The City of Santa Clarita (City) is seeking artwork for its Public Art program. Artist(s) are invited to submit portfolios of past work for consideration. Up to five (5) artists will be invited to submit site-specific proposals for a functional Bike Rack artwork (Artwork) to be located on a concrete pad. The City intends to select one artist to design and fabricate an Artwork. The all-inclusive budget for this project is $8,000 in total.

 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:

The theme of the final Artwork will be encouraged but not limited to the thematic reflections on aesthetics, vibrancy, bright colors, landmarks, nature, site-specificity, family-friendly, and the local biking community.

• Creativity and innovation of design are encouraged.

• Artwork must be an original design.

• Artwork must be suitable for viewing by all ages.

• Artwork may not be used 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 can be of any medium, but artists should consider structural and surface soundness and materials that can withstand outside (desert climate: high winds, extreme temperatures) and uncovered weather conditions as well as inherent resistance to theft, vandalism, and excessive maintenance and repair costs. Artists will be required to describe their experience working with the proposed material in their proposal and provide a suggested maintenance schedule.

PROJECT GUIDELINES:

• Functional Bike Rack must fit in pre-determined space, dimensions provided to semi-finalists.

• The selected Bike Rack should be a functional sculpture that has two points of contact for bikes to be secured to and should accommodate a minimum of eight bikes.

• Due to the specific funding source, the Bike Rack must incorporate at least 60 percent of recycled materials into the design and fabrication.

• Artwork must be installed in a manner with sufficient anchoring to prevent it from being removed, broken, or overturned due to wind or an earthquake. The City reserves the right to review the artist’s proposed installation plans and may request additional information from a California licensed engineer (hired by the artist) to address safety concerns the City may have.

• An area on or near the Artwork will be specified for use in presenting a plaque that indicates the name of the artist, the title of artwork, materials, and the year installed. On the Public Art App, the name of the artist, the title of Artwork, materials, year installed, a 100-word narrative about the Artwork, and information about the artist will be featured.

• Power for the Artwork itself is not available onsite. If the Artwork requires power then it is suggested that it include a solar component.

• Artwork must be constructed of durable materials that are able to withstand the harsh weather conditions of the desert (high winds and extreme temperatures).

• Artwork must comply with standard engineering practices and requirements.

• Artwork will be evaluated to require that it does not present a hazard to public safety and must conform to ADA standards.

• Delivered Artwork that differs significantly from approved application will be disqualified.

• The selected Bike Rack may need to be transferred with the relocation of the Bike Park.

TENTATIVE TIMELINE: (Subject to Change)

November 30, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PST - Application Due

December 2021 – Selection of up to five (5) semi-finalists made by Artist Selection Committee

January 2022 – Semi-finalist presentations made to Artist Selection Committee

February 2022 – Selection of chosen finalist made by Artist Selection Committee

March/April 2022 - Arts Commission and City Council review and approval of finalist

May/June 2022 - Selected finalist notified by City of Santa Clarita staff 

LOCATION:

The identified location will be at the Trek Bike Park (Bike Park) of Santa Clarita, 20870 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91350. The Bike Park is located among the hills at the top of the George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex, near the outdoor basketball courts. The Bike Park of Santa Clarita is free to visit seven days a week and is open from dawn till dusk. The Bike Park offers riders seven acres to ride, practice jumps and develop skills for both BMX and mountain biking. The Bike Park was designed with riders of all ages and skill levels in mind and consists of several single-track mountain bike trails that range from easy to moderate difficulty. There are also over 800 yards of pump and BMX track featuring combination jumps, including step-ups, step-downs, rollers, and tabletops.

BUDGET:

Up to five (5) artists will be invited to create site-specific Bike Rack proposals. Semi-finalists will receive a $300 honorarium, for the Artwork proposal. The total budget for the selected artwork is $8,000.

SEMI-FINALISTS:  

Responsibilities

The honorarium will require the artist to make a presentation to the Artist Selection Committee:

• PowerPoint/PDF proposal of the Artwork (concept of the Artwork) must address the Design and Project Guidelines in the Call for Entry.

• PowerPoint/PDF proposal must address the maintenance and conservation of the Art Work.

• PowerPoint/PDF proposal must address the budget for the project.

• Presentation will be 30 minutes, with questions and answers from the Artist Selection Committee.

SELECTED ARTIST: 

Responsibilities

• Artist is responsible for delivery and installation of artwork per scheduled date.

• The artist is required to provide installation instructions and a maintenance guide for proper care of the artwork.

• Artist is responsible for all associated expenses related to design, fabrication, and transportation.

• Artist is responsible for all materials required to deliver the artwork to the location.

• Artist is responsible for travel and hotel accommodations.

• The selected artist will be required to include insurance coverage for the installation period only.

• If a protective coating to address environmental or vandalism concerns is deemed necessary, this must be covered by the artist.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

• Visual impact

• Interpretation and creativity

• Composition and design

• Craftsmanship

• Design criteria and eligibility guidelines met

ARTIST RESOURCES / SANTA CLARITA COMMUNITY:

Links regarding the community and history of the Santa Clarita area:

• City of Santa Clarita – www.santa-clarita.com

• TREK Bike Park of Santa Clarita – https://www.santa-clarita.com/city-hall/departments/recreation-and-community-services-department/santa-clarita-bike-park

• Bike Santa Clarita - http://bikesantaclarita.com/

• Santa Clarita Bicycle Coalition – https://la-bike.org/chapter/santa-clarita-valley/

• Redevelopment Plan of Old Town Newhall –

https://www.santa-clarita.com/cityhall/departments/community-development/planning/old-town-newhall-specific-plan

• Public Art App - https://scpublicart.goodbarber.com/

• SantaClaritaArts.com - http://santaclaritaarts.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.santaclarita.com/cityhall/departments/communitydevelopment/redevelopment/hart-park-historical-society  

Application Requirements

TO APPLY: The required materials must be submitted electronically by midnight (PST), Monday, November 29, 2021, through CaFÉ (http://www.callforentry.org).

1. Cover letter

2. Resume or CV

3. Up to ten (10) images of previous sculptural work. At least one example must be an existing public artwork

4. Description of the images must include: material(s), dimensions, previously shown location Budgets and dates (if applicable), and maintenance

5. Artist statement

Eligibility Criteria

Artists 18 years of age or older are invited to submit an individual or collaborative artist application.  Artist must have a US mailing address for payment to be mailed to and must fill out a W-9.