Seacliff Village Park (formerly called McGregor Park) is located at the corner of Sea Ridge Road and McGregor Drive in Aptos. Development of the park will be done in two phases, with the public art component a part of Phase 1 development. Phase 1 focuses on the northern section of the 1.25-acre park, and will include a fenced play area, benches, sheltered picnic areas, bike racks, and a walking path. In Phase 1, the perimeter will be lined with drought-tolerant plants and street trees, and the 15,000-square-foot center area will be filled with drought-tolerant turf and temporarily with meadow grass. Seacliff Village Park will be a community hub, providing a much-needed gathering place for individuals and families to recreate.
Applications received by the January 9, 2014 due date will be reviewed by the selection panel in mid-January; the panel will conduct interviews with finalists in February.
Park Plans
A concept plan and preliminary exhibits are available for review on the County Parks website at: www.scparks.com under the heading “Public Art Projects — Seacliff Village Park” heading. These exhibits may be periodically updated as the project design further develops.
Background
Phase 1 focuses on the northern section of the 1.25-acre park, and will include a fenced play area, benches, sheltered picnic areas, bike racks, and a walking path. The perimeter will be lined with drought-tolerant plants and street trees, and the 15,000-square-foot center area will be filled with drought-tolerant turf and temporarily with meadow grass.
Phase 2 will bring a skate park and small amphitheater, as well as a permanent restroom to the center and eastern part of the park.
Seacliff Village Park will be a community hub, providing a much-needed gathering place for individuals and families to recreate.
Budget: $11,700
The budget includes all costs associated with, but not limited to: design; materials; travel; insurance; fabrication; installation, and documentation of the artwork.
Estimated Project Timeline
- January 9, 2015 — Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. This is not a post-mark deadline. Mail or deliver the application package; faxed or email applications will not be accepted.
- January 2015 — Public Art Selection Panel meets to review proposals, select finalists.
- February 2015 — Public Art Selection Panel interviews finalists and makes artist selection.
- March 2015 — Arts Commission considers Panel’s recommendation of public artist.
- May 2015 — Board of Supervisors considers artist proposal and contract.
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Fall 2015/Winter 2016 — Installation Application Process
The application materials must include:
- A current resume detailing professional artistic accomplishments and at least two references who can speak to your past work and qualifications.
- Up to sixteen images of recent relevant work. These images must be submitted on a PC-compatible CD, saved in a. tiff or .jpg format. Maximum image size should be no more than 300 dpi and no larger than 1024 x 768 pixel resolution. Each file should be named with artist surname and image number to correspond with annotated image list (see below).
- An annotated, typewritten list of the images should include the following information: image number, media, size, title, date, cost and brief description of the art work if necessary.
- A preliminary written proposal, not to exceed one typewritten page, which addresses the artist’s specific approach to this project, as well as conceptual drawings of the pro- posed project. All materials should be on white, single-sided, un-stapled, and un-bound 8 1⁄2” x 11” paper. Nothing over 8 1⁄2” x 11” can be accepted for this phase of the process. If you expect the panel to view color within your materials, you should include ten copies of the color portions, as we do not have color photocopy capability.
- A self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage for return of the application materials.
Selection Criteria
The proposed site-specific artwork should enhance the experience of park visitors and should also help create a unique identity for the park. Community members would like artists to consider including a community- engagement activity as part of their proposal.
Proposals may incorporate and enhance one or more of the elements planned for the site (e.g. paving, benches, fencing, signage, bike racks); alternatively, artists may choose to create a freestanding piece, or one that does not incorporate any feature already in the plans.
In addition to being relevant to the Seacliff area, the artwork must satisfy reasonable standards of permanence and safety, meet all relevant codes required for public places, and offer reasonable proof of soundness against theft, vandalism or excessive maintenance and repair.
All work must be safe, tamper-resistant, and easily maintained, regardless of ease of public reach. Artist’s materials and construction must be of permanent quality. All work must be of an appropriate size and design so that it will not create a hazard for impaired pedestrians or the use of maintenance equipment.
Eligibility
The project is open to all experienced professional artists. Artists who are new to the field of public art are encouraged to apply. The selected artist must enter in to a contract with the County, and provide proof of insurance coverage; see the contract example on the parks website for details about required policies and amounts.
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Please contact Kathy DeWild at the Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services, 979 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. Email: prc039@scparks.com.