Location
Bend, Oregon

Who We Are

Art in Public Places is a non-profit organization that has donated public art throughout the city of Bend, Oregon since 1973. For over 40 years Art in Public Places has created an enhanced visual environment for Bend residents and promoted tourism and economic vitality through the artistic design of public spaces. AiPP’s ongoing efforts have steadily increased the public art collection in Bend for everyone to enjoy.

AiPP has donated large scale sculptures to the City of Bend for 20 roundabouts as well as numerous other works of art to Bend Park & Recreation District, Central Oregon Community College, Deschutes Public Library and St. Charles Foundation. Bend’s public art collection is a permanent part of what makes Bend so unique and a wonderful place to visit and reside. 

Bend Park and Recreation District

The Bend Park and Recreation District (BPRD) was established in 1974 for the sole purpose of providing park and recreation services to residents. BPRD offers over 1,000 recreation programs for all ages and abilities at the Juniper Swim & Fitness Center, The Pavilion and the Bend Senior Center.

BPRD maintains dozens of neighborhood and community parks and eight off-leash dog areas. Three sports field complexes provide 12 ball fields, eight multi-purpose fields for soccer, lacrosse, football, rugby and ultimate Frisbee, and multiple locations support court sports, skateparks, bike skills courses and a multitude of other sport-related activities.

BPRD maintains over 88 miles of trails offering walking, biking, birding and nature exploration. Developed Deschutes River access is available at 14 sites, providing beaches and kayak and floater put-in/take-out points, as well as the Bend Whitewater Park.

Bend Park & Recreation Foundation

The Bend Park & Recreation Foundation (BPF) is a non-profit organization which exists to raise funds and support the programs, projects and facilities of the Bend Park & Recreation District. Incorporated in 1977, the Foundation provides stewardship for donations and supporting recreation opportunities for the community. The BPR Foundation’s mission is to preserve Bend’s livability by enhancing the community’s parks, trails and recreation programs.

Site Context

Alpenglow Community Park will provide opportunities for a wide array of recreation activities for folks of all ages and abilities while retaining natural characteristics of the existing landscape. This new 37-acre community park is expected to open by summer 2022.

Alpenglow Community Park’s design showcases the high desert landscape and incorporates Ponderosa Pine and Juniper trees, and a basalt ridge designated as an area of special interest by the City of Bend. The views of the Cascade Mountain Range to the west provided inspiration for the name of the park.

Alpenglow Park is just north of Caldera High School (opening Fall 2021), bordered by the Burlington Northern railroad line and is just south of a Central Oregon Irrigation District canal. The Park is in one of Bend’s rapidly growing areas in SE Bend and will serve as a hub for recreation activities, community gatherings, opportunities to enjoy nature and connection to trails.

BPRD installed a pedestrian bridge over the irrigation canal just north of the park as well as a second footbridge which spans the railroad tracks to connect the park and school with neighborhoods to the west. These bridges, along with paved multi-use paths along 15th Street provide an enhanced transportation corridor for students and park users and connect to the Larkspur Trail and Central Oregon Historic Canal Trail.

Alpenglow Park will include an open lawn area, demonstration garden, area for bouldering, playground and sprayground “splash pad”, event pavilion, off-leash area for dogs and several accessible trails and multi-use pathways. Alpenglow Park is the first Bend community park designed to be self-reliant for energy use. With a goal of net-zero energy use, solar panels are included in the park design and will support the electricity needed for the event pavilion, restrooms, lights, and irrigation. The Park is located on SE 15th Street a half mile north of Knott Road.

Materials used throughout the park include: weathering steel on the two bridges, event pavilion and restrooms; Montana Rainbow Rock in the splash pad area; and columnar basalt used in numerous locations in the park at viewpoints and seating areas. The park will include Berliner and Landscape Structures play equipment and Percussion Play outdoor musical instruments which can be played and enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.

The location for the sculpture within Alpenglow Community Park is in the large native grass area west of the event pavilion. See attached map for more information. This large open area can be seen from various vantage points throughout the park, and we envision the sculpture becoming a focal point for everyone enjoying the park.

Application Requirements

Artist Submission Requirements
Artists interested in responding must submit all of the following information by October 21, 2021.

•Six (6) digital images of completed past works of art or public art. With each image please include title, medium, dimensions, year completed, budget and city/state. Work examples must be from the last 12 years showcasing sculptures, installations and outdoor spaces.

•Letter of Interest (Please upload the following information in a 1-page letter of interest)

1. Contact Information (name, phone and website for artist or artist team)
2. Description of your interest in working on this specific project (be as succinct as possible)
3. Description of most relevant comparable project(s) from the last 12 years

• Please note that Finalists will be asked for references (contact information only) a detailed budget and a conservation maintenance plan for the sculpture. The stipend for travel and model materials is $750 for each Finalist.

Project Budget
The total project budget for this commission shall not exceed $130,000, including any permit fees, stamped engineering drawings, subcontractors, transportation and installation. Only Finalists will submit an itemized budget for the proposed project.

Project Timeline
Call to Artists announced: September 15, 2021

Application Due: October 21, 2021. Late applications will not be considered.

Notification of Finalists: Early November 2021

Artist Presentation of models/proposals in Bend: Early January 2022

Public Comment and Presentation of Models: Two weeks at each the Deschutes Public Library, Caldera High School and the BPRD Larkspur Center (January - February 2022)

Commission Selection: Early February 2022 

Alpenglow Park opening: Early Summer 2022

Installation: Late Fall 2022 

Questions
Questions about the project may be directed to Marcelene Trujillo via email at artinpublicplacesbend@gmail.com. Assistance in using the CaFE system is available via email at cafe@westaf.org.
 

Eligibility Criteria

Artist Eligibility & Experience
This call to artists is an open competition for professional artists residing in the Northwest and Southwest United States, specifically Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Artist teams are welcome to apply and the submitted resume and images must reflect the collaborative work of the teams. One application per artist team.

The committee will evaluate all submissions based on artistic excellence, innovation, interactivity, originality and the work’s ability to enhance the natural landscape and enliven this public space. Our selection criteria will require artists to demonstrate experience with public art projects, using materials suitable for public outdoor settings, site-specific design, and collaborating with other artists, architects, engineers, fabricators and city/parks administrative staff. The potential to create an impactful design for this public art project will score highly on our evaluation criteria.

We welcome the possibility of kinetic or solar powered elements and we are open to a variety of mediums and techniques provided that the work of art is durable, weather and vandal resistant. The work of art should not be climbable. This Park is the first "off grid" community park in Bend and we are open to reviewing sculptures with lighting/up lighting with a solar powered power source (solar panels and infrastructure) that is built into the overall installation and project budget of the sculpture. The Park location requires a large scale work of art or multiple sculptures set amongst native restoration plantings.