Sculptural Artwork for Grimes Park

The City of DeSoto is requesting qualifications from professional artists or artist teams to design and produce a permanent, interactive sculptural installation for Grimes Park, with submissions due August 19, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time under RFQ-2026-025. Eligibility is limited to professional artists or teams ages 18 and older residing in North Texas as defined by the North Central Texas Council of Governments with demonstrated public art commission experience within the last ten years.

The artwork must celebrate play, movement, connection, and shared outdoor experiences aligned with the City's theme "So Much To Love," featuring life-size bronze or composite statues depicting children in various forms of play and interaction. The installation must emphasize diversity and accessibility, be suitable for frequent public interaction near the playground, and accommodate multiple potential siting locations to be finalized during design development with City staff.

The project budget is $30,000. Up to three artists will be short-listed and compensated $150 upon presentation of completed concept design qualifications, with one artist selected for final commission award. The estimated timeline for completion and installation is approximately 90 days from project approval, including design approval, fabrication, site preparation, and installation.

Evaluation criteria are quality and aesthetics of past work (40%), experience with similar public art projects (30%), creativity and innovation (15%), ability to communicate concepts (10%), and demonstrated experience working with communities (5%). Respondents must submit one original PDF, three bound copies, and one USB flash drive of all qualification documents in sealed packages to the City of DeSoto Finance Department, 211 E. Pleasant Run Road, DeSoto, Texas 75115. A non-mandatory pre-submittal conference is scheduled for July 29, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time via Microsoft Teams. Artists must maintain general liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured, obtain all required permits, and provide detailed long-term maintenance instructions. Payment terms are Net 30 days following completion and City approval.