Friendship Village of Dublin Public Art Commission

Friendship Village of Dublin (FVD), in partnership with Dublin Arts Council (DAC), is seeking to commission an artist and/or artist’s team to create a site-specific public artwork installation at Friendship Village of Dublin, a continuous care retirement community providing independent living, assisted living, health care, and memory care in Dublin, Ohio.

This installation will be both site-specific and unique in its connection and responsiveness to the FVD community. The selection committee is open to reviewing concepts for permanent, temporary, and/or moveable installations. Artists proposing temporary installations should clearly identify the anticipated lifespan and maintenance requirements of the work. The artwork is expected to celebrate and acknowledge the vibrancy of life at FVD and the seasons of life, nature, change, and community.

Friendship Village of Dublin & Dublin Arts Council - Request for Qualifications

Friendship Village of Dublin - Public Art Installation

Dublin, Ohio

Call for Ohio-based Artists

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS — Friendship Village of Dublin (FVD), in partnership with Dublin Arts Council (DAC), is seeking to commission an artist and/or artist’s team to create a site-specific public artwork installation at Friendship Village of Dublin, a continuous care retirement community providing independent living, assisted living, health care, and memory care in Dublin, Ohio.

The commission is facilitated and co-authored by FVD and DAC in a public-private partnership. FVD community voices are centered throughout the process, and FVD is funding the project through philanthropic support. DAC will administer the call and collaborate with FVD staff and residents in the selection of semi-finalists.

This installation will be both site-specific and unique in its connection and responsiveness to the FVD community. The selection committee is open to reviewing concepts for permanent, temporary, and/or moveable installations. Artists proposing temporary installations should clearly identify the anticipated lifespan and maintenance requirements of the work. The artwork is expected to celebrate and acknowledge the vibrancy of life at FVD and the seasons of life, nature, change, and community.

COMMUNITY CONTEXT — Dublin, Ohio is a suburban city located 20 minutes northwest of Columbus. It is home to 50,000+ residents and 4,300+ businesses, including FVD.

- Dublin is a multigenerational suburban city with 80% of residents having either a bachelor’s or graduate degree.

- Dublin is a “Global City of Choice;” Dublin City Schools reports the third highest immigrant student population in Ohio, the sixth largest English Learners program, and a student population knowledgeable in 70+ languages.

- Dublin is consistently ranked one of the safest U.S. cities and was named one of America’s Top 20 Creative Class Cities.

- Dublin’s community is known to be very active and engaged with civic life, with a large number of volunteers per capita.

The city also features:

- Many city parks and the Scioto River, which connect residents and visitors  with nature just steps from neighborhoods, restaurants, mixed-use developments, and pedestrian-focused infrastructure.

- “The Link,” a pedestrian bridge that is the longest single-tower S-shaped suspension bridge in the world, spans the Scioto River, and bridges the quaint historic district with the mixed-use, walkable Bridge Park District.

- Major annual events, including Jack Nicklaus’ The Memorial Tournament (PGA tour) and the Dublin Irish Festival (one of the nation’s largest Irish cultural celebrations).

FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE OF DUBLIN — Friendship Village of Dublin (FVD) is one of central Ohio’s premier senior living care facilities and communities within Dublin, Ohio. FVD offers an intentional multi-faceted approach to the aging process, with the vision that aging should be a journey of possibility, purpose, and fulfillment. Their mission is to care for, engage, and inspire our community to reimagine and maximize quality of life at every age.

RESIDENT EXPERIENCE AND VALUES — FVD residents and staff describe the campus as positive, wonderful, caring, dynamic, diverse, and incredibly friendly, while describing themselves as mature, alive, imaginative, demanding, happy, and aging with grace. They engage in a life rich with growth, change, activities, fun, lifelong learning, and connection, with the hopes of finding community, security, care, comfort, and belonging. Residents encounter a wide range of feelings, experiences, and possibilities when living at FVD. If residents were to give FVD a motto, it might be “We don’t stand still,” “‘Do it!” or “It takes a village :).”

