Public Art Integration – New Firehouse – Exterior Facade

DEADLINE DATE

11/04/2026

BUDGET

200000.00

ORGANIZER

Group Creatives

LOCATION

Firehouse Des Moines

ADDRESS

1424 48th Street

Des Moines,
Iowa
50311

WEBSITE

https://www.publicartist.org/call.cfm?id=7426

CONTACT

Alex Braidwood

PHONE

313-595-3155

alex@groupcreatives.com

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More Information

Project Description
This open call invites professional artists, sculptors, graphic and industrial designers, architects, landscape architects, and multidisciplinary creative teams to submit qualifications to be considered for invitation to develop a permanent public artwork on a new firehouse commission. The selected artist or team will collaborate with municipal staff, stakeholder committees, and project architects to conceptualize, design, and integrate artwork into the facility’s exterior envelope.

Artwork Goals
The goal of this project is to create a permanent installation that amplifies community identity, reflects regional character, and establishes a meaningful connection to place within a critical civic building.

The selected artist/creative team will design, engineer and fabricate permanent exterior artwork at the new firehouse. Artists experienced in architectural integration are encouraged to apply. Painted murals are not appropriate for this project.

Artwork Location Description
Location specifics along with visual references, site plans, and other details will be provided to the three artists selected from this call and invited to develop commissioned proposals.

Budget Details

BUDGET

200000.00

The total project budget for the Public Art Project is $200,000.
From this call for qualifications, three artists/artist teams will be compensated $1,000 each to develop and present community-specific concept proposals.

Timeline Details

Deadline

11/04/2026

Timeline
Open Call Submittal Deadline: Nov 4, 2026 – 5:00pm Central time
Judging Period: Nov 9-13, 2026
Short Listed Notifications: Nov 18, 2026
Invited Proposal Deadline: Jan 8, 2027
Artist Proposal Presentations: Jan 19, 2027
Fabrication and Installation: Summer 2028

Requirements and Criteria

Eligibility
Must be living and working in the United States.
Must have evidence of successfully completing an outdoor public sculpture with a budget over $15,000.
Must demonstrate a history of producing long-lasting public artwork suitable for Iowa’s outdoor environment.

Application Requirements
Biography
Resume: 1 page(s) maximum
Work examples: 1 – 10
Letter of Interest: 200 word maximum
A narrative detailing the applicant’s artistic vision, design philosophy, approach to public space integration, and relevant experience with comparable commissions.

Artists are allowed to apply in teams.
Artists applying as a team must split the allotted number of work examples between themselves.

Additional Requirements
Firefighting Connection Text
URL to View Work Online Text

Selection Information
Selection Process
From this open call, a dedicated Review Committee will select three (3) semi-finalists to receive a stipend and develop independent site-specific concept proposals during a subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) phase. Following virtual concept presentations to the Review Committee, one final artist or creative team will be awarded the commission to finalize designs and coordinate integration.

Selection Criteria
The review committee will be evaluating submissions to this call based on the following criteria.

+Artistic Excellence & Display of Fundamentals+
Exceptional craft, color usage, composition, and visual impact across past projects.

+Conceptual Versatility+
Past work shows strong conceptual responsiveness across a variety of compositions. Does not rely on a single, rigid formula. Also demonstrates an understanding of user experience and functional identity integration in public spaces.

+Scale and Experience+
Past work demonstrates experience managing projects of similar size, square footage, budgets, and physical complexity.

+Professionalism of submitted materials+
Paying close attention to things like documentation quality and general accuracy in response to each element of the submission.