Call to Artists:

The Village of Oak Park is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to professional artists or design firms to create permanent, original, exterior, public art installations to be located along Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois as part of the Oak Park Avenue Streetscape project. There are two separate installations being sought; artists may submit responses to this RFQ for one or both pieces of art. The artist must identify which artwork location(s) they are submitting a response for: 1) The Sculpture/Obelisk and/or 2) The Viaduct Art installation. If an artist is submitting for both, two separate submittals providing the appropriate qualifications are required.

The selection process will incorporate two phases: Phase I will include collecting applications and portfolios from qualified, interested artists. The committee will select artists from the Phase I pool to continue into the next phase.

The artists selected to continue to Phase II will be invited to submit a proposal, including concept artwork (sketches, photos of maquettes, 3D renderings, or any media that would communicate the intent of the design/artwork concept), a budget, and other information for their design. The committee will then select artists to interview, after which, a recommendation will be made to the Village Board for the artist(s) and their artwork. The selected artist(s) will then present their design to the Village of Oak Park Board. Once approved, the artists and the Village of Oak Park will agree to the final budget and installation timelines in the final contract.

“The artist” refers to any applicant, and “the Village” refers to the Village of Oak Park. “The artwork” refers to either installation and will be further defined as “the sculpture/obelisk” and “the viaduct installation”.