Life at FVD looks different for everyone, with experiences ranging from therapeutic activities, exercise, learning, movie-watching, gardening, socializing, doing nothing, attending classes & lectures, playing games, going on trips, or creating art in the various classes offered. FVD residents treasure their beautiful grounds, with the carefully designed landscaping, gardens, and walking paths. Some of the residents’ favorite spots, memories, and places to bring visitors include the community gardens, walking paths, library, gazebo, pool, bistro, clubhouse, courtyard, firepit, and bocce court.

WHAT DO FVD RESIDENTS WANT PUBLIC ART TO DO? — Residents expressed the desire to see public art…

- Complement, amplify, and connect with the nature, life, and beauty within the FVD gardens and landscape.

- Encourage accessibility on the campus through multi-sensory engagement, inclusive public spaces, wayfinding, spontaneous community gatherings, or performance-based events.

- Connect FVD to the broader intergenerational Dublin community.

- Acknowledge the impermanence and cycles of life, grief, happiness, growth, and change that surround FVD.

- Encourage holistic wellness in the physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and environmental realms.

Residents shared comments like…

- “A new piece of art will make me more knowledgeable, and perhaps smile a bit more. Also, there will be much conversation.”

- “I like the connection of art and stories.”

- “Art inspires me. Art enriches me.”

- “[Art] might let my imagination run amok.”

SITE DESCRIPTION — The landscaping and gardens at Friendship Village Dublin are cherished by residents, staff and visitors. The landscaping manager has a clear aesthetic vision for the grounds, while also recognizing the value and social connection the gardens bring to senior citizens. A resident committee oversees several community gardens, home to accessible, raised plots available for residents’ use. The gardens drive community gatherings, activity, interest, and pride among residents. 

The exact location of the artwork has not been predetermined. Artists may propose locations throughout FVD’s campus in collaboration with the FVD community and Dublin Arts Council during the preliminary site visits (schedule/timeline below). Final site selection will occur during concept development and design review.

View Videos Showcasing the Grounds

DUBLIN’S ART IN PUBLIC PLACES — Dublin, Ohio’s Art in Public Places program was established in 1988 through a partnership between the City of Dublin and the Dublin Arts Council (DAC), with the mission of enriching public spaces and fostering community connection through art. Today, the collection has expanded to include more than 60 permanent, temporary, and interactive works by both national and international artists. DAC maintains that public art should inspire, provoke questions, invite interaction, and encourage creative discovery. In addition to stewarding the City of Dublin's public art collection, Dublin Arts Council collaborates with community organizations and private partners to encourage the thoughtful integration of publicly accessible art throughout Dublin.

Testament to this mission, a committee of FVD residents passionate about public art served as the catalyst for this call to artists. The committee’s care, curiosity, and dedication to expanding the public art footprint at FVD has served as the foundation for this resident-driven public art commission.

OWNERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP — The commissioned artwork will become the property of Friendship Village Dublin. Friendship Village Dublin will assume responsibility for the long-term ownership, maintenance, and stewardship of the artwork. Dublin Arts Council's role is to administer the artist selection process, facilitate community engagement, and provide public art expertise throughout the commission.

TO APPLY — Applications will be submitted digitally, free of charge, at www.callforentry.org. Applications must be uploaded by Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Incomplete application materials or artists who do not meet eligibility requirements will not be considered for finalist selection.

Dublin Arts Council knows that the public art process must be community-driven and collaborative; incorporating resident voices ensures that the process is responsive to the culture and people of the community it seeks to represent. Because of this, DAC will incorporate programming that actively invites community members into the public art process. The FVD community will be invited to engage in dialogue, provide feedback, and respond creatively to the artwork, the artist’s statement, vision, and practice. Artist candidates are required to submit a statement on community engagement in their application.

Uploaded material will consist of:

- Six digital images (jpeg format preferred) Minimum 1920 pixels on the longest edge. Maximum 5MB file size each. Audio and video clips are also accepted, up to three each.

- Caption sheet identifying each image by title of artwork, medium, dimensions, dates, price (if applicable) and location. Image file names must correspond to the caption sheet.

- Resume / CV

- Three references (including full names, titles, affiliations and contact information)

- Letter of interest (300-500 words). Preference will be given to an expanded artist statement relating to this specific project.

