Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Landmark Public Art Commission Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay

For more than sixty years, Plymouth Harbor has been an integral part of Sarasota's cultural and architectural landscape. As we embark on a transformative campus expansion, we have the opportunity to commission a landmark public artwork that reflects our commitment to excellence, innovation, and community.

We believe great public art enriches everyday life, creates memorable places, and inspires meaningful connections. We invite professional artists and artist teams from across the country and around the world to submit qualifications for this unique opportunity to create a permanent work that will become an enduring part of Plymouth Harbor and the City of Sarasota.

We look forward to discovering an artist whose vision, creativity, and technical expertise will help define this important new chapter in our campus history.

Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay invites professional artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for consideration for a landmark public art commission as part of the community's ongoing campus expansion project.

The selected artist will create a permanent, architecturally integrated artwork that serves as both a functional screening element and a defining visual landmark along John Ringling Boulevard—one of Sarasota's most prominent gateways.

This commission represents an opportunity to create a lasting civic artwork that celebrates Sarasota's internationally recognized arts community while becoming an integral part of Plymouth Harbor's campus for generations to come.

About Plymouth Harbor

Founded in 1965 and originally designed by architect Frank Folsom Smith, Plymouth Harbor is recognized as one of Sarasota's significant examples of modern architecture and is included in Architecture Sarasota's Sarasota 100: Moderns That Matter.

Located at 700 John Ringling Boulevard, Plymouth Harbor occupies a highly visible gateway site connecting downtown Sarasota with St. Armands Circle. The campus is currently undergoing a significant expansion that includes new residential towers, enhanced amenities, and a structured parking facility.

In accordance with the City of Sarasota Public Art Program, Plymouth Harbor seeks to commission a permanent public artwork that will become a defining visual feature of the campus expansion.

About Sarasota

Sarasota is internationally recognized for its vibrant arts community, modern architectural heritage, and commitment to public art. Home to renowned museums, performing arts organizations, galleries, and cultural institutions, Sarasota has long embraced the integration of art into the public realm.

Plymouth Harbor occupies one of the city's most visible locations, offering an exceptional opportunity to create a permanent work of civic significance.

Submission Requirements

Applicants shall submit the following through the Café online application system:

1. Letter of Interest (maximum two pages)
2. Professional Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
   • Maximum three pages per team member
3. Artist Statement
4. Representative Project List
   Include up to ten completed public art projects including:
   • Project title
   • Location
   • Completion date
   • Budget
   • Materials
   • Client
   • Brief description
5. Portfolio
   Up to ten completed projects relevant to this opportunity.
6. Three Professional References

Do not submit conceptual designs, sketches, renderings, or proposals during this RFQ phase.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to professional artists and artist teams with demonstrated experience successfully completing permanent public art commissions of comparable scale, complexity, and budget.

Experience collaborating with architects, engineers, fabricators, and construction professionals is strongly preferred.

Artists from all geographic locations are encouraged to apply.