Elgin, IL - The City of Elgin Cultural Arts Commission (ECAC) announces its’ second annual Call for Public Art. The ECAC is searching for two new pieces of public art as part of the "new works program" as outlined in the City's Public Art Plan: one 2D piece and one 3D piece. Specifications and applications are available online at cityofelgin.org/publicart. Hard copies of the applications must be delivered to City Hall, located at 150 Dexter Court, Elgin, IL 60120, by Friday, May 25 at 4pm.
Locations & Application
Available locations for the 2D work include the first floor of The Centre’s parking deck and the south-facing wall near Exhibition Hall of the Hemmens Cultural Center. Available locations for the 3D works include Newsome Park, Foundry Park, or a pedestal on Riverside Drive. As part of the application, the artist must select a location from those available, and propose their new public art piece specifically for that location. Artists must provide a completed application along with a narrative, design illustrations, budget, resume, work samples, references, and supporting materials (if applicable). The honorariums offered are $6,000 for each of the two new pieces of public art.
Scoring Criteria
Applications are scored blindly by the ECAC based on the following criteria: Artistic Excellence, Technical Competence, Narrative Support, Appropriate Relationship to the Function of the Site, and Long-Term Feasibility. City staff, to ensure installation feasibility, will evaluate the top three pieces scored, and the ECAC will make a final determination based on the scores and recommendations by staff. Winners of the honorariums will be announced in late spring. After selection, production of the new works is expected to begin in early summer and be completed and installed in time for the annual Art Harvest event in October.
The Public Art Plan provides that the ECAC selects and installs two new pieces of public art, or "new work," each year. In 2017, when the Public Art Plan was adopted, the ECAC selected and installed three new pieces of public art, all of which are located in downtown Elgin. Two sculptures are located on the Riverside Drive Promenade and a mural is located on a wall of the Hemmens Cultural Center.
For more information, contact Amanda Harris at 847-931-6019 or harris_a@cityofelgin.org.