PHASE V: PUBLIC ART IN THE WOODLANDS ARTS DISTRICT

The Woodlands Arts Council invites local, national and international artists to apply for the next installation of the Woodlands Public Art outdoor permanent collection located in The Woodlands, Texas, USA.

Phase V of this public art project will feature six (6) individual new art benches and six (6) individual new bike racks to be installed along The Woodlands Waterway adjacent to The Cynthia Woods-Mitchell Pavilion (Ranked #3 Best Music & Outdoor amphitheater in the world) and in the Hughes Landing mixed-use upscale “lifestyle” development adjacent to Lake Woodlands. 

The art bench or art bike rack must be an original piece created for The Woodlands Arts Council Public Art competition.

Each of the ART BENCH finalists will receive $8,000 for bench selected and installed. Each of the ART BIKE RACK finalists will receive $4,000 for the bike rack selected and installed.

Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location.

Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location. 

REFERENCE MATERIAL TO COMPLETE APPLICATION: Review the photos, videos and reference material of the available site locations on The Woodlands Arts Council website HERE.

TIMELINE AND DEADLINES 

AWARDS:

Up to three (3) semi-finalists will be chosen for each location in a preliminary selection process. Each ART BENCH semi-finalist will receive a $300 stipend paid on April 30, 2022. Art Bike Rack semi-finalists do not receive stipends.

One (1) finalist for each location will be chosen to construct an art bench or art bike rack. 

Each of the ART BENCH finalists will receive $8,000 for bench selected and installed ($4,000 upon execution of Artist Agreement and the final $4,000 when bench is delivered and accepted). 

Each of the ART BIKE RACK finalists will receive $4,000 for the bike rack selected and installed ($2,000 upon execution of Artist Agreement and the final $2,000 when the bike rack is delivered and accepted).

Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location.

ART BENCH LOCATIONS

BIKE RACK LOCATIONS

DESIGN DURABILITY & MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES:

ART BENCHES

All Art Benches to be created and installed shall be of a kind and nature reasonably acceptable to be displayed in a family-oriented, public setting, giving due regard to the colors, structural design, contextual design, and functional design for intended use as outdoor park/civic plaza bench.

Bench must be constructed of highly durable materials that will be easy to maintain in an outdoor, hot, humid, sunny, semi-tropical environment for at least ten (10) years. Ideally, the bench will be able to be maintained by power-washing. 

Each artist will supply The Woodlands Township with necessary information for proper conservation. If maintenance work becomes necessary for an installed work the Township will contact the artist to discuss a course of action.

All works will be in public areas, as such, must not present a danger to public safety, health, or welfare.

Bench designs should be comfortable and safe for at least 3 people to sit on.

Final bench design must be approved from those who maintain ownership or easement interests in the location site, as well as Howard Hughes Corporation and The Woodlands Commercial Standards Committee.

Artists are encouraged to work conceptually with the chosen site and the underwriter’s vision. (Underwriters questionnaire for each site is found on The Woodlands Arts Council website page for Public Art. See link below). 

Bench Materials

Art Benches must be constructed with high quality commercial grade materials. Materials may include, but are not limited to, iron, steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, bronze, natural stone, glass, HDPE plastic, fiberglass, concrete, wood or a combination of these materials. Any other material proposed for Art Bench construction must be approved in writing in advance of the construction of the Art Bench by The Woodlands Township.

Wood materials must be durable and suitable for high-humidity, high-temperature outdoor environments. All wood material must be made weatherproof, water resistant and capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions with minimal maintenance for a minimum of five (5) years.

Screws, bolts, nuts and other fittings for fabrication of Art Benches must be made of stainless steel or be galvanized.

Bench Design Standards

Bench seat height must be a minimum of 16 inches above grade and not more than 19 inches above grade.

Art Bench must be designed and fabricated to be surface mounted with 1/2 inch Drop-in Anchors onto a 48-inch-wide 96-inch-long by 4-inch-deep impervious surface, such as concrete or brick pavers; or the bench must weigh more than 1,000 pounds; or the bench must be secured with 1/2 inch bolts, poured in place with a concrete foundation.

Design, fabrication, and anchoring of Art Bench must be able to withstand wind loads of 140 mph.

The seating area of the Art Bench must be smooth in texture, completely free of any sharp edges, and comfortable for adults and children to sit. The Art Bench seat(s) must be heat-resistant/reflective.

The materials and the fabrication of the Art Bench must be structurally sound and capable of supporting a minimum load capacity of 400 pounds. Any back support should support a minimum of 250 pounds. 

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ART BIKE RACKS

Bike Rack Materials

The Art Bike Racks must be constructed of materials known to last for the stated minimum duration of ten (10) years, with minimal maintenance. Materials may include, but are not limited to iron, steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, bronze, natural stone, glass, HDPE plastic, fiberglass, concrete, wood or a combination of these materials. Any other material proposed for Art Bike Rack construction must be approved in writing in advance of the construction of the Art Bike Rack by The Woodlands Township.

Wood materials must be durable and suitable for high-humidity, high-temperature outdoor environments. All wood material must be made weatherproof, water resistant and capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions with minimal maintenance for a minimum of ten (10) years.

Screws, bolts, nuts and other materials for fabrication of Art Benches must be made of stainless steel or be galvanized.

Bike Rack Design Standards

All Art Bike Racks shall be of a kind and nature reasonably acceptable to be displayed in a family-oriented, public setting, giving due regard to the colors, structural design, contextual design, and functional design for intended use as a bicycle parking rack.