- Statement on community engagement (300-500 words); preference will be given to intergenerational opportunities considered during concept development, installation, dedication, and beyond.

- Up to three selections of representative printed materials, such as catalogues or news articles (optional).

EVALUATION CRITERIA — Each application will be evaluated through the following criteria:

- Artwork must be the original work of the artist(s) without any historic, current or future replications or editions.

- The artwork must be durable, low maintenance, appropriate for a pedestrian environment and able to withstand year-round Ohio outdoor weather conditions for the proposed time that it is up.

The artwork will be evaluated on:

- Artistic quality, originality, and conceptual strength

- Intentional care and responsiveness to the site and project goals as well as FVD’s residents, landscape, values, and desires

- Community engagement and accessibility

- Feasibility, durability, and long-term stewardship

The artist will be evaluated on:

- Relevant experience, demonstrated ability, and professional readiness

SELECTION PROCESS — The selection of three finalists will be determined by a committee consisting of:

- 2 FVD staff members

- 1 DAC staff member

- Up to 7 FVD Residents

A stipend of $2,500 will be provided to each finalist for design, development of proposal, creation of presentation with or without maquette, and preparation of maintenance guidelines. Additional travel expenses for two in-person visits, a mandatory initial site visit and the presentation of the final proposal, will be provided for each finalist by Friendship Village Dublin.

Finalists will present proposals to the selected committee, Friendship Village Dublin community, DAC staff members, and DAC’s Public Art Board (PAB). Feedback from these groups will inform the selection process, while FVD retains final approval authority for the commissioned artwork.

Friendship Village Dublin and Dublin Arts Council are sensitive to the intellectual property component of this process and respect the rights of artists. Artists will retain copyright and VARA rights.

ELIGIBILITY — The contracted artist must meet the following requirements:

- The artist must be Ohio-based and have a valid U.S. Tax ID for compensation. Artist teams will be considered, but only a single artist serving as a ‘project manager’ will be contracted.

- Artist services will include a design of an original artwork and management of fabrication/installation of the work as well as availability for community engagement opportunities, media interviews, a public reception, and other promotional events.

- The selected artist will be required to comply with FVD contractor requirements and provide proof of insurance prior to fabrication and installation as well as provide specifications, installation requirements, engineering documentation (if applicable), and maintenance recommendations appropriate to the proposed work.

- Finalists will be required to make a mandatory site visit, with compensation, to Friendship Village Dublin in Sept/Oct 2026, prior to developing a proposal (travel details TBD). A second visit will be required to present the proposal in November 2026 (presentation format TBD). Travel expenses and a stipend will be provided.

Dublin Arts Council is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all programs and services, and does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, religion, gender, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. Dublin Arts Council’s established policy is to provide equal employment, advancement and other opportunities to all individuals based on merit, qualifications and abilities. 

PROJECT BUDGET — The budget for the commissioned project, with a planned dedication in spring 2027, is $100,000, all-inclusive. The fee will include, but is not limited to; artist/design fee, materials, fabrication, installation, transportation/shipping, insurance, project documentation, engineering, travel, site modification, per diem expenses, and contingency to cover unexpected expenses.

SCHEDULE / TIMELINE

• July 1, 2026.........................Call is issued
• July 29, 2026.........................Application deadline
• July 30 – Aug 27.........................Committee Reviews/Scores Applications
• Sept 3, 2026.........................Finalists selected by committee review
• Sept 4, 2026.........................Finalists notified
• Sept/Oct 2026.........................Finalists site visits (travel details TBD)
• Nov TBD.........................Finalists present proposals to committee & community
• Nov TBD.........................Artists selected and notified
• Nov - Dec TBD.........................Contract execution, design development, project planning, first payment delivered
• Jan 2027.........................Final design approval and fabrication authorization
• Jan - June 2027:.........................Artwork fabricated, public dedication/reception

QUESTIONS — contact Kayanaat Chaudhry, Dublin Arts Council, Administrative and Community Relations Coordinator: chaudhry@dublinarts.org | 614-889-7444