City issues call for artists for Esperanza Park sculpture; $100,000 artist allocation noted

City staff reported that the public call for artists for a new sculpture at Esperanza Park has been issued and discussed project funding and selection logistics with the Public Arts Commission.

Anne (staff liaison) said the call is open to U.S. artists and that the city has budgeted an artist allocation of $100,000 for the selected sculpture. She said an additional $50,000 is allocated to city costs for building the base and electrical work, $3,000 is budgeted for artist stipends, and a $20,000 contingency was included for construction/installation needs. The call emphasizes community input: staff included artwork submitted by neighborhood students as part of the supporting community materials and encouraged submissions from historically underrepresented artists.

Staff said the city is using the CAFE system for the artist registry and application process; CAFE will handle registration and payment and will require artists to submit images and answer vetting questions. Anne noted a preliminary vendor setup fee for CAFE and said staff will review feedback from an artist who reported a UI issue (upload and statement-length fields) and will adjust the application as needed.

Staff credited technical assistance from Palm Desert’s arts coordinator in shaping parts of the RFQ and said the city may publicize the call through regional art networks. Anne also reported that outreach and potential media coverage are continuing; she expected additional publicity opportunities once applicant materials begin arriving.

Ending

This item was informational. Staff will return to the commission with the community-input results and the artist selection timeline.