Each Art Bike Rack must be capable of allowing one or more bicycles to be locked to the Art Bike Rack, using each of these generally commercially available locking systems: (1) cable with lock; (2) chain with lock; and (3) a U-Lock (sometimes also called a D-Lock). 

Designs should take into account that cyclists in The Woodlands are of all ages and must allow for securing of bicycles of different sizes (e.g., a child’s bicycle as well as an adult’s bicycle)

The Art Bike Racks are intended to be functioning artwork and must be safe for use by the general public on a daily basis. The design should be completely free of sharp edges. 

The Art Bike Racks must be designed and fabricated to be surface mounted with anchor bolts onto appropriate sized area into a 4-inch-deep impervious surface, such as concrete or brick pavers, by means of 1/2-inch Drop-in Anchors.

Each artist will supply The Woodlands Township with necessary information for proper conservation. If maintenance work becomes necessary for an installed work the Township will contact the artist to discuss a course of action.

Artists are encouraged to work conceptually with the chosen site and the underwriter’s vision. (Underwriters questionnaire for each site is found on The Woodlands Arts Council website page for Public Art. See link below). 

REFERENCE MATERIAL TO COMPLETE APPLICATION: Review the photos, videos and reference material of the available site locations on The Woodlands Arts Council website HERE.

JURY:

Jury selections will be made based on a review of applications submitted by deadline by a Selection Committee including TWAC Board members, representatives of The Woodlands Township, The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau, and an architectural design representative from Howard Hughes Corporation. The Committee will select up to three semi-finalists for each location. If the jury requests more information, or if an artwork is considered for a different site, the Committee reserves the right to contact the artist to request additional information or explore alternate placement. 

Semi-finalists will be notified by April 30, 2022. The selected semi-finalists agree to provide additional information or design clarification in time specified if requested by the selection committee.  Semi-finalist design proposals will be presented to the Underwriter for each specific location by May 30, 2022. Finalists will be notified of selection to move forward by June 8, 2022. Delivery and acceptance must be completed by September 15, 2022. Installation ceremony will occur in October 2022. 

General Information:

Through a partnership with The Woodlands Township and the generous funding of underwriters, twenty-four Art Benches have been commissioned and installed along The Woodlands Waterway and in the Hughes Landing commercial area adjacent to Lake Woodlands. Designed by local, national, and international artists, these one-of-a-kind art benches add beauty to our community while serving a practical function. The Art Bicycle Racks being created in this phase of the Public Art program will be the first Art Bicycle Racks installed in The Woodlands, and are intended to expand the presence of public art in the same general areas as the Art Benches.

The Woodlands, Texas is an award-winning, master-planned community of more than 100,000 residents. Located 40 miles north of Houston, The Woodlands has a strong history of public art. The Woodlands is an aesthetically unique district, with its natural landscapes and waterway backdrop. We challenge the artists to conceptualize work that can highlight their own vision in conjunction with both the underwriter and these unique chosen sites. 

The Woodlands Arts Council, Inc. (TWAC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to provide regional, cultural, and educational enrichment opportunities that encourage, support, and promote the performing and visual arts.

For more information contact: David Mayes at david@thewoodlandsartscouncil.org or Sally Richard at salrichard27@gmail.com 

REFERENCE MATERIAL TO COMPLETE APPLICATION: Review the photos, videos and reference material of the available site locations on The Woodlands Arts Council website HERE.

APPLICATION INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: 

ITEM 1) Artist’s Statement of Intent: briefly describe your interest in The Woodlands Public Art Bench project. Include a general description of the artistic approach you will take if selected to create a design. Include enough information to the Committee about how your work will result in a viable project, but it need not include detail of the design.

ITEM 2) Proposed Build Plan: This is a general proposal for build plan. If selected as a semi-finalist, a detailed plan may be requested. This proposal must include the proposed site location and how your vision fits within the underwriter's vision. 

ITEM 3) Professional Resume of your experience as an artist. Artists in all stages of their career are encouraged to apply.  

ITEM 4) Professional References:  Provide three references from people who have worked with you in the past five years. Describe your relationship, as well as, the scope and medium/genre of the work.

ITEM 5) Design Images: Submit FOUR high-res images of proposed design. One image must be a mock-up preview image of the proposed design in the chosen location. Also include One Front View, One Detail View, and One Additional of the design. JPG files only, minimum of 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side and a 5 MB maximum. Images and video of each site location may be viewed HERE. 

OPTIONAL ITEM 6) Portfolio Images:  Submit up to six (6) high-res digital images of previously completed artwork. List images with artist’s name and corresponding image identification number, the medium, dimension, and date created. JPG files only, minimum of 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side and a 5 MB maximum.

APPLICATION FEES:

Entry fee is $40 for first design, $5 fee per design for additional designs: up to three designs per location. 

• TO ENTER ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: checkout and submit the first application, then return to "Apply to Calls" and choose APPLY AGAIN TO THIS CALL. Repeat the process for up to THREE applications per site location.
• Use Coupon Code PUBLICART22 at checkout for additional entries. Code is Case Sensitive.
• Partial or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• APPLICATION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

All artists, including, but not limited to, sculptors, architects, and other builders are eligible to submit up to three applications per location site. There are no geographic limitations. Artists from any state or country are encouraged to respond to this Call to Artists. Artists are encouraged to visit the artwork location but are not required to do so.