City of Sunrise Temporary Art Sculpture Program 2026

The City of Sunrise, Florida (City) is seeking to commission an Artist or Artist team that are interested in loaning existing art sculpture(s) to the City of Sunrise to be exhibited outdoors for one-year. The call is open to all artists nationwide creating original three-dimensional artwork of a scale and material suitable for outdoor display.  Previous years of experience in outdoor installation of public art is preferred but not necessary. There is a total of thirteen (13) art pads that will be available for the art sculpture exhibition. Of the 13 pads, up to four (4) are located at the Flamingo Linear Park and up to nine (9) are located at the new Village Art Plaza. The City is open to all themes and styles of art as long as the sculptures reflect the spirit of the City of Sunrise and do not contain any elements that are objectionable to the City. The sculptures must be impactful to pedestrians and passerby traffic. 

The City of Sunrise, Florida (City) is seeking to commission an Artist or Artist team that are interested in loaning existing art sculpture(s) to the City of Sunrise to be exhibited outdoors for one-year. The call is open to all artists nationwide creating original three-dimensional artwork of a scale and material suitable for outdoor display.  Previous years of experience in outdoor installation of public art is preferred but not necessary. There is a total of thirteen (13) art pads that will be available for the art sculpture exhibition. Of the 13 pads, up to four (4) are located at the Flamingo Linear Park and up to nine (9) are located at the new Village Art Plaza. The City is open to all themes and styles of art as long as the sculptures reflect the spirit of the City of Sunrise and do not contain any elements that are objectionable to the City. The sculptures must be impactful to pedestrians and passerby traffic. 

The Call to Artists will generally be awarded to the responsive and responsible Artist or Artist team whose existing art sculpture is selected by the Committee and submitted to the City Commission with a recommendation of approval. The selected Artist or Artist team will be expected to enter into an agreement with the City for the one-year loan. The selected Artist or Artist team will be responsible for transporting the artwork to and from the City’s designated drop-off location or directly to the concrete pad. The City has a professional installer that can transport the artwork from the designated drop-off location to the pad and assist with or complete the installation and de-installation of the final work into existing concrete art pads, which include up-lighting.

Location and Dimension of Art Pads

Location 1: Flamingo Linear Park –This linear Park is located in a very prominent location and serves as a as a gateway to the City of Sunrise Business and Entertainment District. This District includes the largest and most successful outlet and value retail mall in the continental United States - Sawgrass Mills. Across from the mall there is also the 20,000 seat Amerant Bank Arena, one of the finest arenas in the country and home to the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers. Another major asset in western Sunrise is the Sawgrass International Corporate Park, one of Florida’s largest corporate parks (650 acres) home to regional, Latin American, and global headquarters. Because this linear park is located adjacent to a major roadway the temporary sculptures should be of larger scale (between 7 to 12 feet tall).

Location 2: Village Art Plaza – The Village Art Plaza was completed in March 2025.  Once completed, the Plaza will be a destination for residents and visitors. The Plaza includes murals, permanent sculptures, a virtual art tour, and 9 pads for temporary artwork. The Village Art Plaza is activated on a regular basis with events such as live music, farmer’s markets, art shows, and many other community gathering events.  The temporary art sculptures for this Plaza should be of a pedestrian scale (between 5 to 8 feet tall).

Qualities of the Sculpture

The sculptures should be durable and require minimal ongoing maintenance. South Florida has a sub-tropical climate and at times is hot and humid, with an intense sun and seasonal heavy rain. Problems with rust and fading should be avoided.  

About the City of Sunrise 

The City of Sunrise, incorporated in 1961, is located in southeastern Florida in Broward County. The City encompasses an area of approximately 18 square miles with an approximate population of 97,000. The City is uniquely positioned in the most desirable and central location in Broward County, neighboring the Everglades and within less than an hour to three major airports, and three major seaports. The City is a dynamic and welcoming community that appreciates and celebrates its diverse people and culture, while embracing smart growth and development. 

Selection Process

The City of Sunrise reserves the right to cancel this Call to Artists, to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any or all Proposals or parts of Proposals, to waive minor irregularities and technicalities in the Proposals, to adjust the time table as needed, to enter into negotiations with Proposers as warranted, to award the Call to Artist, and to enter into agreements on such coverage and terms that the City deems will best serve the best interests of the City. A minor irregularity is defined as a variation from the Call to Artists’ terms and conditions which does not affect the price of the Proposal, give a Proposer an unfair advantage over other Proposers, or adversely impact the interests of the City. There is no obligation on the part of the City to award the Call to Artists or an agreement to the Proposer(s) offering the lowest price to the City. The City reserves the right to award the Call to Artists and enter into an agreement with the Artist whose proposal is judged most advantageous to and in the best interests of the City. The City shall be the sole judge of which Proposal is in the best interests of the City. The City reserves the right to obtain and review any information deemed necessary to determine the ability of the Proposer to carry out its obligations required under the agreement, including but not limited to its relevant experience and qualifications, the quality of its past performance, the Proposer’s current and prior compliance with all laws and regulations, its financial strength and capability to perform the requirements of this Call to Artists. 

