City of Napa - Downtown Napa Public Art Roundabout Project

The City of Napa is seeking qualified artists to apply for the Downtown Napa Public Art Roundabout Project.

1.  Overview 

1)     Land Acknowledgement

It is important to acknowledge the land on which this public art will be located.  Napa has a rich cultural heritage, which began with the inhabitation by Native Americans of the Wappo people along the Napa River over 10,000 years ago.  It was followed by the Mexican settlement beginning in the 1820s and early American settlement between 1846 to 1849.  Due to the abundant natural resources in Napa Valley, the Wappo inhabitation was one of the longest indigenous inhabited regions in California.  The City of Napa recognizes the tribal nations who first lived in the Napa area and believes it is important to preserve their history, identity and culture as part of the Napa community. 

2)     About the City of Napa
Napa is the seat of Napa County and the gateway to the legendary Napa Valley wine region. The City has recently experienced a development renaissance, and Downtown Napa offers many shopping, entertainment, and dining opportunities.  In addition to tourism, Napa is also known for its late-1800s and early-1900s architecture, a riverfront promenade, active arts scene, musical entertainment venues and nationally recognized annual events (e.g., BottleRock, Festival Napa Valley, Napa Lighted Art Festival).

3)     About the Project

The City of Napa supports the placement of public art in the community through a variety of different programs created to contribute to a more livable and visually stimulating environment. In 2010, the City established its Public Art Ordinance, which included the creation of a Public Art Steering Committee (PASC) and the Public Art Master Plan (Master Plan).  The PASC makes recommendations to the City Manager and City Council about which public art projects should be undertaken using the Public Art Fund.  In 2017, the PASC recommended that the City place artwork at the roundabout as a public art project.  The City Council approved this project and the budget for the project.  The City is now seeking qualified public artists who are interested in being considered for the project, and who can develop a future proposal for the project.

4)     Project Location: Near Highway 29 at California, 1st and 2nd Streets

The roundabout was completed in 2020. The art site is located in the City’s public right-away at the southeast corner of 1st Street (not in the center of the roundabout) as shown below. There is an existing concrete sidewalk area of approximately 20 feet by 30 feet (see Exhibit A) which is the footprint for the proposed artwork and the area includes an existing electrical connection. It is anticipated the existing concrete area may need to be removed and a new foundation installed as part of the project depending on the proposed artwork.  The public art shall not encroach into the adjacent accessible pathway or into the adjacent bioswale.    

5)     Project Goals

The City aims to accomplish five primary goals via this project:

1.     enhance Downtown Napa’s image as a world-class art destination;

2.     be iconic and a true gateway piece

3.     be site specific and original

4.     be inviting and aesthetically appealing; and

5.     be viewable as a drive-by experience

6)     Project Constraints

Some restrictions the artist should be aware of include the following:

a)     Theme
No wine or grape related artwork

b)     Height/lighting
Evening up lighting would be recommended. Other lighting as part of the artwork would need to consider any adverse impacts to vehicles and nearby residents.  The artwork should not exceed 30 feet in height.

c)     Understanding Permitting Requirements

The final artist will be required to furnish all plans, tools, equipment, labor and materials necessary to perform and complete the project in a good and workman-like manner.  This will include acquiring a City of Napa building permit which will include stamped engineering drawings for the proposed public art and the site, an installation and lift plan, an erosion sediment control plan, and a traffic control plan.  This project will be subject to City of Napa’s public works project requirements including ensuring prevailing wage rates for all contractors and subcontractors and compliance with Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). In addition, other submittals will include a City of Napa business license, project schedule, insurance, bonds, list of materials, and maintenance warranty for 1-year. 

d)     Public Art Master Plan

This project should also comply with the goals stated in the City’s Public Art Master Plan.

7)     Call for Artists

This RFQ is part of a multi-phase process by which the City of Napa seeks to identify and select a qualified public artist to create and install a site-specific artwork on the southeast corner of the 1st street roundabout.  The City seeks qualifications from experienced public artists (or artist teams) who specialize in site specific sculpture.  This individual or team of individuals must be able to:

a)     design a unique artwork

b)     work within multiple, complex physical constraints (e.g., structural considerations, environmental restrictions, and various permitting requirements); and

c)     collaborate with agency staff to ensure the pragmatic design and successful installation of the project; and

d)     design and implement the project within a budget.

8)     Public Art Budget

The budget is a not-to-exceed figure of $300,000.  This amount includes all costs related to the artist’s design and project management fees; all subcontracted and consultant costs, including engineers, electricians, fabricators, studio and overhead costs; fabrication, transportation, delivery, storage and installation of all art components; liability insurance and bonds as required; and all other costs associated with the art project including a minimum budget contingency of 15%.

2.  Submission Requirements

Incomplete Submissions will not be considered. Complete Submissions must include the following:

1.     Letter of Interest

A letter stating the artist’s interest in the project;

2.     Images

Artists may submit between 10-15 images maximum. Images should accurately represent the artwork size, including height, span, and ground clearance.  The artist must include at least one image per listed project.  Images submitted will only be used for evaluation purposes. 

3.     Image list & Description

For each artwork submitted, please provide a short description (up to 5 sentences) of the piece and any aspects of the work that may not be obvious in the images, or any other relevant information.

Artists should provide an image list including the following for each artwork:

○    Title

○    Date of Completion

○    Medium (Please Be Specific)

○    Dimensions (Height X Width X Depth)

○    Project Budget and Actual Cost

4.     Resume

A resume outlining the respondent’s experience, the experience of key team members (if applicable) and a brief response to the qualification review criteria.

3.  Request for Qualifications

The City of Napa believes the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other marginalized groups should be centered in the arts. We encourage artists who identify with these communities to apply.

3.1  Eligibility

This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is open to professional artists or teams with experience in the design, fabrication, and installation of public. Artists must have experience in producing a minimum of two permanent, exterior public artworks similar in scale and complexity to this project. The artist must demonstrate:

a)     a history of professional activity and achievement as an artist;

b)     experience managing a project of this complexity including technical competence with fabrication and installation procedures; and

c)     the ability to procure and direct the work of subcontractors/consultants.

3.2  Submission Deadline 

Complete responses must be received before 5 p.m., on Friday November 19, 2021.

3.3  Projected Schedule 

The City has tentatively set the following schedule:

RFQ Release:                                                                        Monday, October 11, 2021

RFQ Submission Deadline:                                                    Friday, November 19, 2021

RFQ Review by staff and panel deadline:            on or before Friday, December 17, 2021

Finalist(s) invited to respond to RFP:                   on or before Monday, January 14, 2021

Finalists proposals due:                                                           Friday, February 25, 2022

3.4  Qualifications Review

City staff will screen applications to ensure compliance with the minimum qualifications stated in this RFQ.  Following this preliminary review, a selection panel comprised of representatives from the City of Napa and arts professionals will review qualifying submissions and will select up to 3 artists (or artist teams) who will be invited to prepare proposals for the project. 

3.5  Review and Selection

This RFQ is being used for pre-qualification purposes.  The qualifications review panel will check responses against the evaluation criteria (see Section 3 below). Responses not meeting all mandatory evaluation criteria will not be considered for review. Qualified respondents will be provided with a copy of the RFP if one is issued.

3.6  Inquiries

All inquiries related to this RFQ are to be emailed to:

Kerri Hurtado, Artsource Consulting

Email: kc@artsourceinc.com