RFP

Shaping Legacy Temporary Public Art Projects

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT 
The San Francisco Arts Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples. As a department dedicated to promoting a diverse and equitable Arts and Culture environment in San Francisco, we are committed to supporting the traditional and contemporary evolution of the American Indian community. 

RACIAL EQUITY STATEMENT  
The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future. 

Project Overview

The San Francisco Arts Commission invites artists and artist teams residing in the United States to submit proposals for up to five opportunities to create temporary public art projects that reimagine the landscape of monuments and memorials in the City. These projects are the culmination of Shaping Legacy, a three-year project that critically examines the monuments and memorials in San Francisco’s Civic Art Collection. 

The proposed temporary public art projects may include a variety of disciplines and genres such as sculpture, performance, multimedia art or educational programs. Artists are encouraged to integrate sustainable materials and/or practices into their projects and consider environmental impacts. 

The proposed temporary public art sites should be publicly accessible locations, such as Civic Center, public parks, plazas, community gardens, waterfront, sites of civic gatherings or spaces of cultural significance.  

The selected works will represent a variety of artforms sited in different parts of San Francisco and are anticipated to take place from April 2026 to October 2026. 

Project Description

The Shaping Legacy project is funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation to critically examine the monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection and to reimagine the future of monuments and memorials in the City. 

Shaping Legacy engages communities underrepresented in the City’s commemorative landscape and creates opportunities for artist-led activations in public space. The project supports artists and communities that are guiding us towards a future where monuments and memorials are spaces of inclusion, belonging and a recognition of our shared humanity. 

Five (5) Temporary Public Art Projects are the culminating phase of the project, building on Artist Circle & Community Collaborators’ programming, Community Engagement Consultants’ case study artist activations, and findings in the Shaping Legacy Audit Report.  

Project Goals 

  • Artwork will reimagine the future of monuments and memorials in the City. 
  • Artwork will be accessible and encourage opportunities for social interaction. 
  • Artwork will center community, collaboration, local histories and stories. 
  • Artists will have a meaningful connection to the San Francisco/Bay Area and/or direct experience collaborating with local communities in the development and implementation of their previous artwork design(s). 
  • Artists will partner directly with SFAC on the development and implementation of the artwork concept and final design. 
  • Selection of artworks will represent a diversity of approaches and take place in different parts of the City. 

PROJECT BUDGET 

Artist Contract: $180,000 (per project)
 
Artist Contract shall cover all project expenses included, but not limited to, permit fees, insurance, design and engineering, fabrication, installation, documentation, deinstallation and maintenance during the installation period. 

Selection Process

After the application deadline, the Arts Commission staff will screen applications to establish the pool of artists meeting the minimum eligibility requirements, which are professional practicing artists who reside in the United States. The eligible applications will be presented to a qualification panel consisting of one (1) SFAC staff and two (2) arts professionals who will review the applications and select a short list for consideration by the Artist Review Panel. The Artist Review Panel consisting of one (1) SFAC staff and up to five (5) arts professionals will review the short list and recommend approximately eight (8) artists/artist teams to participate in an interview with the Panel. Applicants will be provided with a list of questions to prepare for the interview. The Artist Review Panel will then recommend up to five (5) artists/artist teams for the project. 
 
The Artist Review Panel’s recommendation will be submitted first to the Visual Arts Committee (VAC), a subcommittee of the Arts Commission and then to the full Arts Commission for approval. All Artist Review Panel recommendations are subject to the approval of the Visual Arts Committee and Full Arts Commission. 
 
All Arts Commission public meetings and Review Panel meetings are open to the public. Meeting details and agendas are posted on the Arts Commission website at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. To check the meeting schedule for public art projects, please go to our calendar or visit: https://www.sf.gov/departments--arts-commission-meetings.  
 
ARTIST SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS 
Selection Criteria for Artists and Artwork: Artists and artwork will be selected in accordance with the Mission and Goals of the Civic Art Collection and in accordance with the criteria below. Per City contracting requirements, artist applicants who are registered as a Local Business Enterprise will be given a rating bonus of 10% relative to other applicants. 

  • Artistic Merit: Artistic Merit may be judged by such measures as originality of concept and artistic vision; the degree to which the work engages the viewer emotionally, intellectually, spiritually; the qualify of craftsmanship or mastery of skills and techniques. Artistic merit may also be credited to artwork that reflects a significant or direct relationship between the artist and distinct racial or cultural communities. 
  • Relevant Skills & Experience: Review Panels and the Commission shall consider the assessed ability of an artist to successfully implement the proposed project, such as the ability to work constructively with other project stakeholders, meet deadlines, willingness to resolve issues as they arise, and generally manage the demands of the project. Cultural competency and/or significant connection between the artist and the project constituency, or experience that may particularly qualify an artist to meet project goals may also be considered. 
  • Meet Project Goals: An assessment of the artist’s written proposal and the ability of the artist to further develop the proposal to meet the specific goals of the project as defined in this RFP. 
  • Meaningful Connection to and/or Direct Experience Collaborating with Communities: Artists are asked to address their connection to the San Francisco/Bay Area and/or experience collaborating with local communities on public arts projects, which the Review Panel will be instructed to consider as part of their scoring criteria. 
  • Artwork is Appropriate to the Site: The artwork or proposed artwork is appropriate for its intended display location in terms of scale, media, design or imagery and is judged to be relevant within the context of the surrounding community and is compatible with the mission and operations of the client department. 
  • Feasibility/Maintainability: Proposed project shall be evaluated relative to its feasibility and evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to: project budget, timeline, and the artist’s experience. 
  • Public Safety and Accessibility: Artwork shall be evaluated to ensure that it does not present a hazard to public safety and complies the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and with all other applicable building codes.  
  • Duplication: Artists will be asked to warrant, as a condition of their agreement with the City, that the artwork commissioned is unique and an edition of one and shall not be duplicated unless it is part of a limited edition or otherwise stated to the contrary in the artist’s contract with the Commission. 

