18th & Empire Avenue Roundabout in Bend, Oregon

Art in Public Places (AiPP) invites professional Artists to apply for a public art commission for a large-scale sculpture located at 18th & Empire Avenue roundabout in Bend, Oregon. The project timeline is 2025-2026 and the total project budget is $150,000.

This is a regional Call to Artists and open to Artists residing in in the Northwest and Southwest United States (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah). We actively encourage individuals from Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Women and LGBTQIA+ community members to apply.

Who We Are

Art in Public Places is a non-profit organization that has donated public art throughout the city of Bend, Oregon since 1973. For over 40 years Art in Public Places has created an enhanced visual environment for Bend residents and promoted tourism and economic vitality through the artistic design of public spaces. AiPP’s ongoing efforts have steadily increased the public art collection in Bend for everyone to enjoy.

City of Bend 

Bend, Oregon is a mountain town surrounded by public lands. Residents and visitors are drawn to Bend for its high desert climate and varied year-round recreation. Bend has grown and flourished, truly a community with diverse backgrounds and a shared love for the place and lifestyle. Bend is home to nationally recognized breweries, Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, High Desert Museum, Central Oregon Community College and the Oregon State University-Cascades Campus. Today, Bend is the largest Oregon city east of the Cascades Mountains with a population of just over 100,000.

Site Context 

The roundabout is located at Empire Avenue & 18th Street in NE Bend, which has seen a tremendous amount of commercial and residential growth over the last several years. The roundabout is surrounded by various commercial businesses including a Business Park (light industrial and warehouses), tv/radio station office, indoor sports facilities, a brewery, biotech offices, showrooms for building supplies and more.

The surrounding residential area includes single family homes as well as condominiums and apartment complexes.  Pine Nursery Park (159 acres) and Ponderosa Elementary are also located nearby. Empire Avenue is a major thoroughfare to access Hwy 97. The 18th Street & Empire Avenue roundabout opened in 2012 and the estimated traffic count was just over 25,000 cars per day in 2023.

There are two public art sculptures located nearby: Golden Squirrel’s Wonderous World (in the roundabout at Empire Avenue, Butler Market Road and 27th Street) and Kickoff (at the entrance to Pine Nursery Park).

Placement, Materials, Engineering and Installation

The overall size of the interior portion of the roundabout is approximately 33 ft. in diameter. There is a large area in the NE corner of the roundabout roughly 22 ft. by 17 ft. for sculpture footings. See attached Site Plan. The width of the truck apron is roughly 8 ft. wide. There is a water main that traverses the entire western portion of the roundabout, a gas main that traverses the southern portion, and a few electrical cabinets/meters within the SW portion of the roundabout. It is important to note that the sculpture footings cannot span across any utility mainlines or the designated areas for footings. The overall body of the sculpture(s) cannot extend past the area designated for the sculpture above ground which could also hamper utility access. The footings must be a minimum of 3 ft. away from all underground utilities.

The materials used for the roundabout sculpture must be durable to weather and UV conditions in Oregon. The Artist selected for the commission will work closely with our Conservator at various stages to ensure the materials and coatings are designed for an outdoor setting and are low maintenance.

The stamped engineering drawings must incorporate an additional step with a stability design review noting the planned attachments (welding and bolting, etc.) of the sculpture to the footings to review the safety and stability of the entire sculpture. The Artist that receives the commission and their Engineer will take design responsibility for the overall stability of the sculpture, and this is an additional required step not included on the City of Bend’s building permit application. We understand that the stamped drawings are submitted well in advance of the installation which means that the Engineer hired by the Artist must gather more information from the Artist on their overall installation plan (and sculpture to footing attachments) and include that with the initial stamped drawings. We recommend hiring a local Engineer that can be on site as needed during the installation. 

Any work at the roundabout site that would require a Contractor, working closely with the selected Artist, must be completed by a contractor licensed in the state of Oregon and on the approved list of City of Bend Contractors.

Requests for Qualifications (RFQ)

Project Budget
The maximum project budget for this commission is $150,000 for the selected Artist to design, fabricate and install a large-scale sculpture. The budget will also include stamped engineering drawings, subcontractors, footings/excavation, shipping, insurance, travel, a warranty bond and restorative landscaping. An installation and a traffic mitigation plan which may include signage and flaggers will be needed as per the City permit requirements. Only Finalists will submit an itemized budget for the proposed project.

Project Timeline 
Call to Artists announced: November 21, 2025 

Application Due: February 2, 2026 (11pm PST)

Notification of Finalists: Early March 2026

Design Time and Site Visit: Spring 2026

Artist Presentation of design rendering proposals via Zoom: June 2026

Public Input Display (2 weeks): Mid-June 2026

Commission Selection: July 2026

Installation: Summer 2027

Artist Submission Requirements

• Digital Images: Six (6) images of completed large-scale outdoor works of art or public art. All images shall be completed works the Artist has fabricated for other projects from the last 15 years showcasing outdoor sculptures and installations. Do not include any examples of interior works of art or sketches from past projects. Artist Teams shall submit one application, and all six images must be of your collaborative work on completed works of art.

•Two Page Upload Document (Short Statement of Interest and Image Identification with References)

1.      A statement that indicates your interest in the project and how you would approach the commission and a brief description (250 words or less) of your artistic practice and the relationship of this opportunity with your past work over the last 15 years. Include contact information at the top of the page. (As a PDF file named with “last name. first name.pdf” (serra.richard.pdf). Artist Teams shall submit one application and letter of intent, images and object identification must be of your collaborative work on completed works of art.

