NIGP 05280: Sculptures: Marble, Metal, Plastic, etc.

NIGP 05280 Sculptures: Marble, Metal, Plastic, Etc., an Item code, covers public sculpture procurement by state and local governments, including consultation, curation, artist coordination, and fabrication services for permanent installations and temporary public art programs. Recent solicitations show state and local agencies buying three types of work: artist coordination and event management for live sculpting competitions; commissioning of custom permanent sculptural installations; and curatorial services for rotating public art exhibitions that rotate multiple sculptural works across downtown locations. Issuing bodies include municipal departments (city growth management and economic development divisions), state agencies (Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks), and cultural or public art programs administered through city offices. The work spans planning and logistics, artist recruitment and payment, quality testing and site preparation, installation and deinstallation, insurance and liability management, and interpretive program design. Contract terms run from one year with optional renewal to multi-year fixed periods; budgets range from under five figures for materials and consultation to mid five figures for curation and artist payments across multiple years.

Recent activity appears across Florida and Mississippi, with additional solicitation activity in California. Representative recent solicitations include the City of Ocala's RFQ GRM/261079 (posted September 14, 2026, due October 12, 2026 for revised date November 12, 2025) for sand sculpting consultation and artist coordination services supporting a May 2027 festival; the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks' sole-source procurement notice 3150006972 (posted August 20, 2026, due September 9, 2026 for objections) for a custom Lobby Leaf Sky Sculpture installation from SRS Fabrication Inc. at an estimated cost of $69,200; and the City of Santa Cruz's RFP RFPNODEPTHERE0312 (posted August 14, 2026, due August 31, 2026) for a curator to manage a three-year rotating public art program with a total budget of $42,500 and local business preference up to six percent. Prevailing wage does not apply to these sculptural services codes under recent issuances.