Call for Qualifications-Bronze Acorns

This “Call for Qualification” is seeking Professional Artists who wish to be considered by the Town of Danville for a commissioned artwork that will be admired for years. The Town of Danville has ventured into temporary public art pieces and is now working to establish its first permanent public art exhibit, Acorns of the Old Oak. The exhibit would consist of placing small bronze, three-dimensional acorn sculptures in Downtown Danville where they would be placed at town-owned facilities and/or historic building sites. These acorns would be homage to Danville’s iconic Old Oak Tree, a symbol of stability and strength in the Town.  

CALL TO ARTISTS: Open call for artists: Seeking bronze artists or sculptors

 Contact Email: artgallery@danville.ca.gov

Call Type: Public Art

Eligibility: Regional: Open to Professional artists or art team, residing in the nine San Francisco Bay Area Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.  Seeking experienced artist/art team who has successfully managed and completed at least one publicly funded art commission on schedule and within budget.

State: California

Entry Deadline: April 4, 2025

Introduction

The Town of Danville is nestled into the picturesque San Ramon Valley, located approximately 30 miles east of San Francisco. Danville is home to Mount Diablo and an abundance of open space and hiking trails.  Danville has a rich history. It was once the land where the Native American Indian Tatcan Tribe lived, and then it was home to farmers of wheat, nuts, and fruit, as well as home to the world-renowned playwright Eugene O’Neill.  Today, the Town has modern-day amenities, including top-rated shops and restaurants, and yet retains its thoughtfully planned-out small-town charm.  The present-day community has a love and appreciation for art, and the Town strives to present a variety of public art projects and beautification projects that enhance the quality of life and create a culturally rich community for people to live, work, and play.

Call Overview

This “Call for Qualification” is seeking Professional Artists who wish to be considered by the Town of Danville for a commissioned artwork that will be admired for years. The Town of Danville has ventured into temporary public art pieces and is now working to establish its first permanent public art exhibit, Acorns of the Old Oak. The exhibit would consist of placing small bronze, three-dimensional acorn sculptures in Downtown Danville where they would be placed at town-owned facilities and/or historic building sites. These acorns would be homage to Danville’s iconic Old Oak Tree, a symbol of stability and strength in the Town.  

Compensation

The selected artist will receive a stipend of $5,000 to design an acorn mold that is unique to Danville in digital and physical form. The Town will be responsible for payment of the bronze acorns.

Creation

The selected artist will be expected to use his/her own materials to create their design and his/her own studio space to create the artwork, as the Town does not have studio space at this time. The selected artist would also be responsible for informing the Town of Danville of how the acorns will be fabricated, connecting the Town to the fabricator for payment, and for delivery of the acorns. The selected artist shall grant all rights of the acorn design to the Town of Danville to be used for any future purposes.

Installation 

The Town will be responsible for the installation of the artwork.

Selection Process 

An Artist Selection Panel composed of members of the Arts Advisory Board, Parks, Recreation and Arts Commissioners, and Town Staff with arts background and knowledge will review all submissions meeting the application requirements and deadline. Finalists will be interviewed to discuss their proposed artwork and may be asked to present to the Arts Advisory Board, Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission, and/or Town Council.  The selected artists will be required to provide an illustration and report of the proposed pieces for approval by the committee. Artworks that are offensive or those that do not meet community standards of decency will not be approved. Visual imagery must be appropriate for all audiences (not containing advertising, partisan politics, sexual or religious content).  Selected artists must enter into a contractual agreement approved by the Town of Danville, CA.

Application Requirements 

Interested artists should submit the following to be considered:

• Letter of Interest (LOI). Please explain why you want to be considered for this permanent public art exhibit.
• Current Resume. Include information and details about educational background, previous work, gallery showings, and past experience in public art exhibits.
• Short narrative of the proposed work/project.  Explain how your art would fit the community of Danville.
• Lead artist’s qualifications and examples of previous bronze work or sculptures.
• Contact information of two references of clients of completed commissions who you worked for to create original artwork
• Timeline for completing the project.
• An estimate of costs associated with the project including but not limited to: surface preparation, materials, and labor costs.
• Submit jpegs of original artwork for consideration Photos should include other bronze work or sculptures created by submitting artist/group. Minimum of 1 images and a maximum of 3 images.
• All application materials will be submitted via CAFÉ.

* CAFÉ. Any questions regarding file preparation should be directed to the homepage of CAFÉ which is https://www.callforentry.org.

Tentative Project Timeline

Wednesday, February 19, 2025      Request for Qualifications Issued

Friday, April 4, 2025                         Artist Applications due by 5:00 PM to CAFÉ

Monday, April 7, 2025                      Selection Panel Begins

Monday, April 14, 2025                    Selected Artist is notified

Friday, May 2, 2025                       Deadline for artist to submit acorn design and mold

Wednesday, May 14, 2025            Artist attends Arts Advisory Board Meeting

Summer 2025                                  Fabrication of bronze acorn

Fall 2025                                          Installation of Artwork(s)              

Questions

Contact: Jessica Wallner at jwallner@danville.ca.gov

Interested artists should submit the following to be considered:

• Letter of Interest (LOI). Please explain why you want to be considered for this permanent public art exhibit.
• Current Resume. Include information and details about educational background, previous work, gallery showings, and past experience in public art exhibits.
• Short narrative of the proposed work/project.  Explain how your art would fit the community of Danville.
• Lead artist’s qualifications and examples of previous bronze work or sculptures.
• Contact information of two references of clients of completed commissions who you worked for to create original artwork
• Timeline for completing the project.
• An estimate of costs associated with the project including but not limited to: surface preparation, materials, and labor costs.
• Submit jpegs of original artwork for consideration Photos should include other bronze work or sculptures created by submitting artist/group. Minimum of 1 images and a maximum of 3 images.
• Sample design of an acorn.
• All application materials will be submitted via CAFÉ.

Open to Professional artists or art team, residing in the nine San Francisco Bay Area Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.  Seeking experienced artist/art team who has successfully managed and completed at least one publicly funded art commission on schedule and within budget.