Scottsdale Public Art is interested in working with all artists, whether local, national, or international. There are three options to consider:

Join our email list to stay informed of artist calls, which can be posted at any time. Sign up at ScottsdalePublicArt.org. Look for “Newsletter Sign Up” near the bottom of the home page.

Check in regularly for open artist calls at ScottsdalePublicArt.org/opportunities/.

Check in regularly for open artist calls at https://scottsdalearts.submittable.com/submit.

We use Submittable for all public art calls, including exhibitions. Please visit our Submittable site here for open calls and specific details. You can also visit our Opportunities page.

Requested items for public art calls can vary. For most of our request for qualifications (RFQ) for large-scale public art projects, we will request images of previously completed artwork with project details, a resume or CV, professional references, and a statement of intent that addresses how your previous experience and current artistic direction will result in a successful public art project.

For most of our calls for art for the Civic Center Library exhibitions, we will request images and descriptions of any artwork you are submitting for review and a paragraph stating the intent of your work for the exhibition.

For Canal Convergence, we ask for a proposal for a new or existing temporary public artwork. Typically, this will include the request for a detailed physical and conceptual description of the proposed artwork, and explanation of any interactive components (if applicable), visual documentation or renderings of proposed artwork, visual documentation of past completed artworks, an estimated budget, brief explanation of how the artwork relates to the Canal Convergence themes, and a resume.

A selection panel and the Scottsdale Public Art Advisory Board are utilized for permanent and temporary public art projects to make decisions about the artwork.

The Scottsdale Public Art Advisory Board comprises volunteer community members with expertise in different aspects of creative place-making. This group is tasked with providing oversight to Scottsdale Public Art staff regarding the city’s various public art initiatives. Decisions by the board are based on criteria that ensures the best possible sites, artists, and artwork are selected for Scottsdale.

Scottsdale Public Art Advisory Board members are typically elected to three-year terms, pending a rigorous nomination process. The nomination process occurs twice a year.

Many public art projects are tied to the City of Scottsdale’s capital improvement projects that are approved by City Council.

For information on in-progress permanent projects, please visit https://scottsdalepublicart.org/in-progress/

For exhibitions at the Civic Center Library, our Curator of Collections and Exhibitions works with Scottsdale Arts staff, and occasionally a co-curator, to select artworks for each show.

For Canal Convergence, the Deputy Director of Canal Convergence works with Scottsdale Arts staff and a selection panel to select artworks for each year.

All artists commissioned to create or display large-scale public artwork require insurance. We provide artist insurance requirements with the details of coverage needed along with the contract.

A loan agreement will be provided to the artist detailing requirements for exhibitions.

Contracts for permanent and temporary public art commissions will have a payment schedule dictated by milestone deliverables. Milestones can include concept design and final design acceptance, notice to proceed with fabrication, notice to proceed with installation, and project completion. Once the milestone is met, the artist provides Scottsdale Public Art with an invoice reflecting the work done.