employee of the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico, may apply for this project. 

 At the artist’s expense, a licensed practitioner in the State of New Mexico, whether electrical, civil, or structural, must provide any required certifications for the artwork.  If necessary, the artwork should be reviewed by a professional fine art conservator.  

Semi-finalists will be required to present a schedule for installation and propose how installation can proceed with the least disruption to a working day. 

Please read the following information carefully.  Incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted.  The Art Selection Committee will not review supplemental information beyond what is requested, including proposals specific to this project.  Failure to provide any of the published requirements will result in disqualification from the competition.  Duplicate submissions will not be accepted.  All materials must be submitted via café, according to the specifications outlined below.  

{C}·         Succinct letter of interest not longer than one page written specifically to address the needs of the project.  Please explain what excites you about the opportunity, and how you may approach the project if selected as a finalist.  Outline your professional qualifications. 

{C}·         A current chronological resume or curriculum vitae demonstrating relevant work experience particularly public art or privately funded commission projects.  A biography or an autobiography will not fulfill the resume requirement. 

{C}·         Ten images of previously completed work, which may include multiple views.  Complete image citations will be required.  Documentation should include artwork title, medium, height, width and depth, price or value, year of completion, and project description, including budget and commissioning agency.  Please review and adhere to the image and media preparation page on café when formatting your images or videos.  Tutorials can be downloaded using the links near the bottom of the page.  By default, CaFE will organize the images in our submission alphabetically.  If you wish to present the images to the Selection Committee in a different order, you must prioritize the images before submitting an application. 

 Selection Process and Criteria 

The Art Selection Committee is comprised of five members representing the City Art Board, City of Las Cruces and the community.  Under the guidance of LCPA, the Art Selection Committee is responsible for submission review, and selection of the semi-finalists.  Said committee is also responsible to recommend the ultimate selection of the artist/art team to be awarded the commissioned project to City Council. 

 Artists may research the project using any resource with the exception of discussion with individual members of the Las Cruces City Staff, the Las Cruces City Art Board or Art Selection Committee.  The Art Selection Committee may only discuss rankings among themselves when they meet to determine the semi-finalists. 

 The selection criteria shall include but is not limited to 

{C}·         The professional qualifications of the artist(s) as evidenced by the supporting materials.

{C}·         Proven ability to undertake projects of the described scope.

{C}·         Artistic merit and superior caliber craftsmanship as evidenced by the images.

{C}·         Suitability of submission to project intent and site. 

 Up to three semi-finalists will be invited to submit a formal proposal for the project.   

Semi-finalists will receive a $500.00 honorarium for a written proposal and a maquette, renderings, or 2-D representations of the proposed artwork to be completed within 60 days of the notification of selection.  One site visit will be required of each semi-finalist to include an in-person presentation of the artwork proposal to the Art Selection Committee and the public. 

The artist or art team ultimately awarded the commission project will be required to enter into a Professional Services Contract with the City of Las Cruces.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria