Village of Oak Creek
Roundabout Art Project

CALL TO ARTISTS

Village of Oak Creek, AZ

Accepting Proposals for 3-Dimensional Public Art

Art-in-the Roundabouts Committee

September 2023

 

Mission Statement: To display the story of our community with inspiring public art.

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How: The Art in the Roundabout (AiR) Committee will develop a process and structure to facilitate the selection and installation of works of art to be placed on the four roundabouts located in our community on State Route 179, and ensure they are properly maintained.

 

Background

 

Big Park-Village of Oak Creek
Vision Statement

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Our community honors and protects its quiet, small-town feel and southwestern heritage.

 

We value and support low-density, low-rise, walkable development design to preserve our exceptional Red Rock views, open spaces, and cherished International Dark-Sky designation.

 

Priorities include the health, welfare, education and safety of residents, reliable broadband and infrastructure and access to abundant educational, recreational and cultural opportunities.

 

As part of our economy, we support sustainable tourism practices that enrich the quality of life for residents and future generations. 

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Approved by Big Park Council March 2023

 

The Big Park region, which includes the Village of Oak Creek, is part of the greater Sedona region. Sedona is often cited as one of the most beautiful towns in the US (#3 cited in recent article in Architectural Digest).

 

The Red Rock Scenic Byway gracefully meanders through the Village, then winds past famous rock structures, terminating in the uptown business district of Sedona. The landscape along that route is breathtaking, with towering red rock features to either side, that have been inspiring an unforgettable sense of awe since man first arrived.

 

The Greater Sedona area attracts more than 3 million visitors/year for the experience of outdoor recreation (hiking, mountain biking, equestrian, golf), sightseeing – including appreciation of cultural artifacts of Native American peoples, and world class resorts/spas and art galleries.

 

It is also home to many families and retirees, attracted by the availability of year-round outdoor recreation, Dark-Sky tranquility, abundant wildlife, proximity to a major university in Flagstaff to the north, the metropolis of Phoenix to the south, and a thriving tourist economy.

 

Through the center of the Village of Oak Creek stretches a 2.6-mile section of the magnificent Red Rock Scenic Byway. The road serves as the welcoming gateway to Sedona’s famed Red Rock Country and as our community’s charming Main Street.

 

The Byway (SR-179) was designed by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) with roundabouts, rather than traffic signals, to provide aesthetic and safety benefits. Each roundabout was constructed with an 8-ft diameter concrete pad intended  for the installation of art.   Four of these roundabouts run through the Village. 

 

Locations of Proposed Artworks

For the purpose of this project, the roundabouts are identified by their intersection with SR179, and proceeding from south to north, as follows:

Location 1: SR179/Ridge Trail/Las Posadas (the southernmost)

Location 2: SR179/Jacks Canyon/Verde Valley School Road

Location 3: SR179/Cortez Road

Location 4: SR179/Bell Rock Boulevard (northernmost)

View photos of the actual roundabout by clicking here.

Project Sponsor

The Big Park Regional Coordinating Council (Big Park Council and/or BPRCC) provides the Big Park region, including the Village of Oak Creek, with a structured, representational organization to serve the community’s interests.  On May 12, 2022, the Big Park Council created an Art in the Roundabouts (AiR) standing committee to explore and complete the design for the beautification and edification of our community.  This Art in the Roundabouts Committee maintains an informative website at https://www.ourvillageart.org

 

Project Process

The process plan for the AiR project will meet two essential goals. First, ensure strong community participation – with the selected artworks reflecting the unique character and heritage of our Village. And secondly, the plan will ensure that the artworks visually and thematically complement the surrounding landscape, which is our community’s trademark.

 

Community participation will be invited at various intervals through surveys and potentially public displays to achieve the broadest acceptance possible. Residents will have the opportunity to express preferences, including artistic themes and characteristics consistent with “displaying the story of our community”.

 

Proposed Themes

The Committee’s mission is to display the history of our Village in the roundabout artworks. 

