The San Benito County Arts Council seeks California-based artists or artist teams to submit their qualifications to create and install a site-specific outdoor sculpture at the corner of Santa Ana Rd. and Highway 25 in Hollister, California. This project is part of a State Highway Beautification Project, sponsored by the California Department of Transportation and the Clean California Program.
Project Background
Launched by Governor Newsom as part of his California Comeback Plan, Clean California is investing $1.1 billion for state and local governments to clean up trash and debris statewide, beautify community gateways and public areas along highways, streets and roads, and to provide good jobs to thousands of Californians.
This Clean California Beautification Project is located along Highway 25 near the east entrance to Pinnacles National Park, in the community of Hollister, in San Benito County. This bypass route serves as the “main street” through multiple residential neighborhoods, and retail and industrial developments. This project is an opportunity to soften the stark appearance of the many soundwalls along this corridor by adding landscaping to increase shade and reduce urban heat island effects, to suppress weeds and discourage graffiti, and to add seasonal color, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing, vibrant and comfortable pedestrian and bicycling environment. It is also an opportunity to add aesthetic and artistic elements which enhance pedestrian scale and create a more distinctive community identity which highlights the cultural heritage of the area.
The San Benito County Arts Council, together with Caltrans and the City of Hollister, is administering a Call for Artists and/or Artist Teams to submit their qualifications to create and install a site-specific outdoor sculpture at the corner of Santa Ana Rd and Highway 25. The sculptural piece will be installed at the “start” of this particular Highway 25 corridor between Santa Ana and Sunnyslope Rd, and shall include aesthetic elements that reflect and enhance community identity, as well as integrate with the overall goal of this Caltrans project to beautify the route and encourage pedestrian and bicycle usage for local residents and visitors.
The total budget for this project is $130,000 and is funded through Clean California. Total budget includes all design, materials, fabrication, delivery, installation, assistants, insurance, Caltrans coordination, and travel. Applicants must be based in California with special consideration for artists residing in San Benito, Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.
Submit a RFQ HERE.
See & download a pdf of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for this project which includes site images, submission requirements, eligibility and budget and the results of the Community Public Art Survey.
For more information, please contact the Jennifer Laine, Executive Director, at 831.636.2787 or at info@sanbenitoarts.org. The submission deadline is Wednesday, May 11th, 10:59 pm.