2.      On the second page include detailed image information on the six (6) images uploaded on CAFE. For each image, include:

• Title/Project Name, Medium, Dimensions.

• Year completed, Budget/Design Fee.

• Commissioning body/Client, Contact information and the Location (city/state).

• Each image must have complete information as noted above. The commissioning body and contact information on the images will be reviewed as your professional references.

AiPP reserves the right to accept or reject any submittals and to alter or extend the selection process as needed. The two-page upload is a key document in the application process and must include a one-page letter of interest with the second page for the image identification with contact reference information. This format must be followed and titled as noted or your application will be incomplete. Incomplete applications will be disqualified. The deadline is January 12, 2026 by 11pm PST.

Selection Process

Phase 1: A selection committee consisting of the AiPP Board and a representative from the City of Bend Engineering department will select three (3) Finalists. The stipend for travel and design time is $1,750. Finalists will use the stipend for a Site Visit to Bend early in the design phase to see the roundabout and, as schedules allow, meet key stakeholders from the AiPP Board and an Engineer with the City of Bend.

Phase 2: Each of the three (3) Finalists will present their design renderings to the selection committee via Zoom. The overall presentation for each artist will be approximately 20 minutes and include a 2-3-minute PowerPoint or video presentation. The overall proposal will include design renderings, a detailed budget, short video and a Materials & Fabrication Plan. Additional materials will include those needed for the Public Input display.

Public input will be gathered during the phase. The three (3) Finalists will submit a presentation poster and standalone renderings used for the public input display and local press needs approximately 10 days in advance of the Zoom meeting.

Three (3) Finalists will be Selected Based on the Following:

• Appropriateness of the artist’s medium (durable materials suitable for outdoors) and experience in relation to the project setting.

• Artistic Merit as evidenced by representation of relevant past work in images.

• Two-Page Document Upload (Brief Letter of Interest and Image Identification with References). See Artist Submission requirements listed above.

Artist Commission Award Based on the Following submitted by the Finalists:

·         • Design relevance

·         • Skillset to coordinate for this type and scale of project

·         • Interview/Presentation

·         • Material Description and Fabrication Plan

1. Materials: List of all materials and coatings to be used and explain their durability in extreme weather. For all commercial products (materials and finishes) Include a website link on each product for a Conservator’s review. All materials should note that they are appropriate for an outdoor setting and include a manufacturer’s warranty of 15 years or more.

2. Fabrication Plan – Indicate whether artist will self-fabricate the work of art or contract with third party. Regardless of fabrication method, the artist must maintain creative control and quality control throughout the process and remain the primary point of contact. For each fabricator/contractor: provide contact information (metal caster, mold or pattern maker, foundry or finishing technician, welder, painter, patineur, etc.) and briefly describe their qualifications and your work experience with them on a past project. Finalists will need to include a reference on behalf of each fabricator/contractor.

The selection committee will evaluate all submissions based on artistic excellence, innovation, interactivity, originality, and the overall design proposed to enliven this public space. The potential to create an impactful design using high grade durable materials for an outdoor setting at this roundabout will score highly on our evaluation criteria. The Materials and Fabrication Plan are key documents in our selection criteria for the Artist that receives the Commission.

Our selection criteria will require the Finalists to demonstrate experience with public art/commercial projects and collaborating with other designers, artists, architects, engineers, fabricators and City government staff as may be required.

Conservator’s Role

A Conservator will have an active role in the Materials and Fabrication Plan from start to finish for this commission and they will offer guidance and recommendations for the Finalists in the selection of materials and coatings for an outdoor setting as required by this commission. Their role will continue once the commission is awarded to one Artist with the primary role to select the best materials, vendors and fabricators for the durability and long-term conservation care of the Work of Art.

Award of Contract (Registered Agent, Insurance, Transfer of Ownership and Warranty)

Only the Artist that receives the Commission (if out-of-state and/or using a business name) will need to secure a Registered Agent (an official address in Oregon) and then register with the State of Oregon as a domestic or foreign entity (anyone outside Oregon) and provide a certificate of good standing from the state that you reside in. This is standard practice for most public entities and will be a necessary step and expense as we finalize the Commission Contract.

The Artist must also submit proof of $2 million in general liability insurance and other insurance prior to signing the Contract. The Artist awarded the Commission is required to maintain insurance of the Work of Art after the installation while completing the deliverables outlined in the Transfer of Ownership noted in the Contract. These final steps can take several weeks and includes the Artist submitting the Bill of Sale, which occurs after receiving the final payment.

The Artist that is awarded the Commission shall warrant that for a two-year period from the date of final payment, the Work of Art will be free from defects for all materials, coatings, and workmanship in the Contract. As part of that warranty, the City of Bend shall require a warranty bond of 20% of the Contract Price of $150,000 issued by a surety licensed to do business in the state of Oregon. The Artist shall furnish the City of Bend with the Warranty Bond as part of the documents required in the Transfer of Owner noted in the Contract.

Questions

Questions about the project may be directed to Marcelene Trujillo, AiPP Project Coordinator via email at artinpublicplacesbend@gmail.com. Assistance in using the CAFE system is available via email at helpcafe@westaf.org or by calling 303-629-1166. CAFE support is available Monday-Friday from 8:30am - 5pm MDT. Please note the CAFE offices will be closed from December 24-January 1, 2026. Find helpful artist information at: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/

Eligibility

This is a regional Call to Artists open to Artists and Artist Teams residing in the Northwest and Southwest United States, specifically Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Women, LGBTQIA+ community members are highly encouraged to apply. Artists living in Oregon are highly encouraged to apply.