Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - Call To Artists For MLK/Dreamland Park Interactive Fountain

Through the Art in Public Places program, St. Lucie County is announcing a call for artists to commission a mosaic art project for a new interactive water fountain to be installed at MLK/Dreamland Park.

The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners, under the recommendation of the Art in Public Places committee, has approved a $50,000 project to be used to create a mosaic art piece that will illustrate the ideologies of Dr. Martin Luther King.  The deadline to submit a grant proposal is before 5 p.m. on Sept. 22.

Established by the Board of County Commissioners in 1999, St. Lucie County's Art in Public Places program purchases artwork and displays it in public locations throughout the County. Funding for this program is taken from a small percentage of the County's capital improvement projects. These funds cannot be used for the County's general operations.

Interested artists must be willing to work for the general contractor of the interactive water fountain. St. Lucie County reserves the right to require the artist/contractor to carry General Liability insurance at minimum limits to be determined when the contract is awarded.

A tour of the project area is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 10 a.m. at MLK/Dreamland Park, 301 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Fort Pierce. Attendance at the tour is not required, but is recommended.  Please RSVP to Elaine Messier at messiere@stlucieco.org or at (772) 462-1524 if you plan to attend. Failure to RSVP may result in not being notified of any potential re-scheduling of the tour.    

The project will feature a 1,600-square-foot round interactive water fountain with at least 1,000 square feet of wet zone and 5-foot perimeter sidewalks.  All water features will be ground sprays with a minimum of 45 ground spray elements.  In the center of the splash pad will be a higher fountain feature. Mosaic tile will be incorporated into the interactive fountain concrete deck and the sidewalk. The artists will be working directly for the general contractor and all materials used must be approved by the St. Lucie County Health Department.

To be considered for the commission, each artist must submit the proposed design, description of materials and steps that will be used to ensure longevity of the final product, as well as proposed costs for all material and labor associated with mosaic tile work and timeline to complete the project.  Also, please include contact information (phone numbers, physical mailing and email address) and samples (with photographs) of similar projects produced in this area.

Also, please include contact information (phone numbers, physical mailing and email address) and samples (with photographs) of similar projects produced in this area.
With the exception of the proposed design, please submit all the other information on a CD or DVD (maximum of 15 images) to: St. Lucie County Parks and Recreation Services, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, Fla. 34982; Attn: Mark A. DiMascio, Interim Recreation Manager. The deadline for submission is Sept. 22 before 5 p.m. 
For any additional information regarding the project or submission requirements please contact: Elaine Messier at (772) 462-1524 or messiere@stlucieco.org.