Design & Installation of a Public Artwork

Project Intent The artwork shall be a unique design created by the artist, and may not be a duplication of an existing art work. The artwork must be a large-scale, 3-dimensional piece designed to be prominently featured as a permanent installation at a newly constructed City facility, the Mansfield Animal Care & Control Center. The new facility will be located at 620 S. Wisteria Street in Mansfield, and is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2026. The artist must complete and install the project by April 30, 2026. The artist will be expected to coordinate/collaborate throughout the design, fabrication, and installation process with the City’s public art team; the team includes members from the Community Engagement Department, Interdepartmental Public Art Committee, Public Art Advisory Committee, Planning Department, Animal Care & Control Department and the Public Works Department.    The artist should create a piece that meets all requirements of the city’s public art policies and ordinance, and follows any required permitting, zoning, environmental, historic, or other city policies. The art work created must fit within the vision for the Mansfield public art program at large; to create high-quality works of art that foster remarkable experiences and bring the community together.   Budget The City has allocated $80,000 (all-inclusive) to cover all costs associated with the project and commensurate with the intended scale. Costs related to the project may include, but are not limited to: artist’s design fee, research, professional consultations, formal reports from licensed structural and electrical engineers where appropriate, a long-term care and maintenance report from a licensed professional conservator, travel, materials, fabrications, foundation, transportation, installation, documentation and photography of the artwork, insurance, signage and educational materials.   Eligibility
The City of Mansfield has opened this project to all professional artists, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines, are eligible to apply. Artist teams must designate one artist as the main point of contact. As stated per the adopted Public Art policy, an Artist is defined as "an individual generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional practitioner of the visual, performing, or literary arts, as judged by the quality of that professional practitioner’s body of work, educational background, experience, public performances, past public commissions, sale of works, exhibition record, publications, and production of artwork. The members of the architectural, engineering, design, or landscaping firms retained for the design and construction of a development project covered by this Policy shall not be considered artists for this Policy." Applicants should have experience in public art and large-scale installations. Artists must also demonstrate a proven track record of successfully completing projects of similar scope. The application, including all examples of work and supporting documents, is considered the artist's official "submission." If any information submitted by the artist or artist's representative, including all supporting documents, is found fraudulent, the submission will be disqualified.
  Design 
The artwork should foster community engagement and interaction as a part of the overall design. The incorporation of an interactive element for pets and/or people is strongly encouraged. Consider ADA regulations and overall inclusivity when creating interactive elements and in the final design of the artwork This artwork should be low maintenance and designed to last at least 50 years. This artwork should not include any electrical or water elements. This artwork should complement the design of the Mansfield Animal Shelter and Service Center and the surrounding landscape, including placement of trees and walkways (see Fig. A & B) and architectural materials to be used (see Fig. B). For example, the orange-type color in the renderings is meant to represent a corten metal.  There are two possible locations for this artwork (see Fig. A & B). The preferred location is a 25’x25 area along a walking path and next to the road. The secondary location is a 26’x12’ area along the same walking path, closer to the Animal Shelter and Service Center. If a design is finalized by the end of the summer, the construction manager will be able to pour a pad to accommodate an artwork of any weight. This will be an outdoor artwork installed in a high-traffic area, so extensive knowledge of the best materials and fabrication to withstand varying environmental elements and public interaction by residents is required. (see Fig. A & Fig. B)
  Installation and Maintenance Plan
Oversee installation of art work at selected City site Consult with planning, engineering, and applicable City departments to ensure structural integrity Accurate cost analysis for installation of art work, including foundation, equipment, etc. Provide maintenance plan for upkeep of work after installation of art work is complete. To produce the Maintenance Plan, the Artist should examine and render an opinion on the following:
Durability; Type and integrity of materials; Construction/fabrication technique; Internal supports, anchoring and joining, and footings; Landscaping; Vulnerable and delicate elements; Drainage of Artwork; Potentially dangerous elements; Security; Location; Environment; Whether the design encourages/discourages interaction; and Effects of skateboarding, graffiti, and any other potentially damaging activities.

The Maintenance Plan will include:
A record of the Artist’s intentions for the artwork; Recommendations to mitigate potential problems discovered during the examination; Notes about how the Artist would anticipate the Artwork to age; An itemization of long-range considerations and care, highlighting maintenance and the anticipated needs for periodic conservation treatment or repairs; and Identification of the lifespan of the Artwork and a -prognosis of its durability in consideration of that lifespan.