The City’s Selection Committee will manage the application process. The Selection Committee includes City Staff from different departments and a public art consultant which serves as an Advisor to the Committee. The Selection Committee will operate as a recommending committee to the City Commission. Upon review of all entries submitted through CAFÉ, the Selection Committee will invite up to thirteen (13) Artists to enter into agreements for the loan program. More than one sculpture could be selected from the same Artist. All submitted complete applications will be reviewed. Applications not meeting the submission guidelines will not be considered.

Evaluation Criteria

The Selection Committee will recommend awarding the final agreement(s) based on its evaluation of the images of the proposed sculpture and the criteria listed below. The Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the art sculpture award recommendation if it should not find a satisfactory sculpture. 

The criteria for the selection include the following:

1. Design aesthetic and concepts:  75 points

• Artistic merit of concept to include meaning of the proposed sculptures and theme.
• Style and Appropriateness:  Demonstrate that the sculptures are compatible in relationship to the landscape.
• Diversity: Reflect the overall project goal to strive for diversity in style, scale, media and Artists working in traditional and contemporary art forms.

1. Technical considerations: 25 points

• Feasibility: Including the Artist’s artistic history and experience in completing public art projects within the timeline and budget, as well as the sustainability of the sculpture.
• Safety and Maintenance: The sculpture should be durable, meet the requirements of insurance policies and be resistant to theft and/or vandalism. Materials should require minimal periodic maintenance.
• The Proposer must demonstrate experience in providing the type of Services requested in this Call to Artists.
• Written Proposals should be brief, presented in logical order, and contain the information requested herein and may be accompanied by any additional materials necessary to convey the appropriate experience.

Budget

Each of the selected Artists will be provided $3,500 honorarium for selected sculptures that are between 5 to 8 feet tall and $4,000 honorarium for selected sculptures that are higher than 8 feet tall. The honorarium is intended to cover all expenses, including travel and artist-provided property insurance should the artist choose to have the artwork covered for property damage or loss while on loan to the City. This honorarium will be paid in two installments: half after the work is successfully installed and the other half after the work has been successfully removed from the site by the end of the rental period.

Artists agree to assume all risk of physical damage to art sculptures while in the City’s care, custody and control, and to release, hold harmless, and indemnify the City for third-party liability related to art sculpture displays, installation and de-installation, except for third-party liability or physical damage caused by negligent acts or omissions of City employees while in the course and function of employment.  City Risk Manager reserves the right to waive insurance requirements if in the best interest of the City. Selected artists will coordinate installation and de-installation with the City’s Public Art Administrators. To participate, artists or their installers must carry General Liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured, including a waiver of subrogation for physical damage losses covered under artist-provided property insurance.

The City will produce publicity materials and will promote the exhibition.  Sale of exhibited artwork will be encouraged and a 25% commission on works sold during the exhibition will remain with the City. The City has a $75,000 purchase budget that may be used to purchase one or more of the temporary art sculptures, all at the discretion of the City.

Artist Requirements Once Selected

·         Meetings and coordination with Selection Committee are/or City staff as needed to discuss aspects of sculptures: either via phone, virtual, or in person

·         Provide proof of required insurance

·         Provide details on how sculpture will be temporarily secured to the art pad

·         Schedule installations date

·         Transportation and off-truck loading of the sculpture to the specific site in Sunrise;

·         Installation and de-installation of the sculpture

Next Steps

·         Artist Applications Submitted  

·         Presentation and/or Meeting with Selection Committee (if needed)

·         Selection Committee’s Rankings

·         Notification to Artist(s)

·         Entry into a mutually acceptable agreement

·         City Commission Approval

·         Sculpture Installed (TENTATIVE February 2026)

Images of sculpture(s) being proposed for the loan program, a document including details about each of the proposed sculptures, and Artist resume and references are required. 

Artists are NOT eligible who are immediate family or business partners of Sunrise City staff, Sunrise City Commission, or the public art consultants that are working for the City.  

Contact Information

All questions must be submitted to  dalima@sunrisefl.gov and gadsonravitz@gmail.com     

Website for City of Sunrise: http://www.sunrisefl.gov

All submissions must be done via CAFÉ at   www.callforentry.org