Through the process of a recent community survey, the community has endorsed the following themes:

1. Our Native American heritage 

2. Our abundant wildlife 

3. Our western heritage 

4. Our cattle-ranching history

5. Our manifold outdoor recreational opportunities, such as hiking, biking, birding and golfing

 

Specifics

All proposed art must be unique and original.  All art must respect the Village commitment to stewardship of our incomparable red rock sceneryProposed art must exhibit or reflect the desired themesProposed art must incorporate thematic depth, to uplift and provoke thought.  Proposed art must be appreciable over a range of viewing distances.  Proposed art must be viewable from all sides (no “back”).  Proposed art must not encourage pedestrian access to the roundabout, for safety reasons.  Proposed art must improve and not detract from the safety of the site.  Proposed art must be of high quality in fabrication and finish.  The artwork must be durable, requiring minimal maintenance, and fabricated of materials with a proven track record of viability in public artworks.  We believe that the artwork should employ weathering steel sheet metal, as opposed to any foundry cast product, for affordability.  The artwork must be contained within the rock walls in the roundabouts, placed on the 8’ diameter of the concrete pad provided by the Arizona Department of Transportation.  Height may not exceed 20 feet.  However, it is the Committee’s desire to avoid any interference with travelers’ sight lines of our red rock scenery, which might suggest a lesser height.  Artwork must be appreciable from each of the four traffic directions at each roundabout.  Artwork should be constructed in a manner to discourage theft and/or vandalism.  Artwork requiring supply of water or electricity will not be considered. 

 

Artist and /or Artist Team Contact: Provide complete and accurate contact information

Proposal:

---Artist’s resume not to exceed two pages

---Include 2-5 digital conceptual images for each piece of art being proposed

---Include your project statement describing your approach, the project intention, art dimensions, time required to execute and install, and proposed materials

---Provide an estimated budget, display and installation requirements for each piece of art

---If the artist wishes to submit more than one proposal, a full application is required for each art proposal

---The artist is requested (but this is not required) to designate the location for each proposed artwork, and the artist’s rationale therefore (see Project Locations on Page 2)

---References regarding Past Work: Provide relevant references for each reference work

---Main contact: Name, organization, email and phone number

---Project Location

---Scope and Description of Project (include digital images)

---Project timeline

--- All materials to be submitted on a thumb drive; images in JPEG format, 1920 pixels on longest side and 300 dpi.

 

--9/1/2023                Issue Call to Artists

--11/30/2023            Artists’ Submittal deadline

--12/15/2023            AiR Committee to acknowledge receipt of artist submittals

--1/31/2024              Report to BPC on committee’s evaluation and recommendations

--2/15-2/28/2024   Community charettes to display submitted artworks and receive community feedback as input to final selections

--3/1-3/31/2024      Further interaction with artists to refine their offers

--4/15/2024              Report to Council on final selection(s) and recommendations

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If invited to the charette(s), artists shall provide at least one 24” x 36” poster board of his/her proposed art.

 

Project Budget

The Village of Oak Creek is an unincorporated community in Yavapai County with a population of about 6,000.    As such, it has no municipal funding source.  Project funding is expected to originate with community benefactors who have expressed interest in underwriting the Committee’s selected art.  The Committee believes that funding is available for the first artwork, based on conversations with a prospective donor.  Additionally, the Committee will be seeking grants from agencies such as the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Arizona Community Foundation.

 

Village of Oak Creek Art in the Roundabouts Agreement

Once selected, each artist will be required to execute a copy of the Agreement between the BPRCC and the artist.  This Agreement is currently in preparation and will be available later this Fall.

 

Artist Copyright

The Committee suggests that each artist choosing to submit a proposal should consider trademarking his/her artwork prior to submittal of the proposal.

 

Artist Submittals

Submittals shall be mailed to arrive no later than 11/30/2023 to:

Big Park Council

Art in the Roundabouts Committee

PO Box 21021

Sedona, AZ 86341

 

Closing Comments

Neither the Committee nor the BPRCC shall be responsible for any expense for the artist’s preparation of his/her proposal.  Neither the Committee nor BPRCC is obligated to select any art whatsoever.  Any pre-submittal questions may be submitted to the Art in the Roundabouts committee on this website.