How To Apply

Applications are available through SlideRoom, an online application system for calls for entry. There is no charge to artists for using SlideRoom. Please be sure to allow adequate time to submit your application as technical difficulties can occur. Applications that are mailed, emailed, faxed or hand-delivered will not be considered. 
 
Applications will not be accepted after the June 30, 2025 4:59 p.m. PT deadline. 

 
Application materials include: 
 

1. Letter of Interest 

  • Description of your artistic focus, career highlights, experience and qualifications. (500 characters maximum)
  • Describe your particular interest in this project, including your meaningful connection to the San Francisco/Bay Area and/or experience collaborating with communities in the development of previous artworks/projects.  (450 characters maximum)

2. Resume 

  • If you are applying as a team, please include your team/studio resume. If that is not available, please combine the individual resumes (one right after the other) of each team member into one document. (25,000 characters maximum)

3. Ten images of previous work 

  • SlideRoom accepts all image file types up to 5MB. Images should at least 72 dpi and no larger than 1280 x 1280 pixels 
  • SlideRoom accepts video files up to 250MB. Videos should be no longer than 1-2 minutes.
  • For team application, please indicate the lead artist for each project. 
  • For information on formatting your image files, please click here.  

4. Image Descriptions 

  • When you upload your images, SlideRoom will prompt you to fill out image descriptions. Please include the title, medium, dimensions, and year for each work. You may also include a brief statement (2 sentences maximum) about each work. 

5. Brief Written Proposal   

  • Briefly describe your proposal for a temporary public art project that reimagines monuments or memorials. Include histories and/or stories being explored, type of media, preferred location and any community advisors you would collaborate with. (1,250 characters maximum)

Review the How to Apply to Calls resource page for helpful tips on how to submit the most competitive application. 

Please note that Arts Commission staff will be available to answer questions about this call until 12 p.m. PT on the deadline date, June 30, 2025. Please contact monumentsandmemorials@sfgov.org  

SlideRoom technical support is available Monday – Saturday by email, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. CT support@slideroom.com  

Project Timeline

Virtual Application Workshop will be offered and recorded on Friday, June 6 from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. PT.

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE

Virtual Application Workshop
June 6, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. PT

RFP Deadline for Application 
June 30, 2025, 4:59 p.m. PT 

Qualification Panel  
Week of July 14, 2025 

Review Panel Meeting One 
Week of July 28, 2025 

Review Panel Meeting Two (Interview) 
August 18 or 19 

VAC Approval of Recommended Artists 
August 20, 2025 

Full Commission Approval of Recommended Artists 
September 5, 2025 

Artists Under Contract 
October 2025 

Anticipated Completion 
October 2026

 

x

Questions & Answers

A.

Artist retains copyright and the artist owns the work. 

A.

Install and deinstall are included in the $180,000 budget. 

A.
  • Applicants are asked to provide a preferred location.  
  • The proposed temporary public art sites should be publicly accessible locations, such as Civic Center, public parks, plazas, community gardens, waterfront, sites of civic gatherings or spaces of cultural significance.   
  • Selection criteria in regards to the site: 
  • Artwork is Appropriate to the Site: The artwork or proposed artwork is appropriate for its intended display location in terms of scale, media, design or imagery and is judged to be relevant within the context of the surrounding community and is compatible with the mission and operations of the client department.  
  • Feasibility/Maintainability: Proposed project shall be evaluated relative to its feasibility and evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to: project budget, timeline, and the artist’s experience.  
  • Public Safety and Accessibility: Artwork shall be evaluated to ensure that it does not present a hazard to public safety and complies the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and with all other applicable building codes.   
A.
  • We will be posting the Webex link for the Virtual Application Workshop and there will be an Eventbrite to register for the workshop. 
  •  The content of the workshop will be an overview of the opportunity and Q&A. It will not include a technical tutorial on how to use SlideRoom. Technical assistance for SlideRoom can be found here: https://help.liaisonedu.com/SlideRoom_Applicant_Help_Center 
A.

Yes, the vision is sufficient for the Letter of Interest (LOI) and the proposal prompt. Materials do not need to be specified, though the disciplines or genres (such as sculpture, performance, multimedia art or educational programs) should be included in the brief description for the written proposal. 

A.

Yes. Proposed project shall be evaluated relative to its feasibility and evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to: project budget, timeline, and the artist’s experience. 

A.

Artists and artwork will be selected in accordance with the Mission and Goals of the Civic Art Collection and in accordance with the criteria outlined in the RFP. Per City contracting requirements, artist applicants who are registered as a Local Business Enterprise will be given a rating bonus of 10% relative to other applicants. Applicants may apply as an individual Artist or an Artist Team. 

A Project Goal and Selection Criteria is Meaningful Connection to and/or Direct Experience Collaborating with Communities. Artists are asked to address their connection to the San Francisco/Bay Area and/or experience collaborating with local communities on public arts projects, which the Review Panel will be instructed to consider as part of their scoring criteria. 

Eligibility

Eligibility is open to professional, practicing artists who reside in the United States. Entries not meeting eligibility guidelines will be withdrawn from consideration. 

What's Coming Up

Public Meeting

Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

May 06
/
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Hybrid: 401 Van Ness | Rm 125 and Online
Public Meeting

Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

January 07
/
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Hybrid: 401 Van Ness | Rm 125 and Online
Public Meeting

Executive Committee Meeting

December 19
/
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 408 and Online
Public Meeting

Community Investments Committee Meeting

December 18
/
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Hybrid: City Hall | Rm 408 and Online