SculpTOUR Downtown Rotating Public Art Program Curator

The City of Santa Cruz Office of Economic Development is requesting proposals for a curator or curatorial team to lead the SculpTOUR Downtown Rotating Public Art Program, an outdoor rotating sculpture exhibition across four downtown locations, with proposals due August 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Local and locally owned businesses may receive a preference of up to 6 percent during evaluation. The Living Wage Ordinance applies; prevailing wage requirements do not apply.

The curator will manage artistic direction, develop and execute a Call for Artists, conduct open artist recruitment and selection, coordinate installation logistics, create interpretive materials, facilitate artwork sales during the three-year display period, and serve as fiscal sponsor for artist contracts and payments. Four sculpture locations are designated: Pacific Trading Co., Abbott Square tunnel, Anthropologie storefront, and the new paseo near Pacsouth Apartments. The curator must demonstrate 3–5 years of curatorial experience with public art or sculpture exhibitions, project management competency, and strong communication and collaboration skills.

The total budget for the three-year contract term is $42,500, allocated to cover curatorial fees, artist payments for four selected sculptors, Call for Artists administrative costs, and all program operational expenses including installation, deinstallation, transportation, and coordination. The City will provide insurance coverage for installed sculptures during display periods. The curator must maintain commercial general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate) and professional liability ($2,000,000) insurance, naming the City as an additional insured.

An optional pre-proposal site visit is scheduled for July 1, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. on Pacific Avenue at Church Street. Questions are due August 5, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Evaluation criteria: curatorial vision (20 percent), relevant experience and qualifications (45 percent), project approach and feasibility (15 percent), and budget and fee proposal (20 percent). Shortlisted proposers will advance to Phase 2 interviews and oral presentations. The contract commences upon notification of award, with a three-year term.