RFP - Turnkey Public Art Curatorial and Acquisition Services for Harris County Precinct 1

Harris County Precinct 1 is soliciting proposals for turnkey public art curatorial and acquisition services to begin on or about November 1, 2026, for an initial one-year term with four optional one-year renewals. The selected vendor will serve as the single point of responsibility for the entire lifecycle of public art projects, including artist recruitment, selection, commissioning, procurement, transportation, installation, and collection stewardship. Services are provided on an as-needed basis via individual Notices to Proceed, and the vendor must adhere to accepted museum and public art industry standards for handling, crating, and long-term preservation of artwork. The evaluation process is weighted based on the scope of services (30%), qualifications and experience (30%), pricing (20%), and vendor presentations or interviews (20%). Proposers must provide a detailed labor rate schedule and a pricing methodology for third-party markups. Compliance requirements include maintaining comprehensive insurance coverage, adhering to a minimum wage of 21.65 per hour (adjusted annually via the MIT Living Wage Calculator), and submitting a Form 1295 for interested parties. The contract allows for termination without cause upon thirty days written notice and requires strict chain of custody documentation for all artwork.