The City of Santa Clarita (City) is seeking proposals for their upcoming New Genre Temporary Public Art project. The City is seeking proposals from professional California Artists to create artwork activations in Old Town Newhall. Selected Artist(s) are asked to create temporary, pop-up, and/or site-specific artworks that focus on creative placemaking. Individual artwork’s budget and location may vary. Artist(s) are encouraged to submit proposals in a variety of different mediums that embrace art as experience and experimental public engagement.

The City is centrally located, just 30 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles. The City boasts year-round fun, abundant sunshine, a unique blend of upscale sophistication and small-town charm, historic elements, destination dining, signature shopping, outdoor adventure, and a variety of world-class events, scenic drives, and attractions. These characteristics and more make Santa Clarita the ultimate Southern California lifestyle with endless opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy the weather while biking, running, hiking, and swimming. Spending quality time with family and friends is easy to do at one of our many parks, along our trails, and throughout our open space and nearby lakes.

CALL SUMMARY / DESIGN GUIDELINES:

• There is no required “theme”.
• Innovation is encouraged.
• Special consideration for site-specific proposal.
• Artwork must be an original concept.
• Artwork must be suitable for viewing by all ages.
• Artwork must not result in large gatherings.
• Artwork may not be created for advertisement or to promote business, product, or viewpoint.
• Designs must not include any breach of intellectual property, trademarks, brands, business names, corporate or organizational branding, or images of drugs.
• Artwork must adhere to ADA guidelines.
• The work is fabricated in materials appropriate for public display in an outdoor environment and has no sharp edges or extruding components that might pose a hazard.

TENTATIVE TIMELINE: DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED! March 31, 2021
April 2021 - Selection of semi-finalists made by Artist Selection Committee
April 2021 - Semi-finalists interviews/presentations by video conferencing:

• PowerPoint/PDF proposal of their artworks.
• Presentation will be 30 minutes, with questions and answers from the Artist Selection Committee.

April 2021 - Selected finalist(s) notified and contracted by City staff Artworks must be installed before October 2021

LOCATIONS: Artist(s) may identify potential locations for site-specific proposals throughout the Old Town Newhall area. Click here for more details: http://oldtownnewhall.com/

Old Town Newhall is known to be the historic core of Santa Clarita as it is the oldest neighborhood within the City. From the time Charles Mentry began operating the first successful oil well in the West, Pico No. 4, through the arrival of western film star William S. Hart and beyond, the City has been known as a place where people come to achieve their dreams and raise their families. At the center of it all is Newhall, which was incorporated along with Valencia, Saugus, and Canyon Country to form the City of Santa Clarita in 1987.

As time went on, Santa Clarita’s development in new master housing plans and shopping centers led to a significant growth in population. Although certain areas were becoming new, the older areas continued to age. In order to proactively preserve the rich history of Newhall and develop the area into the City’s premier Arts and Entertainment District, the Santa Clarita City Council adopted the Old Town Newhall Specific Plan in 2005.

Bringing the right mix of retail, restaurants, and entertainment was crucial for the redevelopment of Old Town Newhall and is now home to more than 60 different businesses. A new public library was built in the vibrant and reenergized area and the City opened an incubator to grow creative and technology-focused businesses in the heart of this arts and entertainment district. Today, Old Town Newhall has a variety of spots to check out such as the Walk of Western Stars and The MAIN.

BUDGET:
Artist(s) proposals must include an itemized budget for the project. Projects selected will have a range of budgets based on the requested amount and will be awarded from an overall budget of $10,000.

ELIGIBILITY:
Artists 18 years of age or older are invited to submit an individual or collaborative artist application. Open to artist(s) living and working in California.

TO APPLY:

1. Proposal (must address requested budget and duration of artwork) the Artist Selection Committee has final approval of timeline.
2. Resume or CV
3. Portfolio (5) images consisting of previous and proposed artwork with brief descriptions
4. Artist Statement (Optional)

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

• Visual impact
• Interpretation and creativity
• Composition and design
• Design criteria and eligibility guidelines met
• Clarity of project-specific intent, relevant professional experience, and artistic vision, as expressed in proposal, portfolio, and past work.

ARTIST RESOURCES / SANTA CLARITA COMMUNITY:
Links regarding the community and history of the Santa Clarita area:

• City of Santa Clarita – www.santa-clarita.com
• Public Art App - https://scpublicart.goodbarber.com/
• SantaClaritaArts.com - http://santaclaritaarts.com/
• Old Town Newhall - http://oldtownnewhall.com/
• Visit Santa Clarita - http://visitsantaclarita.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/bike-rentals/
• Demographics - https://www.santa-clarita.com/city-hall/departments/communitydevelopment/demographics
• Community Profile - https://www.santa-clarita.com/city-hall/30th-anniversary
• Historical Society - https://www.santa-clarita.com/city-hall/departments/communitydevelopment/redevelopment/hart-park-historical-society

FURTHER INFORMATION:
For further information about the RFP, please contact the City’s Arts and Events Division at ArtistCall@santa-clarita.com or (661) 250-3787.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria

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