Call for Sculptors: City of Milwaukie Sculpture Garden

The Milwaukie Arts Committee is pleased to invite artists to submit proposals for the outdoor sculpture garden at Milwaukie City Hall. The three selected pieces will be on display from October 2022 through September 2024 and must be made available for purchase immediately following installation. The outdoor sculpture garden at City Hall offers six pedestals to display a rotating collection whereby each year, several new pieces are installed for a 2-year rotation.

The City of Milwaukie will provide each selected artist with an honorarium of $1,000. Artists will be asked to install the pieces themselves. A liability waiver and contract must be signed with the city prior to installation.

The City of Milwaukie and Milwaukie Arts Committee are committed to integrating equity into their processes and delivery of services in pursuit of fair and just outcomes for all. The Milwaukie Arts Committee is committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and providing equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all its activities. The committee respects and values diverse life experiences and heritages, and works to ensure all voices are valued and heard.

Requirements

Sculptures shall be of suitable scale for outdoor public art, free standing and of high artistic quality.

Each sculpture must fit on one of three available pedestals in the City Hall sculpture garden, and use the existing mounting system. Pedestals are 24 in. by 24 in. Pedestals have .5-inch holes at each corner 21 inches apart (center to center), and a second set of holes in a square 10 inches apart. See further details and photos below.

Sculptures shall require minimum maintenance, withstand the effects of weather, and be as resistant as possible to vandalism. Also, sculptures need to be able to withstand possible pedestrian contact, not impede either walking or vehicle traffic, and be free of potential safety issues. ADA guidelines are considered in placement of each sculpture.

Sculptures shall be “on loan” to the city during the exhibition period and must be available for sale to the public. If a sculpture sells, the artist is responsible for replacing the piece with another of the same quality and scale at the time of removal of the sold artwork. The replacement sculpture must be approved by the Arts Committee before the sculptures are moved and will be on exhibit for the remainder of the two-year loan period. There is a 20% artist fee paid to the Milwaukie Arts Committee for any sculpture sold while on exhibit in the City Hall Sculpture Garden.

Pedestal anchors involve bolts underneath the steel plate hidden by landscaping. Installations must fit respective pedestal and mounting systems.