Introduction

The City of Lewisville has released a Request for Qualifications for artists who wish to work on a public art project to celebrate the culture of the Chin refugee community in Lewisville, Texas.

There are more than 4,000 Chin residents in Lewisville, many of whom endured great hardships and made a 1,500-mile journey on foot in order to escape oppression in their home country of Burma (now called Myanmar). This community has settled and grown in Lewisville and now represents the second-largest ethnic group in the city. Even so, the Chin story is not well known by many residents and visitors in Lewisville.

The City is interested in commissioning an artist or group of artists to create a public art piece that can tell the Chin story and celebrate their rich cultural heritage. The permanent stone sculpture will be installed in a city park located very near Chin neighborhoods and churches.

Background and Context

 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 more than 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.

 Chin Community in Lewisville

Lewisville is home to more than 4,000 residents of Chin heritage. Many of them are refugees from the former country of Burma (now called Myanmar), which they fled after decades of official and cultural oppression. Lewisville is home to one of the largest Chin communities in the United States. For more information about the Chin community in Lewisville, visit this link:

https://www.lewisvilletexan.org/news/news/local-news/after-decades-of-persecution-and-abuse-the-chin-population-seeks-refuge-and-opportunity-in-lewisville/

 Central Park

Central Park, located at 1899 S. Edmonds and Willow Oak, was developed in 1986 as Lewisville’s Sesquicentennial Park, celebrating 150 years of Texas independence. The park covers 39.5 acres and includes three covered picnic pavilions, band shell, playground, picnic tables, public restrooms, a one-mile hike/bike trail, a large green space, and creek access. 
 

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 that will tell the story of the Chin community and celebrate their rich culture.

Location: The primary location for the artwork is Central Park. The preferred placement is a large open grass field on the southern end of the park, but other placements can be considered.

Materials & Media: The selection panel is looking for sculptures composed primarily or entirely of stone. The intent is for the finished piece to provide visitors some form of tactile interaction so they can experience the sculpture in some others means in addition to visually.

Appropriate & Unique: The selection panel seeks a unique, one-of-a-kind artwork that is appropriate for Central Park and for the diverse community that uses it. The City is interested in artists who either are of Chin heritage or have experience creating works that tell the unique story of refugee communities in the United States.

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. Using materials native to Texas is welcome but not required.

Public Input: The artist will be expected to receive and consider input from members of Lewisville’s Chin community while developing the concept for the sculpture. The City will help create avenues for receiving that input. If the selected sculptor does not have personal Chin connections, a visual artist from within the Chin community might be asked to provide artistic context during project development.

Applying for these opportunities

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™).

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 $90,000 USD which will be allocated to one or more artist/team selected. 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, any building or site modification required, travel* to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs.

*Travel expectations to Lewisville include a minimum of two visits: one being for planning and community input on the project, the other being for installation. Additionally, the selected artist will be expected to participate in several conference calls with the selection team during the planning and fabrication phase to provide regular updates. 

Tentative Timeline

(Except for online application deadline, timeline is subject to adjustments)

Sunday, February 28, 11:59 MST Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)

March/April Semifinalist Selection

May/June Finalist Selection and Notification

Eligibility

This project is open to all U.S.-based 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 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. Finalists 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.

Selection Process

Through review of the applications by staff and select members of the art and Chin communities, up to eight artists/artist teams will be selected as semifinalists. Selection will be based on artist experience, quality of previous works, and creativity and originality of previous work. This group of semifinalists will then be scheduled to complete a virtual interview with the nine-member Arts Advisory Board, select staff, and community members. The selection team will interview and/or review application materials from the semifinalists and recommend finalists for the commission.

Up to three finalists will then be identified to come to Lewisville (or alternate arrangements will be made based on pandemic restrictions at the time) to give a presentation of their proposed project plan for this commission. Additional guidelines for this project plan will be provided to the selected finalists. The finalists will receive an honorarium of $1,000 to prepare and present the proposal, and travel to Lewisville if conditions allow. The commission will be awarded to one of the three finalists. All decisions of the City of Lewisville are final.

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. Artists who wish to submit kinetic, sound or media works must submit a complete CaFÉ™ application and include links to the work uploaded online, such as through YouTube or Vimeo. Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/uploading-media/ 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 alternate arrangements.

Statement of Interest—Please submit a statement briefly outlining your interest on the outdoor interactive sculputre celebrating Chin Culture 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 dhelbing@cityoflewisville.com or 972.219.8478.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria