The Bernalillo County Arts Board solicits a call for artists to propose conceptual sketch ideas for outdoor sculpture to be located along highly visible avenues and boulevards within Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Regional artists residing in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and Texas are invited to propose conceptual mid-size sculptures. The project, aptly named “Outposts,” is conceived by the Bernalillo County Arts Board and evolved from an idea of combining the duality of the communities of Bernalillo County and the Southwestern region to include the co-existence of mountains and the valley, the urban and the rural communities, the monsoon season and the dry season and the ancient and modern cultures of the area. 

The entire scope of the project is to locate sculptures in each of the five Bernalillo County districts for a total of 25 sculptures by 25 artists. Phase I was completed in 2020 with the installation of five sculptures located on 2nd Street from Montano Road to Osuna Road. This call is for Phase II of the project for an additional five sculptures. The established budget for Phase II is $25,000.00 per sculpture.  

Site Details:

The sculptures will be installed on the west side of 2nd Street in Albuquerque north of Osuna Road, along the Alameda Drain and Trail Master Plan area. The Plan calls for a multiuse trail, community gathering spaces, landscaping with native plants, benches, trailheads and other amenities. When completed, the Alameda Drain Trail will run along a nine-mile corridor from Interstate 40 to the northern end of 2nd Street.  The proposed spacing of the pieces is about 2000 feet between sculptures. The exact locations of each sculpture will be determined at a later date.  

The Drain is part of the larger network of water conveyances that shape development patterns in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. The trail is intended to provide additional greenspace and to enhance recreational opportunities along the corridor. 

The artworks for Phase II will be installed near highly visited tourist and local attractions within Bernalillo County and the city of Albuquerque such as the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Park and the Rio Grande Valley State Park.

Context/History:

This area of the Southwest has been inhabited off and on for the last two thousand years beginning with the Ancestral Puebloan and Pueblo Indians, and then attracting western cultures with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1600’s. The area served as an outpost for the country of Spain until it became part of Mexico following Spain’s relinquishing of the area, eventually becoming a U.S. territory in 1846 when it became an "outpost" for the U.S. Military.

The purpose of the project is to create a public art trail that connects the five culturally different communities, from the rural east mountains to the primarily agricultural South Valley, to the highly urban center of the city, the mixed-use north valley to the primarily residential areas of the west mesa. These areas are enhanced by natural features: the Sandia mountain range to the east, volcanic cinder cones and a volcanic escarpment to the west, and the north/south running Rio Grande river through the valley. The Arts Board wishes to incorporate high quality art pieces that stimulate conversation about public art in this region that attracts cultural tourism to our community while also stimulating the creative economy.
 
Details about Phase I of the Outposts project can be found here.

About the Bernalillo County Arts Board: The Arts Board is guided by the following mission:  Public art has the power to inspire curiosity, encourage contemplation, facilitate dialogue, foster community engagement, and create a sense of place.  Located throughout the county, the Bernalillo County public art collection enhances quality of life through the acquisition of exceptional works of art by artists at various career stages.

Media/Style/Size:

The sculptures should be approximately 15 feet in height with a 7-foot pedestrian clearance. Each sculpture needs to be attached to a metal pipe with a diameter of 6” that will be set into a cuff and base provided by Bernalillo County. Each art piece should have a structural lifetime of at least 25 years and be able to withstand the harsh conditions of the high altitude ultraviolet rays of the sun and high winds (sustained 35 miles an hour) in the spring.

Project Funds:

The total budget for each sculpture will be $25,000 from 1% for the Arts, from voter approved general obligation bonds. Bernalillo County will create and install the bases that the artwork will be secured to, thus the base dimensions will need to be strictly followed.

Proposals should include the following:

1) An artist's statement, not to exceed 1,000 words;
2) A letter of intent, not to exceed 1000 words, which includes a description of your ideas and the themes that will be addressed in your design, and proposed technique for application of designs;
3) Up to 3 (three) preliminary design sketches which represents your idea for the project. Proposals which do not include preliminary design sketches will not be considered;
4) Up to 7 (seven) digital images of past work;
5) An annotated image key, clearly labeled with your full name and a numerical listing for each image, the title of the work, the media, dimensions, and year of completion;
6) Resume

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria