City of Lewisville College Street Enhancement Art Benches

The City of Lewisville, Texas is seeking qualifications from artists who wish to work on a public art project as part of the newly re-developed College Street beautification project.

Extending from Mill Street to Railroad Street, College Street improvements have begun, with an anticipated completion Spring 2027. College Street is an east-west corridor through a mostly multi-family residential area, within walking distance to Old Town Lewisville.

Following the successful integration of art and seating along Main Street with artist designed benches in 2019, the City of Lewisville Arts Advisory Board seeks one artist or artist team to design six potential art-benches made of materials that can withstand the harsh Texas weather and require little to no maintenance by the City.

Interested artists should provide examples and descriptions of any relevant experience working on similar projects. Possible themes and subject matter have not yet been determined. No proposals are required.  

The City of Lewisville, Texas is seeking qualifications from artists who wish to work on a public art project as part of the newly re-developed College Street beautification and enhancement project.

Following the successful integration of art and seating along Main Street with four artist designed benches in 2019, the City would like to broaden this reach to the College Street project to support their ongoing efforts to maintain safe, reliable, attractive infrastructure to the community.

Extending from Mill Street to Railroad Street, College Street improvements have begun and are expected to take about 14 months to complete, with an anticipated completion Spring 2027.  This project includes roadway infrastructure upgrades, new bike lanes, new lighting, landscaping enhancements, larger sidewalks, utility improvements and the addition of on-street parking.  College Street is an east-west corridor through a mostly multi-family residential area, within walking distance to Old Town Lewisville.  More information about this project can be found here. 

The City of Lewisville Arts Advisory Board seeks one artist or artist team to design six potential art-benches made of materials that can withstand the harsh Texas weather and require little to no maintenance by the City of Lewisville. 

The Lewisville Arts Advisory Board aims to install works of public art that function as benches that are diverse in style and media, while upholding accessibility to all.  The board hopes to expose the local community to different types of art, increase tourism, and encourage walkability and bicycle friendly engagement for visitors and Lewisville residents alike. 

This is a request for qualifications, not proposals.  Currently, we ask that artists present their skills and experience working on this type of public art project.  Interested artists should provide examples and descriptions of any relevant experience working on similar projects. Artists may also describe how their artwork has been incorporated into city infrastructure, developed as part of a series, or used in other public-facing contexts. Possible themes and subject matter have not yet been determined.  No proposals are required. 

The four main considerations are creativity, site appropriateness, ADA compliance, and durability. Images of finished works and conceptual drawings may be submitted. The City of Lewisville values creativity, originality, and skill.  AI is an excellent tool for problem-solving and providing context for art and artists, but the Arts Advisory Board will not consider AI-generated concepts from artists who do not have an evidentiary history of completed projects.  

Artworks considered to be interactive (e.g. touchable, climbable) must meet all local, state, ADA, and PROWAG requirements. 

Three finalists will be selected and asked to create proposals for the City of Lewisville Arts Advisory Board. 

This project is open to United States-based artists only. 

Materials and Media

Durability and Maintenance: The artworks should be fabricated with highly durable, low-maintenance materials. These benches will be outside in the public realm, therefore be exposed to physical stressors such as touching and potential climbing, as well as all types of weather including intense sun, wind, rain, and frozen precipitation. Artists with past projects that have successful long-term durability and proven maintenance potential (as informed by materials submitted and reference checks) are strongly encouraged to apply. All awarded public art proposals and related contracts will be reviewed by the City to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as ADA and PROWAG standards. 

Powder-coating finishes on outdoor components of the work are not allowed due to limited longevity in Texas' extreme climate. Alternative, longer-lasting, methods for incorporating colored metal into the artwork will be considered.  Mineral, enamel and automotive paint processes are preferred.

Size and Installation Orientation

Potential art-bench dimensions are up to six-feet long, no more than 28 inches deep, and the tallest element (the back or sides) can be no more than 36 inches high on concrete pads measuring 4.5’ deep and 10.5’ wide running perpendicular to the sidewalk.  Traditional seat height is 18”. Additional size considerations: 

Two specific locations could be expanded to include a bicycle accommodation, such as a bike rack that is integrated with and compatible with the bench.

Two specific locations could accommodate a taller back or shade structure over the bench. These locations are limited to mid-block options where turning vehicular sightlines are not at play. 

Since these artworks will be usable benches to accommodate pedestrians using the sidewalk, the installation orientation of each bench will be the back facing the street and the seat access facing the sidewalk. 

Budget

The budget for this commission is up to $120,000 USD which will be allocated to a single artist or artist team to create six benches. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the creation of the artwork including, but not limited to: the artist’s design fee, materials, consultation fees (such as structural engineering), insurance, tools, fabrication, studio expenses, transportation, installation, travel to and from the site for installation/dedication, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs. The City will be responsible for preparing the site for the installation of the artwork and for signage for the completed work. The artist is expected to travel to Lewisville two to three times for this project; once for a site visit before the final design is complete and for a community presentation, and a second time for the installation of the work. It is highly desired that the artist also attends a dedication event after installation is completed. Additionally, several virtual meeting check-ins with the selection panel or the full Arts Advisory Board, will be required. 

This project is funded by the City of Lewisville’s Public Art Program.

Sites and Safety

While artistic quality is very important, works will be reviewed for durability, safety and appropriateness to the site. Artworks must be structurally sound and able to withstand an outdoor environment in a largely unsupervised area that is not protected from weather or curious viewers. Texas has extreme weather ranging from intense heat and sun to strong storms like tornadoes, as well as severe ice storms and cold temperatures.

All awarded public art contracts will be reviewed by the City to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as ADA and PROWAG standards.

About Lewisville, Texas 

Lewisville was formed in 1847 and incorporated in 1925. Located north of Dallas along Interstate 35E in the bustling DFW Metroplex, the city currently has a culturally diverse population of about 142,000 residents and is a major retail and employment center for the region. Key features include Lewisville Lake, the LLELA Nature Preserve, and historic Old Town Lewisville. 

Lewisville Public Art Program

The City’s Public Art Master Plan was originally adopted in 2018 and updated in 2024. The plan sets out a vision for the role that public art can play in Lewisville’s future as a successful city. The City of Lewisville views the public art program as a valuable way to express civic pride, an extension of Lewisville’s commitment to provide residents and visitors with access to arts and cultural experiences, and a means to visually make strong connections to the city’s cultural and economic diversity. Adding art to public parks, green spaces, and other city facilities are key components to this plan. To learn more about the plan and collection of completed works visit here.

In response to this call, applicants will be asked to submit a Statement of Interest, up to eight digital images and/or video samples of previously completed works, a résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) and up to three professional references (if available) via the CaFÉ™ online application system (www.callforentry.org). 

The City of Lewisville values creativity, originality, and skill.  AI is an excellent tool for problem-solving and providing context for art and artists, but the Arts Advisory Board will not consider AI-generated concepts from artists who do not have an evidentiary history of completed projects.  

Required Materials: (Please read this section carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. The applicant’s name must appear on all materials submitted).

1. Statement of Interest – Please provide a statement describing your interest in this project. Include any relevant experience working on similar projects. You may also describe how your artwork has been incorporated into city infrastructure, developed as part of a series, or used in other public-facing contexts. Please name your file using the following format: Last Name.First Initial.Statement (i.e., Smith.J.Statement.pdf).

2. Digital Images and/or Video – Please submit up to eight examples of past completed artworks, including digital images or video.

3. Résumé or CV – Please submit a current résumé or CV that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Please name your file accordingly: Last Name.First Initial.Resume (i.e. Smith.J.Resume.pdf). 

4. References – Please provide information for up to three professional references, including their name, title, phone number and email address. Please provide the context in which the person knows you. Please name your file accordingly: Last Name.First Initial.References (i.e. Smith.J.References.pdf). 

Process and expectations for finalist interviews: 

From these application materials, the artist selection panel will choose up to three finalists for an online interview.  Finalists will be given additional details about what to prepare for the interview which will include the request to develop a site-specific proposal and general budget breakdown.  Finalists will be paid $1,500 (USD) for their time in preparing a proposal and for participating in the interview process. From the interview process, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission and recommended to Lewisville City Council for approval. 

The selected artist/s will collaborate with City Staff on all logistics and installation.

Applications, resumes, images and other materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST July 25, 2026.

Application Period: June 15 - July 25, 2026 

Finalists notified- by September 2026. 

Finalists present proposals to selection committee – Mid October 2026

Selected artist and proposal notified and contract issuance- Late 2026. 

Project Completion and Installation timeline will be finalized through the issuance of the contract with the selected artist and completion of the road enhancement construction.

This project is open to United States-based artists (only), regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or disability. 

Artists working in a variety of 3-D and outdoor appropriate media are eligible to apply. This is not an appropriate call for artists working only in mural or 2-D art.